The Meeting

Those three words

The next few hours dragged in but eventually it was 2pm and I was waiting at arrivals for Leah. I watched as her puffy eyes walked towards me, hood up and shoulders slumped. I had really hurt her, with all the good intentions in the world, I had broken the person I loved. She gave me a hopeless smile and walked by me, heading for the car park sign. I caught up to her and took her bag from her hand. We walked in silence to the car, putting her belongings in the boot before getting in either side. As I turned to face her from the drivers seat, I noticed small tears breaking away from her eyes. I placed my hand on her thigh and gently rubbed it, trying to calm her down but when she spoke my heart shattered in two.
"If I wasn't good enough, why didn't you just leave me?"
"You were and are good enough, Leah. I would never do that to you. You have been my biggest supporter, my reason to -"
"Just stop, Alex. STOP!" She began to sob, harder than before.
"No I won't stop. I'm not stopping until you know that I didn't do anything like that. You have been my reason to smile since the moment we met. Do you really think I would risk messing that up for a hug in a bar? That girl played me some of her songs that she was too embarrassed to release in fear of being laughed at. I asked her to play them for me and when she did I told her they were amazing. I gave her the support that I was offered, the support that has lead me to the life I have now. The support that lead me to meeting you. She was crying happy tears, I comforted her because I know that feeling all too well. I would never have done it if I had known it would make you cry sad ones. I was so excited to come home and tell you about her, about the good deed I had done that day.  But by the time I arrived to the hotel, someone had put out that tweet. I know it looks shitty but I swear, she was just a fan that turned out to be talented, she swapped numbers with Gavin, thanked me by taking my hand and telling me how much it meant. My meeting with her was purely based on things about work. I love you, for fuck sake. Why would I do anything to mess us up!" As I spoke, my words turned into tears and all I could think about was the idea that I could lose the person that meant the most to me, the person I had imagined the rest of my life with.
"Say that again." She said, now more composed than before.
"Say what again?" I asked, confused.
"The last bit. Say it again." I knew now what she meant. I hadn't even realised I had said it, this wasn't how I imagined the first time.
"I love you." I said again, softly and quietly.
"Again..." She was now smiling slightly and had turned to face me, placing her hands on either side of my face.
"I love you, Leah. I have loved you for a very long time but I didn't know how to say it or if it was too soon. This wasn't how I imagined it though, crying in the car park of the airport. You know?" Slightly giggling.
"God, you sound so perfect saying those words but I'm not saying them back just yet, you have to earn them. Anymore funny business holding hands of other girls in bars and I'm away, okay?" She said this playfully but I could tell she wanted some reassurance so I nodded my head and promised her before we shared a hug and I drove her back to my Dad's.