𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘰

Honey's POV:

There we stood, my mother, Simon, and I crying in the middle of the airport. All three of us were joined in a tight hug, a hug I wish could last forever.

My salty tears mixed with the yellow fabric of my mother's dress as Simon and I prepared to say our final goodbyes before boarding the plane.

"Goodbye, Mother," I whispered quietly into her shoulder, trying for her sake to hide the pain laced within my voice.

She released the tight grip she had on my shoulders and looked into my eyes, sorrow present in her shaking voice.

"Honey, there's no such thing as goodbye, only see you later."

My dimples were now evident on my face as I gave her a warm smile, the remainders of tears falling from the apples of my cheeks.

I turned to Simon and I could tell he was trying to be strong, for my sake. He's always understood my sensitivity, and he knew if I saw him cry it would only make things harder for me. I've always wanted the best for him, and seeing him upset is painful for me. In this moment I could tell he was heartbroken, devastated, yet somehow he still managed a smile.

"Come on Audrey, it's time to go." he said quietly, placing a brotherly hand on my frail shoulder.

As much as I didn't want to leave my mother, I knew it would be best to keep our goodbyes short. I gave her one last hug before turning away, grabbing my luggage and stepping onto the plane, Simon doing the same.

I've never liked goodbyes, but I have learned to appreciate them. It's better to be allowed a final moment with somebody, rather than having them ripped away from you without warning, without getting to tell them you love them one last time. It reminded me of my father, how I never got to say goodbye..

"Move out of the aisle, would you?" a harsh voice spoke from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

As I turned around to find who the male voice belonged to, my pair of warm, gentle blue eyes were met with another. The set of eyes looking into mine seemed cold, emotionless yet so full of power at the same time. It was strange to me how our eyes could be so similar, yet so different at the same time. These ocean blues were complimented by locks of red hair, fiery yet well kept. I further examined his features, noticing the light freckles sprinkled across his nose and the slight smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips. He impatiently looked around, and I hadn't realized how long I had been looking at him.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking. I zoned out and didn't realize-"

When I still didn't move, he grew more impatient. Having enough of my stuttering, he grabbed my luggage and put it in the overhead compartment, grabbing my waist as he did so and sitting me down in the nearest seat. He sighed as he sat down in the seat next to me, his eyebrows furrowed as he met my eyes once again.

He parted his lips and laughed a little as he began to speak.

"What's your name, doll?"

"It's Audrey, and yours?"

I don't know why I was so tongue-tied and nervous around him. I've always been ridiculously shy, but I've never been one to stumble over my words or not know what to say. He has this energy he gives off, his very presence demanding attention and respect. He radiates confidence-

He's everything I'm not.

"It's Jack, Jack Merridew."