Chapter 23


    I can barely believe my eyes, yet the truth is there, in front of me, pping me right in the face. It’s


    definitely Rick. I had doubts about seeing him at the police station, but this time, it’s not just a short


    vision in a blink, he’s really right there, in front of my eyes, and he’s not going anywhere. That tight knot


    appears in my throat again. …Why the fuck is he in London?


    He’s standing right in front of the doors, arms crossed, jaw clenched, staring as if he can’t be bothered


    to blink. It’s been a few years since I saw himst, but he’s barely changed. If anything, he seems a bit


    bulkier, and his ck hair is cut neatly, short, unlike that beach surfer mid-length style he had when we


    were young… He’s not wearing his uniform either, just some simple white shirt and denim pants, and a


    thick coat over it, perhaps a biker’s jacket. I can only see him from the back, just a bit of his profile


    towards us, but that’s more than enough for me to recognize him. I can guess his five-o-clock shadow


    too… My heart tightens a bit. Shit.


    “What is it?” Asks Bart, trying to find what or who I’m staring at.Daily Latest update .noveljar


    “…My ex, Rick,” I mutter. “He’s here too.”


    It takes him a couple of minutes to spot him amongst the crowd, but when he does, he clicks his


    tongue.


    “So you didn’t dream it after all. What is he doing here?”


    “He’s waiting for Charles…?”


    That’s the only usible theory. He’s waiting right outside the doors, and as I nce at the list of


    iing flights, the one from New York City is just the most likely one. Or is there somebody else on


    the flight? From the way he’s ring at those doors, I wouldn’t think so… But why? Why the hell did he


    come all the way to London? Did he find out Charles wasing here and followed him? Or did he


    hear about the fake apartment under my name? If Rick’s really part of the NYPD now, he could easily


    get ess to that kind of information. …Is he really investigating my death? Shit, I wish he’d stay out of


    this.


    “Hey, where are you going?” Bart asks, suddenly grabbing my arm.Daily Latest update


    .noveljar


    Before realizing, I had already taken the direction of the stairs.


    “I just… I just want to check if that’s really him,” I mutter, unable to calm down. “I’ll be quick.”


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    “Swithin wants us to stay away, your ex will being out any minute!”


    “If he is and Rick makes a scene, it will make things difficult too,” I retort. “Just let me check, Bart.”Daily


    Latest update .noveljar


    I free myself from his grip and walk away before he can say anything more. I just need to confirm… I


    just need to see him from up close. Maybe Bart’s right, maybe I’ve gone mad. I know I should listen to


    Swithin and stay away, but I can’t. A part of me is just begging to get closer, just a bit closer, to see him.


    Staring from afar isn’t enough… I just want to see his face.


    I quickly step down the stairs, people stepping aside as my high heels announce my approach. I get a


    few stares, gazes attracted to my red hair and white coat contrast, or people curious about my unusual


    appearance, like wearing sunsses inside an airport. I ignore them all, and just walk around the


    arrival hall, circling around Rick from far enough, just trying to find a safe angle to see and not be seen.


    Of course, Swithin notices me, and I see him frown behind his red shades. Sorry, Swithin, I just need a


    minute… or a few. My heart tightens every time I get a glimpse of Rick. There are hundreds of people


    in the airport, so even staring in his direction, my view is often blocked by the random flow of travelers.


    It’s chaotic, but everybody but him is a blur. I see this scene as if everything in the background was out


    of focus, like those slow scenes in a movie. Except that nobody can hear the loud ruckus going on in


    my head, in my chest.


    It’s really him. He’s older, of course, than what I remember of him. I’m choked up by regrets, and, much


    worse, by hope. Will he spot me amongst the crowd? Would he recognize me? …Would he be willing


    to forgive me?


    I stand there, still, for a few seconds, staring in his direction. He hasn’t changed that much in the few


    years I haven’t seen him. He has the same strong features, hisrge chin, his strong eyebrows, his


    deep, dark eyes. The sexy tan of his skin, and even that uneven nose I always loved to make fun of. I


    remember a much younger Rick, skinnier, too tall for his age and insecure in his skin. There’s nothing


    looking insecure about the man I’m staring at. His shoes firmly nted on the floor, his strong chin, his


    determined eyes. My stomach decides to make a knot too. I step back, feeling a bit anxious all of a


    sudden. …Is he still mad at me? Would he be mad if he saw me now? I don’t know if I could handle


    it.Daily Latest update .noveljar


    I’ve been staring for too long. He suddenly feels it. His cop senses, perhaps, make him lose his focus


    on the arrival doors, and start ncing around. I quickly turn around, pretending to step in the long line


    for an overpriced airport coffee. Nervous, I try not to nce back, but this time, I’m the one feeling the


    stare. A shiver runs down my spine. Has he seen me, or am I just imagining this?


    My phone rings, and I pretend to take the call while stepping out of the line. Some people stare at me,


    wondering why I bothered to stand in line for such a short time, or if there’s an actual reason for those


    sunsses. I sigh, and answer.


    “What are you doing?” Hisses Swithin.Daily Latest update .noveljar


    “My ex is here,” I mutter.


    “…Oh. I see him,” he says after a few seconds. “Is he going to be a problem?”


    “Depends what would be a problem. He looks like he’s getting ready to pounce on Charles.”


    “We can’t have that. I don’t like a Cop on our trail, and I need to get Williams’ trust, this is a bother.


    Grab his attention.”


    I almost drop the phone. Shit! I turn around, finding Swithin with my eyes. Luckily for me, Rick’s back to


    staring at the arrival doors, in the exact same position as before. How the hell am I supposed to get him


    to look away and forget Charles, he looks like a sniper waiting for his perfect window of opportunity… I


    nce around. I can’t cause amotion in a bloody airport, there’s got to be security everywhere.


    “Hera, hurry,” he says. “The first travellers of the New York flight areing out.”


    I hang up and nce around. I can’t approach Rick, I need to find somebody and something that will


    distract him enough… A man walks past me with a heart-shaped balloon, and it gives me an idea. I


    look around, looking for a single woman. I find a young woman, sitting in the waiting area, a bit younger


    than me, with a cringe orange tan and tinum blonde hair, apparently alone and busy on her phone,


    she’s not looking up. I quickly go and sit right next to her. When she nces at me, curious to see who


    sat next to her, I give her a smile. She smiles back, a bit awkward.


    “Hi,” I say with an attractive smile.


    “Hi,” she answers, visibly a bit curious about me. “Do we know each other?”


    “No, I’m just waiting for a friend. You too?”


    “My Nan. I’m supposed to get her but her flight’s bloodyte…”


    I subtly slide my sses down my nose, and focus on the bit of Charming I’ve done before.


    “Do you see the young man standing in front of the doors, with the biker jacket?”


    “Yes…?” She mutters, under my power.


    “You find him very attractive. You should try and get his number. You really, really want his phone


    number.”


    “That’s true…”


    She slowly gets up, and sure enough, she quickly walks up to Rick, arranging her hair, clothes and


    attitude on the way. A bit amused, I see her approach him, unting a smile, putting a hand on his arm.


    Hey, hands off… Shit, I’m an idiot. He nces at her, visibly confused and losing his focus. I know I


    purposely picked a girl he’d never be attracted to, but it still annoys me quite a bit to see his attention


    suddenly absorbed by this English girl. I cross my arms, staring at the scene, a bit annoyed. At least, it


    worked. More peoplee off the NYC flight and he just can’t get rid of her. Damn, Rick, you idiot, are


    you seriously blushing? I roll my eyes, and go back to staring at the entrance. More peoplee out of


    the doors… I spot Charles. He’s not alone. That brte from my funeral is here too, plus a man I’ve


    never seen before, and another woman, an older one, perhaps in her forties. Never seen her either.


    Quickly, Swithin walks up to him, introduces himself. They shake hands, and Swithin escorts them


    outside. I nce back at Rick. He’s spotted Williams, and he’s desperate to get rid of the blonde to


    walk up to them, but they are on the other side of the arrival hall. It’s toote. I smile, and get up.


    Bart quickly arrives by my side as we head towards a different exit.


    “Your jealous face was epic,” he mocks me.


    “Shut up. I did what Swithin asked…”


    I nce towards the blonde. If only there was a way to stop the charming from afar… Bart chuckles.


    “Poor Baby Vamp. Seeing your two exes the same day, a bit rough isn’t it?”


    “If you don’t shut up, I swear I’m breaking all your game consoles as soon as we get back.”


    “Tsk.”


    We quickly try to walk out, but as the travelers from the states get out, there’s a bit of a crowd already,


    and we have to slow down to try and walk around groups and families reuniting. I can’t help but smile at


    a pair of children running into their grandparents arms. Myst experiences of airport arrivals were


    always drowned in the blinding shes of dozens of paparazzis…


    Shit, I lost Bart. I nce over, and he’s giving me a grimace from across what seems to be a small


    group of teenagers, perhaps a school trip of some sort. Shit, shit. I got some eyes on me, I’m standing


    out with my shy appearance and my height. I try to walk around them, adjusting my sunsses on


    my face. They can’t recognize you, they can’t recognize you, calm down… I lost Bart, but I’ve managed


    to clear my way to the exit.


    “June…?”


    I stop, one second toote to realize I shouldn’t have. Don’t nce that way. It’s definitely Rick’s voice,


    but I can only guess how far back he is on my left-back corner. Just a few steps, maybe. If it wasn’t for


    my vampire hearing, I wouldn’t even have heard him across the crowd. I stand still, frozen. I want to


    look so bad. I want to see the look in his eyes, see how he’s looking at me right now, what his feelings


    are. Anger? Sadness? Regrets, perhaps?


    …Shit, stay strong. I see him in the corner of my vision. Less than a second has passed, but I have to


    make a decision. I resume my walk, as if I hadn’t heard him, just a bit faster and in the opposite


    direction. I hope it doesn’t show in my walk how insane I’ve be right now. Every cell of my body is


    screaming to turn back, face him and tell him the truth, or tell him to stay away, but I can’t. I force


    myself to put one foot before the other, towards wherever the fuck Bart’s gone to. It’s the worst


    sensation ever. Knowing he’s right there, he’s just steps away from me, and I can’t go to him and tell


    him everything. I feel my heart breaking again. How many more times will I have to be so cruel to him?


    Rick doesn’t deserve all the shit I’ve put him through, why is he even still crossing paths with me? I


    force myself to keep walking, a bit faster, ignoring my head, my heart, my stomach and everything


    around me.


    …I must have dreamt that. He couldn’t have recognized me. Perhaps he saw a blonde in the crowd


    and got confused. Perhaps it was even just some stupid magazine with my face on it. I have scarlet red


    hair, huge shades and a cap on. How the hell would he have possibly recognized me? …There’s no


    way.


    Thank God I step out of that damn airport, and I spot Bart, waiting for me in the Taxi area with a strange


    expression. I walk up to him, angry, and just hop into the first avable ck taxi without saying a word.


    Bart follows right behind me, and it’s only after he’s closed the door and begins chatting with the driver


    that I dare look out the window, towards the airport’s exit. No sign of Rick. I let out a faint sigh of relief,


    but if I’m honest, I know I’m as relieved as I am disappointed… It’s a strange feeling. The car starts and


    drives away into the long line of cars trying to leave the busy airport. I close my eyes and rest my head


    back, my whole body still shaking from the experience.


    “What the hell happened?”


    “…I think Rick may have recognized me,” I mutter with a hoarse voice. “Maybe I imagined it…”


    “No, I meant between you and that guy, Hera,” He groans. “You’re definitely not over him, and it seems


    to me he’s not over you either, so what the fuck happened that you left him for that shithead?”


    He nces at the driver, probably careful not to slip anything too dangerous about our kind, my identity


    or my death. I re at him, but he shakes his head.


    “Don’t give me that look,” he grunts. “Cecily might be too self-absorbed to care, but I recognize a


    broken heart when I see one, I’ve had my fair share over the cen- over the years. Plus, this guy looks


    like he’s not going to let go of that bone, so we need to know what to expect if he’s after Charles too.”


    “He… Rick hates Charles,” I mutter. “And he has a strong sense of justice. Too much, even. He’s not


    going to let go… He doesn’t know the real reason I left him, Bart, and before you ask, I don’t want to


    talk about it, alright? I’ll tell you when I’m ready, but not now. Just know that… Rick and I were friends


    for years, then we got together for four of those years until I broke up with him. The break up was hard


    on both of us. He tried to reach out a few times, but… every time, I was too afraid to tell him the truth,


    and I couldn’t leave Charles. Rick and I… We came from different worlds.”


    “You’re really in different worlds now,” Bart retorts. “…And why do I have a feeling your ex-fiancé has


    something to do with the breakup?”


    I don’t answer, and look away, at the cars passing by the window. …Charles had everything to do with


    me leaving Rick, but it was my fault. I was an idiot, aplete, absolute idiot. My mistake caused this,


    and a lot worse. Shit, I don’t want to think about this, not now. I need to focus.


    “…You said your ex didn’t take the break up well?” Scoffs Bart.


    When I nce back, I realize he was just looking at his phone. He puts it back with a grin.


    “He’s definitely not going to let go. Swithin said his car is being followed. By some dude on a bike…”


    Oh no, Rick, for fuck sake…


    *Author Note: Thanks for reading! As always, please leave ament or two, like the chapter, and see


    you in the next one! ^^