“You don’t take the plane much, do you?” He chuckles, and I can’t help but notice that he didn’t step away, his bicep still pressed against my shoulder. “Between the moment they land and the moment they can finally step out of the arrival gates, there’s—”
“I know!” I roll my eyes. “But she’ll just have a hand luggage, and—”
“Still has to walk half the airport to get here.”
“Ugh,” I groan, my legs starting to walk around on their own, before I stop abruptly. “I’ll go get changed in the bathroom. I won’t get dragged to another night in a bar wearing my work clothes.”
“Good idea. She’ll probably be here when you’re done.”
“Oh, and I need a coffee.” I look around and quickly spot a Starbucks, but the line is way too long. “Nevermind. We can stop on our way home.”
I turn, picking my duffle bag from the floor and head to the restroom, following the signs. After a couple of turns—and what feels like a mile—I finally step inside a cubicle and into a loose comfortable playsuit I bought a few days ago, switching my heels to some cute platform wedge sandals.
Much better.
At least I won’t get as many blisters if Nuri wants us to go dancing. Because these heels? They’re feet murderers. And that pencil skirt? Although it makes my ass and legs look good, dancing or even sitting comfortably is impossible. And let’s not forget about the button down shirts, soft—because helloooo silk, thank you very much—but I’m always scared of a button popping off if I move too much.
I stash all my work clothes in the duffle bag, and step outside the small cubicle. In front of the mirror, I tie my hair up in a high ponytail, fix my makeup with a little powder, and nod at my reflection.
Alright, I’m feeling a little more like myself. Light makeup, hair away from my face, comfortable summer clothes to face off the new heatwave, I’m ready to go drinking and dancing with Nuri all night if she wants or needs to. Being a mother of three, she probably needs to let off some steam. Or maybe I’m completely wrong and we’ll have one drink before she’ll fall asleep right there in the bar.
I swear it takes me about fifteen minutes to find my way back to the arrival boards, and I sigh in relief when I spot Nate, talking with Nuri.
I start to run, dropping my bag a second before I jump on Nuri’s back, hugging her tightly against me, burying my head in her back hair. God, how I missed her. Even after she left college with Jack and Nate, she was still living near campus so we kept hanging out. She was Jack’s friend first, but I knew as soon as I met her that we were going to be friends. We don’t talk much, but every time we see each other, it’s like nothing has changed—except for all the catching up we have to do.
She stumbles a little but laughs loudly and I don’t even care about the bystanders staring at us because my friend is here. The only friend I managed to keep despite the years of moving around with Jack. The only one who never got upset about me canceling plans at the last minute to take care of my brother and never gave up on our friendship even though I kept moving farther and farther away to follow him.
She’s my person. Has been for a long time, and will be for even longer.
“I missed you too, Prue,” she laughs as I finally climb down her back to hug her like a normal human being. “I’m so happy to be here with you guys,” she adds softly, holding me tight.
She lets go of me and stares at my face for a few seconds with a bright smile before her eyes dart behind me, where I can hear Nate clearing his throat.
“Yeah, you too, you big baby. Although, you would have known that if you didn’t ignore and avoid me for the last decade!”
I turn around to find him looking embarrassed. There. I can read him now. So why can’t I understand him the rest of the time?
“Saying a decade is a little exaggerated. Let’s go with nine years…” he mumbles, staring at his fidgeting feet.
She rolls her eyes at him. They were talking with smiles before I got here, why are they arguing now?
“If you had dared to pick up your phone back then, you would have known that I didn’t plan on taking sides. So I’m telling you now because I’ll have none of either of your bullshit later, I’m mad at you! And at Jack, but he already knows it and went through ‘the talk’ not even a week after it happened. Your fight was stupid and I understand that he said mean and hurtful things but I was your friend too! So if you ever fight again, don’t be a dick and answeryour damn phone when I’m calling!”
Nate’s eyes are wide, his face flushed. I bet he was not expecting to be scolded like this. But Nuri’s right. She was his friend too—one of the only women immune to his charms—and he blew her off. It took her nine years, but she finally gave him the same—well, not the same but you get the idea—scolding she gave Jack back then.
She was so mad when she heard what happened. At Jack. She was adamant that Nate did nothing wrong, and Jack was just a stubborn, paranoid, overreacting prick. And when she tried to reach out to Nate, he never answered. Maybe he thought she was calling him because she believed what Jack believed. But I remember that Nuri was really hurt about all this.
And now she can finally tell him all about it. And If I let her loose, we’ll never be done with it and the weekend will be ruined.
“Let’s not talk about all this anymore,” I whine, picking up my duffle bag from where I dropped it on the floor. “Let’s agree that you,” I point at Nuri, “will call him, andhewill pick up his phone like a reasonable grown man, so you can talk this out and explain to each other. Because you’re only here until Sunday afternoon and I don’t want to spend the whole weekend fighting.”
Nuri sighs but nods, and Nate avoids our gaze, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Alright, I’ll take that as a yes.
I start walking but my bag is pulled from my shoulder and the next thing I know, Nate is walking next to me, my bag on his shoulder, and a large Starbucks cup is between my hands. A cup that smells like coffee. A latte. With Hazelnut flavored syrup, to be more specific.
Which was my drink of choice every time we went for coffee back then, with Jack and Nuri.
