Can This Be Real?

Chapter 11: Airport surprise

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Derek POV

It had only been a few days since Bethany left for her trip to Mexico. The only thing keeping me sane while I wait for to get back into to town was her text message. I was so surprised to hear back from her. I would’ve bet money that she would have deleted my voicemail immediately as soon as she saw my name pop up on her phone. But she didn’t. She gave me another chance.

 Ok, maybe another chance isn’t the exact words to describe her text message but the fact that she even listened to my voicemail and replied back is something. It was hope.

 I rattled my mind thinking about how I was going to get her back so I called up Mark for help. He said to stop by his house cause Val, Dylan and Witney were over to go over some ideas for music for the DWTS live tour. Midway through their jamming session, everyone’s phones had alerted them of a video that Witney had posted.

 Dylan was on his phone when his mouth dropped and all he could muster up was, “Wow.”

 Mark looked over to see what Dylan was looking at and he said, “wow is an understatement.”

 “Damn…DAYUM!!!” exclaimed Val.

 Witney added, “Get it girl.”

 Now I was curious thinking they weren’t watching Witney’s video, I grabbed his phone and was just in awe. It was 2 instagram posts of Bethany in a white bikini doing a handstand on the beach and her in the same bikini posing with an unbuttoned shirt on. I was speechless. She looked amazing. 

 Mark brought me back to reality when he said, “D, do you need a bib to wipe that drool off of your face?”

 Everyone erupts in laughter at my expense. Val added, “Bro, no disrespect, but if you don’t go after her someone is going to snake right in front of you and steal her away. I am not going to lie, with her looking like that, it may be me.”

 Dylan chimes in, “Or me..”

 I just give the both of them the stare of death and emphatically state, “Don’t even think about it.”

 They both surrender both of their hands in the air and laugh.

 Mark added, “Look at these other pics. She looks amazing. Erin Andrews was right during the switch up week, she is definitely blossoming.”

 I can’t even lie, I have seen all of the previous instagram pictures she had posted since she left for Mexico… the morning selfie, her standing in an ankle deep pool, and her exploring the city. And in all the pictures, she is definitely evolving. I mean she was beautiful before but now she is on another level. You can see or even feel the light and confidence just beam out of her. She had a glow about her now. She was radiating. She was gorgeous.

 Witney seriously states, “Those knuckleheads are right though, you can’t stand back and wait. Not only is she gorgeous but she is too amazing of a girl to let slip through your fingers.”

 “I know…trust me, I know.”

With that I found myself calling Bethany’s publicist and begged her for Bethany’s flight information. She handed the phone to Bethany’s sister and she said, “Look I have no clue what is going on between the two of you but even though she had fun during this trip I could tell she was distracted. You better fix this.”

 Before I knew it, I found myself racing to park my car in the airport parking lot and running towards baggage claim area. As I saw luggages start to roll out onto the conveyer belt, I search through the crowd for her. I spotted her struggling to grab her luggage.

I said, “Here, let me give you a hand with that.”

 Without even looking up, she politely said, “Oh no really, I can handle it but thank you so much.” When our hands touched as we both grabbed the handle of her luggage, our eyes met.

 I quickly said, “Look, before you even say anything…” she drops her luggage and wraps both of her arms around my neck pulling me into a hug. I pick her up and it felt just like old times.

 Bethany POV

 The only thing I despise about traveling is dealing with luggages. How is it possible that a couple of souvenirs and mementos from the trip can all of a sudden add so much weight? I swear someone must have added a couple of sandbags to my bag because it is impossible to get it off this conveyer belt.

 I must have looked so pathetic because a kind stranger even offered to help me with my luggage. When we both reached for the handle of the bag, I felt a spark for some reason. The hand felt so familiar. So confused, I looked up to see two familiar blue eyes staring back me… Derek.

 He began to say, “Look, before you say anything…”

 Before he could even finish, I dropped the handle from my bag and threw my arms around his neck to hug him. I felt his arms wrap around me and pick me up without missing a beat. Gawd, it felt so right. I whispered into his ear, “Hey.”

 He put me down, smiled and replied, “Hey.”

 I smirked and tried to say with a straight face, “Things between us aren’t fixed yet. This doesn’t mean you are forgiven or that we are ok.”

 With a sly smirk, he answers, “Understood.”

 “What are you even doing here? How’d you know I would get in tonight?”

 “Your sister and your publicist,” he answers, “I kinda begged them to give me your flight information. I just couldn’t wait any longer to see you. So, I told them that I would pick you up. I hope you’re not mad.”

 “I’m happy to see you.” I thought to myself, so much for the idea of cutting him out of my life completely.

 He confidently says, “Yea, I could tell by that hug.”

 “Don’t push your luck, buddy,” I say with a little laugh.

 He smirks, puts his arm around my shoulder as we walk towards the parking lot and whispers, “I know I am not forgiven yet and we still have a lot to talk about but thank you for not shutting me out. Thank you for giving me hope that we could fix this… cause now I know for certain that this could be real.”