Page 103 of Rise & Fall

Except this isn’t just a moment. This is me and her, and no one else in the world, colliding in a way that two people are meant to collide. And I know that no matter what, I will do whatever I can to prove to this girl just how much she means to me.

Because,fuck, I’m falling.

thirty-three

Dakota

“Thankyouforbringingme,” I say to Nolan as he pulls up his truck to the departure gate at the airport.

After we finally sauntered out of bed, I had to rush home so that I could throw some things in a suitcase as fast as possible, knowing I hadn’t packed anything. He insisted that he follow me home so that he can take me to the airport before having to go pick up Aria for the week.

The gesture was sweet. Just like everything else that he does. But it feels weird to accept offers like that because I’m used to doing it all on my own. But something submits when I’m with him. It’s a voice that tells me it’s okay to let him in, it’s okay to change it up a little. Like he’s my safety net, a security blanket I didn’t know I needed.

I don’t remember what being in a relationship felt like with Asher because I’m realizing that it was very much one-sided. So there’s also that part of me that doesn’t know how these things should go just based on the only real model of boyfriend I knew.

Not that I didn’t date before him, but when you’re with someone for nearly five years, you tend to feel comfortable with the current workings of what you’ve got, and you forget what it’s like to be with someone who isn’t self-centered and dependent. Someone who is real. It makes me wonder why I was ever an option for him in the first place if he never had any true intentions on giving us a real chance.

Things with Nolan are incredibly easy. Even the situation with Jessica was surprisingly simple to navigate, granted I let my feelings get in the way, but I didn’t overreact too much to the point where it seemed unreasonable, considering how little I knew about Jessica to begin with.

There’s still the part where we have to talk to her about our relationship. Well, more so I have to talk to her. We aren’t looking for her permission to be together, but as her kind-of-somewhat friend, I feel like it’s only the right thing to do.

But for now, I’m just going to enjoy my time with Nolan and see where things take us. Because I’m happy right now and that’s all that matters.

“I wish I could bring you with me,” I admit, leaning over to kiss him on his cheek.

The car ride over wasn’t bad. But I definitely realize that I get car sick, which is a surprise to me.

“Even if I had a reason to go, I’ll have Aria.” He smirks as he creeps in the line for drop-off.

“Wow, so I meannothingto you,” I deadpan, puffing my bottom lip out to a pout. “That’s not what you were feeling when I-”

“That’s not what I meant, Firefly.” His stare is almost nefarious as he cuts me off, but it’s sincere in the way that he wants me to know that Idomean something to him.

“Well, maybe now would be a good time to ask you if you’d like to be my plus one for the wedding.” I grab on to his bicep in an act of begging. He smiles down at me as he pulls the car into a newly unoccupied parking space near the front of the gate and throws the car in park.

“Keep looking at me like that, Dakota, and you’re gonna miss your flight,” he says as he slides his hand in between my clenched thighs and teases me higher and higher over my leggings, touching that needy spot at the apex of my thighs, rubbing his thumb over the fabric covering my pussy.

“Stop it right now, sir.” I breathe into his neck, his head lowered to my collarbone where he feathers heated kisses over my skin.

“You’ll call me when you land?” He smiles against my head, pressing his lips into my hair.

But we’re both thrown out of our trance when honking starts to sound behind us and we know we’ve extended ourdrop-off onlystay.

“Maybe.” I open the door and hop down to the sidewalk, pulling my carryon with me and meeting him around the back of the truck.

We both stare at each other for far too long but not long enough, not knowing how to properly say goodbye at such early stages in our relationship. We’re both new to the idea of a life outside of the life we had planned for.

Maybe that’s why we’re perfect for each other. Or at least it feels like it. Maybe that’s why we work so well.

Nolan pulls me into him and lifts me to straddle his torso, coming in for a goodbye kiss like no other. Like one you see in those corny chick flicks. Except this is reality and I have to say, this is much better.

Again, we get honked at, but we don’t let up right away.

“Are we going to be okay?” I whisper to him, and I don’t know what causes me to even ask. It’s not like things have been rocky. We just had a misunderstanding of sorts, and we obviously are able to work through it.

I feel like we can work through anything.

But the last time I jumped on a plane, I got cheated on. So maybe that’s where my sudden need for clarification and assurance comes from.