"How long does it take to just to get of a damn plane?" Xiao groans, leaning against Maisie like she's a concrete pillar.
James glares at his friend. "Will you shush? With all your whining, Jonah will hear you and the whole surprise will be ruined."
"I don't care," Xiao lies, "I want this over with."
Maisie scoffs at that. "No, you don't."
"Damn you, Hart," he swears, but the corner of his lips tugs up.
Gael yawns, covering her mouth. "It's so early. It's, like, four in the morning."
"This is the time you wake up to get ready for school, Gael," I remind her, raising my eyebrows.
"Oh, yeah."
Travis downs his fourth coconut juice that he purchased from the vending machine. "Who knew airport food would be this good?"
"That's your last one," Maisie tells him with a mom tone. "Other people are thirsty."
"Yes, Mom," he rolls his eyes.
Phoebe gasps loudly. "Guys! He's here!"
We all station ourselves far, far away from the sliding doors and hold up the three signs we all made. Milo, James, and Travis hold up a sign that says "WELCOME"; Xiao, Maisie, and Phoebe hold up another one that says "HOME"; and Rowan, Gael, and I hold up the third sign that says his name in bold, navy blue colors. Then there's Hugo—the odd one out—holding a little sign with an exclamation point.
My heart starts beating fast and faster once the blonde boy saunters through, reluctantly pulling his luggage. His tired eyes go from exhaustion to confusion once he spots us a few feet away, and then they finally brighten up, his blue eyes lighting up the room. He picks up his pace and smiles, beaming.
"No way!" he exclaims, his arms wide as he runs towards Hugo. The two boys give each other a giant bear hug, and Hugo playfully punches Jonah's arm once they pull away. Jonah proceeds to give hugs to the guys and pulls Maisie and Phoebe in for a friendly embrace.
"Welcome back, Whitlock," Rowan says, pumping her fist with his.
Gael nods and dodges as he tries to mess up her hair. "You've been having too much fun there in NYC with your photogenic-ness."
He shrugs dramatically. "What can I say? I can't help being so majestic."
I think my heart is beating too fast it might just explode at this point. The adrenaline is pumping through and all I'm thinking about is him. Jonah.
He turns around and the time just freezes. His ocean eyes twinkling as they soften to meet mine. He's grinning from ear to ear, and though we've been calling each other almost every night, it's not the same as hearing his voice in person. He's only been gone a week but, gosh, I feel like I haven't seen him in years.
I am very dramatic, yes.
"Welcome back, blondie," I beam as he moves closer to close the gap, his arms wrapped around my body. I inhale his scent—oh my, he smells too good. His signature scent is just enchanting, and I hope it clings onto my clothes.
He pulls away but remains so close that there's only a few inches of a gap between our faces. "So much to tell you."
"Me too," I breathe out, already getting lost in those gorgeous blues.
Oh, damn, never seen that color blue. I agree, Taylor. I agree.
Jonah came home Friday night, and now the Swaggies and I are planning a welcome home and an early birthday celebration party on Sunday. We linger in the coffee shop at the mall, discussing some plans to celebrate his homecoming and 17th birthday.
YOU ARE READING
Fireworks
Romance{O N G O I N G} He's so perfect. Too perfect. His eyes so blue that I drown in them every time he looks at me. His golden waves that my fingers so happen to comb through every now and then. His arms that give me warmth and comfort when he embraces m...
