Strictly Professional

50: Extra Credit

ELLE
Diet Mountain Dew- Lana Del Rey

I never thought I could miss someone this much.

And it was scary, I have to admit it was scary to realise just how much I needed him in my life, just after almost a year and a half of being with him. I was hoping I wouldn't miss him as much, but I knew from the second I saw him walk into the airport that I would. I wanted to go to him even from the first few days that he was gone, but I wasn't able to. Plane tickets had a steep price, and I know he'd pay for it if I had asked him. But it didn't feel right to do that. He had paid for me to visit my family and taken me to other places so many times already, so I made the difficult decision of waiting until I was able to afford a ticket on my own.

I hadn't seen him in almost two months, since the weekend he visited unexpectedly. His absence never went unnoticed even in the simplest things he used to do. He'd show up unexpectedly to take me to lunch during my break. He'd call me after practice to make plans and he'd end up sleeping over most nights, or I'd end up sleeping in his house. All of that was gone, replaced with random texts throughout the day and long late night calls before bed.

It wasn't ideal, but it was working. That was the biggest relief. He always sounded happy to hear me and if for some reason I was late to calling him on our usual time, he'd text to check up on me or call me himself instead. We rarely missed a call but even if we did, we'd always make up for it by calling on a different time instead, even if we wouldn't be able to talk for more than a few minutes.

But there were things calls would never be able to make up for. Like the way I'd feel whenever he would hold me. The scent of his bergamot cologne and the comfort it would always bring me. The intensity his kisses would bring to me at times, the love and raw emotion they'd showcase at other times.

I decided that I had enough. It had been way too long since I saw him. So I bit the bullet and got myself a ticket. I wanted to return the favour and surprise him. But it was so hard to keep that a secret for the days leading up to my trip. I was determined though, and after struggling to keep it together for over ten days, I was finally in a plane on my way to him. It was Friday morning and my flight back to London was on Sunday. I was disappointed my trip would last for such a short time, but I had a meeting I couldn't skip on Monday morning. I knew we'd make the most of our limited time together though.

So I had a smile on my face the entire taxi drive to his flat. He was still at the school, but I did have the key to it. I hoped that he wouldn't mind, like he didn't mind with his house in London. It was a charming place, one that was the complete opposite to his mansion. Unlike the house, the flat looked lived in. There were framed family pictures around, all of his different coats on a hanger by the door, a few dishes in the sink. On the single armchair near the couch laid his guitar, giving me the idea that maybe he had picked that hobby back up. I smiled, because for the first time I felt like coming home. I let my small carry on by the door before venturing further into the place and to the only bedroom it had. His bed was clearly made in a rush, the duvet a bit crinkled and the pillows crooked.

What caught my eye was the frame by his bedside table. I had no idea he'd done this, but he had a picture of us right next to his bed. It was a fairly old picture of us from before his injury. We were at his club, celebrating Josh's birthday and probably having too much alcohol. The picture was taken completely unexpectedly, Bri just showing up with her phone after taking pictures of everyone and just telling us to smile. It was blurry, dark and not the highest of quality. But I loved it, because we weren't trying to look happy or loved up. It showed naturally by our smiles and the way he had his arm on my waist while I leaned into him. I loved that picture even more now that I saw it printed next to the place he slept.