A Cherry Sunset

I was skipping with glee around the airport. My flight had arrived twenty minutes early, but Oliver was running ten minutes late, apparently because of something December had done. It didn’t matter though. I was in England and Oliver was only ten minutes away. My things were currently in the mail and on their way to Oliver’s apartment.

I was slightly nervous about admitting my life-changing decision to Oliver. Hell, I was more than slightly nervous about following through with my decision, but I liked to believe that Oliver and everyone else would support it. I inhaled deeply and shook my hands in an attempt to lose the nerves.

“Emileh!” I swiveled around and furrowed my eyebrows. Oliver was not standing before me. I couldn’t help but frown a bit.

“Hey Matt. Hey Tom.” I opened my arms and accepted hugs from both boys. My eyes instinctively scanned the crowd around us for Oliver. “Where’s, um,”

“Oleh got ‘eld up, love. ‘E ‘ad teh send us.” Matt winked and I giggled a little. “No fear though. We promised teh take care of yeh.”

“Course you will.” I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Tom. “That’s why he sent you along, yeah?”

Tom laughed and nodded. “I’m ‘ere teh keep yeh both out of trouble.” I gasped dramatically. “Don’t even go there, Em. We all know yeh love teh start the trouble.” He high-fived Matt.

“Right, and you’re oh so innocent” I punched his shoulder playfully and then pouted. “Can you take me home to Oli now, please?” They both cracked up at that one.

“Course we can, love.” Matt threw his arm around my shoulders and started to lead me through the airport with Tom beside us, carrying my backpack.

“Why are yeh travelin’ so light, Em?” Tom commented as he tossed my bag into the backseat of Matt’s car.

I bit my bottom lip. “No reason.” I shrugged and looked out the window as we drove. I wanted to tell Oliver first, but it was hard to keep myself from blurting out my real reasons for packing so little for the plane ride.

I was almost into the clear when we pulled into the driveway of Oliver’s flat. I was grinning like a fool again at being so close to him. I stopped in my partial jog to the front door when I heard the other doors of the car open and close.

My eyebrows furrowed as I turned around to Tom and Matt. “Why are you guys following me in?”

Matt laughed. “Were yeh plannin’ on screwin’ Oleh the second yeh got ‘ome?”

My cheeks flushed no matter how hard I tried not to and the boys snickered. “I was expecting a little privacy.” I mumbled and chewed on my bottom lip.

“We’ll leave soon enough, Em.” Tom placed his hand on my back and gave me a slight nudge toward the door. My smile was a bit tight as we walked into the apartment. I was expecting to just drop the news to Oliver as soon as I got back, but apparently I would have to wait.

Two steps into the apartment and I figured it all out. Why Oliver didn’t pick me up and why Matt and Tom were sent instead. There was a crowd of people inside the flat, only some of them I knew, with December at the front. May I also add that everyone was dressed up, making me under dressed to the max. I glanced at Matt and Tom and noticed that they were also dressed up in button up shirts and slacks.

“Emileh!” December screeched and ran toward me, crushing me in a hug. I giggled as I hugged her back.

“This was all you, wasn’t it Dee?”

“We couldn’t let yeh come ‘ome without a real parteh, Em.” She winked and then giggled with me. “Oleh was furious when I told ‘im we were invadin’ the flat.”

I’m sure my face changed as I opened my mouth because she rolled her eyes at me.

“Oleh’s somewhere near the kitchen, or least ‘e was when I saw ‘im last.” She shrugged and squeezed my shoulder before disappearing behind me, probably to find Matt.

I shifted through the crowd, getting hugs and waves from random kids I either hardly knew or didn’t recognize at all. I grinned through it and was almost to the kitchen when a blue eyed boy stepped in front of me, blocking my way. He sized me up and then smirked.

“Yeh must be Emileh.” Those blues eyes me up and down again. “Yeh’re a vereh good lookin’ bird, I’ll say.”

I arched my eyebrows. Anytime, Oliver. I cleared my throat and tried to calm my temper. “Um, I am Emily and I am Oli’s bird. Do you know Oli?” I tilted my head slightly, hoping to actually use Oliver’s reputation for once to scare this kid.

Unfortunately, this kid just laughed. “Yeah, sweet’eart. I know Oleh. I’m a good friend of Oleh’s. I’m surprised ‘e ‘asn’t mentioned me.” He glanced around and then grinned as he stuck his hand out. “Name’s Joshua, but yeh can call me jus’ Josh.”

I sighed and mumbled to myself. “Of course you’d be friends with Oliver.” I put my hand in his and smiled. “Nice to meet you Josh.” He laughed.

“Sorreh fer bein’ an arse. I ‘ave teh get yeh felt out ‘fore I can tell whether yeh good fer Oleh or not.”

My smile turned genuine. “It’s good to know someone else is looking out for him.”

“Yeh tryin’ teh sweeten meh up, sweet’eart? Cause tha’ won’t work.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and opened my mouth to say something not so nice right back to him when I felt the familiar arm go around my waist. I melted into his side immediately and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our lips crashed together before words formed in my brain. The only thing that really pulled me from my happy little bubble was Josh’s laughter ringing in my ears.

“Let ‘er breathe Oleh. She onleh jus’ got ‘ome.” He clapped Oliver on the shoulder, causing Oliver to pull away from me slightly. I couldn’t help but pout as he kissed my cheek.

“I missed yeh, Emileh.” He whispered in my ear and then kissed it too before facing Josh. “Wha’ were yeh sayin’ teh meh bird Josh? Something ‘bout sweetheart?” Oliver gave him a stern look but Josh just continued to laugh.

“I like ‘er Oleh. Don’t lose this one.” He winked at me before glancing around again. “I think I’ll go find a drink while yeh two catch up.” Josh quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with just Oliver.

I attacked him again once it was just us. My fingers curled into his hair as his dug into my lower back, pulling our bodies as close as possible. It felt so amazing to have him with me again; I couldn’t even figure out how I’d made it through these last few weeks on my own.

It took a few minutes before we separated for air. I refused to leave the comfort of his arms though. Instead I rested my forehead on his and attempted to slow my rapid heartbeat. “I missed you like crazy.” My words came out breathless.

“I love yeh.” He kissed me soft and slow, making my knees buckle. He chuckled as I leaned my weight on him for a few moments. “I am also sorreh I wasn’t at the airport. Dee wouldn’t let meh leave after people started showin’ up.”

“All that matters is that you don’t leave my side for the night.” I grinned as I looked up at his hazel eyes. They shined with that mischievous humor that also quirked up the one side of his mouth into a smirk.

“I wasn’t plannin’ on it, love.”

I giggled and quickly pecked his lips. “Good. And for the record, I love you too, Oliver. More so than I can put into words most times.”

He grinned and tightened his grip on me. “Come on, there’s a few more people I want teh introduce yeh teh.” He kissed my temple and then loosened his grip just a bit to steer me around the crowd.