My Marine Man *Editing Time!*

Chapter 27: The Reunion

Hello my dah-ling readers! WOOHOO finally an update! I am so sorry it has been so long, but this school year has attacked my free time viciously. I really hope you think this chapter has been worth the wait-I personally ah-dore it :) 

Enjoy, pretty please COMMENT and VOTE! <3

Chapter 27

"Thank you for your consideration," I say, standing up to shake the executive's hand.
I've been 'home' for a week and a half now, which has been filled with fruitless job interviews and long nights spent staring at the boxes lining my apartment. I just can't bring myself to unpack them. I've reunited with some old friends from high school, and have enjoyed seeing Amma and Pa more. Maryland just doesn't feel right, though. I can't seem to forget the man in the Marines.
I walk down to my car in the parking lot, and climb in. The Baltimore sun has made it an oven, and I quickly roll down all the windows. I pull out into Baltimore traffic-something I realize I haven't missed. My life itself feels like it's stuck in the traffic-I can't move on from the past, but I need to.
I wish something big would happen...a sure sign from above showing me what to do.
When I get home, I feel restless once again. I wish I could talk to someone, John, Marcie, Emma, Chris, but I don't want to burden them with my woes.
I don't know what, exactly, drives me to open the old family Bible. Maybe searching for comfort, maybe out of pure boredom. Laying it down on the spine, it rests on a well-worn and marked up page. There is handwriting in the margins that is not my grandmother's. Could it be my mother's? Flipping to the inside cover, not losing the page, I read "Cecilia Thomas". My mother's maiden name. Going back to the page, I notice that there is but one highlighted verse. I squint at the small printing to see what it says.
"For there are these three things that endure: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."
My eyes brim with tears. My mother-whom I don't even remember-sent this message to me, knowing when I would need it most. Reminding me that love is the greatest gift. And at the perfect time.
Nathan. I love him. And nothing can ever change that. Once, I've taken the gift of love for granted. Never again.
But will he come back?

Nathan's P.O.V.

"Nate! Five minutes!" Mom yells up the stairs.
"Coming!" I yell back.
I put the final items in my small duffle bag, and zip it up. Looking around, I wonder again if what I'm doing is right. I jog down the stairs, and bid a quick goodbye to my siblings. The drive the airport with my dad is silent.
"Good luck, son," he says when he drops me off.
I nod in response, and shake his hand.
The flight is smooth, but long, and I shift nervously in my seat from time to time. I don't have a plan of action for when I arrive. Where do I start?
I try to think ahead, but there are so many possible outcomes it hurts. I decide to go with the flow, there's really no other option.
My stomach is turning cartwheels by the time we land. I step out of the terminal, armed with only my small duffle bag and hope. Heat blasts into my face, radiating off the sidewalks and streets. I'm thankful when I find myself in the rental car office, an air conditioned haven in July.
"Hello sir, what I can I do for you today?" the agent greets me.
"Hello, I reserved a car?"
"Oh, Serther, is it? May I see an ID please?"
I hand it over to him.
"Ah, in the Marines, I see. My brother's exgirlfriend's cousin was a Marine. Good guy."
I smile awkwardly, never knowing how to respond to these things.
I fill out the needed paper work, and hand over my credit card. The agent hands it right back.
"Your ride is on us, sir."
"Wow, thank you... I don't know what to say," I stutter in response.
"Thank you for your service. Your car is this way," he points me in the direction, thankfully not getting too sentimental like some do.
The ride to Zoe's is short, her place is right outside the city in a neat, historic little neighborhood. I've never really traveled the east coast, but it seems much more compact than California does.
I get to my destination way too quickly. What if she's not home? What do I do if she is home? What do I say? What will her reaction be?
Before I can talk myself out of it, I walk up the outdoor stairs to the second floor, and then her door. My hand pauses slightly before I knock, and I breath deeply, willing myself to do it.
My hand raps the door. I wait for a second, and do it again. Now I'm impatient.
I'm just about to knock again, but the door swings open in my face. Zoe stands behind it, looking quite shocked.
"Na...Na...Nathan?"
"Zoe?" I exhale.
She's wearing faded jeans, and a ratty old tshirt. Her caramel hair is up in a messy ponytail, and there is not a spot of makeup on her perfect face. I've never seen a more beautiful woman in my life.

Zoe's P.O.V.

"What are you doing here?" is the first thing that comes out of my mouth. It sounds harsher than I meant it to.
"Um, well, I guess to see you, Zoe."
My breath hitches. He wants to see me. I shift uneasily on my feet.
"Um, do you want to come inside?"
He nods, and I step aside to let him in. Just like the first time he saw my apartment in California, I'm ashamed of my set up. Almost all my boxes are still packed, walls are bare, and the few things I have out make up a mess. Nathan stands just inside the door, staring at his feet. I run my hand through my hair uneasily.
"So...how did you get here?"
"I flew in today, and rented a car. I needed to see you."
"What about?" I ask, not sure if I want to hear the answer or not.
"I missed you. And I needed to try to get you back one more time, one more time, because I love you too much to let you go that easily," he replies simply.
My emotional walls that I've labored so hard at building seem to crumble down at those words. I walk over to him, tears blinding my eyes, and fall into his familiar embrace.
He holds me for a long time, until my tears finally run dry.
"Zoe," he says, pulling back slightly so he can look me in the eye.
I shake my head.
"Is the offer still open to forgive and move on?" I ask.
"Yes. Do you forgive me?"
"I do," I respond, feeling like a boulder has been lifted off my shoulders. He's back, and he's mine.
"May I kiss you, Zoe?" Nathan asks quietly.
My lips crash onto his in response.

**************** (I'm letting y'all imagine what goes on next...)

"...and he said 'Good heavens, what do you need Zoe? A proposal on one knee?'"
A big belly laugh erupts from Nate, and I giggle at the memory of Brian. I miss him.
"So, do you know if the job got filled?" he asks, suddenly more serious.
"No, I've kinda been to afraid to call."
"Do you think you'll get a job out here?"
"Well, I don't know. You just ruined all my plans as soon as you walked through the door, ya know," I joke.
"Sorry," he replies cheekily. Nate's stomach grumbles. I smile.
"I guess it is about supper time, huh?"
He nods his head vigorously.
"I haven't unpacked any kitchenware yet except for a spoon to eat canned soup with, so we might have to go out."
"Have a place in mind?"
I nod, and smile slightly.
"Have you ever heard of Maryland blue crabs?"
"You might of mentioned them once or twice."
"Hum, I might of..." I say smiling.
We quickly get ready, I'm so excited I could burst. It's so unreal, Nate's here!
I drive Nate back downtown, to the inner harbor of Baltimore. It's famous on the east coast. Of course, Nate's never heard of it before.
We park in a public garage, and walk through the city streets until we see the water and the sign for my family's favorite seafood restaurant: Bayside Seafood.
"C'mon," I giggle, tugging on Nate's hand, pulling him towards the crowded entrance to the outdoor restaurant. He's looking around, taking it all in, acting like a tourist. This makes me start to laugh even harder: Nate's always been the native in California, and finally I get to show him around my territory.
"Two please," I tell the host, smiling.
"Water view?"
"Yes please!" I'm absolutely, completely giddy tonight.
"Follow me," he says, and leads us over to a high rustic wooden counter top, and pointing to two bar stools for us to sit on. He hands us menus, and walks away.
Nate leans over, "So, what body of water is this again?" He smiles sheepishly.
"The Chesapeake Bay, babe. The inner harbor of Baltimore."
"So, the inner harbor is part of the Chesapeake Bay?"
"Yup!"
"So, what are we suppose to order here again?"
"Beer, and steamed blue crabs."
"Crabs are blue? I thought they were red..." he trails off, and I burst out laughing. He is such a California boy!
"They are when they're caught, but after they're cooked..." I explain, trying to catch my breath.
"Oh, they turn red from the heat!" Nathan says, having his deja vu moment.
"Righto."
A waiter comes over. He's young, probably in college. "Hello, my name is Dan, what can I get you to drink today?"
"Two beers, whatever's on tap, please," I order for both of us.
"Okie dokie, be right back," he says, scurrying away.
Nathan's looking at me with an amused expression on his face.
"What?" I ask defensively.
"Oh, nothing, it's just that I don't think I've ever seen you drink an alcoholic beverage before," he says.
"We're celebrating!" I say, and he raises an eyebrow. I quickly add, "It doesn't happen very often, don't get too excited Nate."
"Ok, I won't baby," he says chuckling.
The waiter comes back with our drinks, frosty and cold.
"Have you decided what you'll be having tonight?"
"Yes, a dozen steamed crabs please."
Nate interrupts. "Don't you think that's a lot for us, Zo?"
"No, it's probably not even enough," I respond, and then ask the waiter, "Do have individual crab orders? Could we get like, eighteen?"
"Yeah, not a problem. Our deal tonight is that if you get over a dozen, then a complimentary crab cake comes with it. Is that ok?"
"That'd be great! Thanks."
Nate looks completely confused.
"Crabs don't have very much meat on them, Nate. I usually eat around six, and Chris always gets a dozen or more for himself."
"Really?"
"Really. I know, it's kinda crazy."
The waiter rushes over with our wooden mallets, which he sets down on the pre-papered table.
A few minutes later, our crabs come out, big and red.
"So um, how do you do this?"
I laugh, and explain how to crack the shell with the mallet and pull the meat out with your hands, dipping it in butter and Old Bay seasoning before eating it. I get through three of my crabs as Nate finishes his first one. He's got a determined expression on his face as he attacks the next one.
"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," I encourage.
Eating crabs is very social, so we continue to catch up on everything. I tell him about Chris' visit, and he fills me in on the recent family vacation.
"Molly's been asking for you," he says.
"Aw, really? I miss her. I miss everyone."
"They miss you too. The other day, Mark was complaining about how he didn't know what to major in in college this year, and he said, 'I wish Zoe could tell me about her job, science is pretty cool.' And we all looked at him in disbelief because, as you know, he is the ultimate jock and has never expressed interest in any school subject. Ever."
"Wow, that's awesome!"
"Well, you're the one who inspired him Zoe."
I blush. He switches topics.
"How are your grandparents?"
"Still as old and feisty as ever!"
"I bet they don't miss me, huh?"
"Oh, they probably do. It's hard not to, ya know."
By the time the night is over, it's like we were never apart. Falling asleep on Nathan's chest that night, I feel completely content. Everything will work out, it seems. Nate's back. We're back, and even stronger than before our separation. Pure happiness surges through my veins, and I reach up to kiss Nate's cheek on last time before I surrender to sleep, making sure he's actually here with me.
"I love you, Nathan."
Sleepily, he replies, "I love you too, Zo. And that's never gonna change."

YAYAYAYAYAY THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER!!!! <3

Ok, so first I want to thank @Book_Lover_300 for my ah-mazing new cover! Don't you guys just love it, or love it? :)

Second, dedication to @1000225r for following me! Thank you, love <3

Third, MMM has two chapters and epilogue left. If you're really, really nice to me (lots of comments/votes/followings would be a good place to start), I might consider writing a sequel. ;) You, my dah-ling readers, have showed me so much support in this story and I am incredibly grateful! Did you notice we're at almost 10,000 poopin' reads?! That's utterly ridiculous, and it's all on YOU dah-ling! THANK YOU SO MUCH! <3

Fourth and final, please Please PLEASE check out my new story "The Way He Planned It"! PLEASE! <3 Thank youuu.

I love you all, thank you again for reading MMM, it means the world to me, I am absolutely giddy each time I get on Wattpad and see the ranking and reads climbing! THANK YOU x1934037628427345!