The Distance Between Us (Book Two ✓)

twenty-nine

EMMA

"Okay, what else?" I mumble, holding my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I fumble with the luggage lock I picked up after work. "What am I missing?" Shoot, I really need to start writing lists.

Ah-ha! The lock pops open with the new code I've set and a bit of my worry lessens. I might hyperventilate on the plane, but at least my luggage won't be rummaged through.

"Toothbrush, deodorant, sunscreen," Nadine chuckles at the last item. She sounds distracted, like she's watching TV as she cleans up at the coffee shop. Still, she never fails to make fun of me for my easy-to-burn complexion.

"Check, check," I roll my eyes as I run into my bathroom and grab the SPF-50 I keep on hand. "And check. Why do I think I'm forgetting something?"

Tossing the sunblock in with my motion sickness medicine, I chew the corner of my lip as I scan my bedroom. I'm overthinking this, I'm just so nervous to see Beau again.

That, and I'm terrified to travel alone. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, reminding myself that once I'm in the air, it'll all be fine. Until I have to come back down, my stomach tightens with the thought.

The past couple of weeks have been long and dreadful - each day seemingly lasting hours longer than it should have. Even Adam couldn't distract me at work, his normal goofy humor unable to fully occupy my mind and his coveted rom-com manuscripts not entertaining enough to entice me. Unfortunately, that left even more time for me to daydream of seeing Beau again - thoughts floating off in that direction at least once every couple of hours or so. At night, I fell asleep to Beau's voice on the phone or to numbing reality cooking shows on the television, dreams painting a million happy versions of Beau and I's reunion.

"Condoms?" Nadine laughs at her own joke as my jaw drops.

"Nadine! What's gotten into you?"

"I'm just saying, Miss Emma. I don't care what the boys tell you. You can never be too safe-"

"Oh, God." I groan but silently feel warmth in my chest. My mom never got to have the talk with me, and Nadine is the closest I have to a big sister. It just seems a bit late in the game for such advice. "Beau's got us covered, but thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," I hear the jingle of the doorbell in the background. "Speaking of men - mine is here to bring me out to dinner. Call me when you land?"

I promise to do just that as a deep voice greets her on the other end. My smile widens. "So he's your man now? When will I get a name?"

"Oh hush," I can practically see Nadine waving me off in my mind. "Don't you go getting any ideas. You know I can't say no to some lobster,"

I let out a laugh but hang up without forcing anything more from her. She can hide it all she wants, but there's no denying that Nadine must like this new man. For starters, he's the only one she's dated in years. But more than that, she, like Gemma, doesn't usually see anyone more than once.

Reluctantly resuming my focus on packing, I glare at my stack of clean underwear on my bed. How many pairs is too many? And which pairs?

I let out a groan and flop into my fluffy comforter, wondering when I got so nervous about myself around Beau. Lingerie, pajamas, full makeup or barefaced - my appearance has never seemed to affect his attraction towards me before.