I closed my eyes as we slowly descended to the runway. Please just let us make it safely.
We bumped to the ground and the fucking thing wobbled. My eyes flew open and I pressed my face into Damon. If anything happened to us I wanted to be as close to him as I could get right now. I wanted him to be the last thing I saw, touched and smelt.
He placed a kiss to the top of my head and whispered, “It’s fine, we made it.”
I still didn’t allow myself to breathe properly until the plane had come to a stop and we were told to unfasten our belts and get off.
Leaping up, I left the plane before everyone else and felt so relieved I could kiss the tarmac.
We were officially in Scotland.
And it was fucking freezing.
I wrapped my coat around myself and huddled against Damon’s side as we made our way into the airport. “I’m so glad we’re not looking at a winter wedding,” Chloe said, jogging to get inside.
I shot her a look. “Me too, or I wouldn’t bloody come.”
When we got in, Damon and Logan went to wait for our suitcases while we found a seat, sitting close for warmth.
“Are you excited?” I asked.
She smiled so beautifully that it made me aww inside. “I can’t wait to get the wedding booked, wherever we choose. I’m so ready to be Mrs Scott.”
Would I ever be ready to be Mrs anyone? I couldn’t picture it. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t see me in a marriage. I wouldn’t repeat history.
Nell
We arrived at the hotel – castle – and I dashed inside quickly, rubbing my hands together in the hope it’d bring the numb, motionless icicles I called fingers back to life. I didn’t realise this level of cold existed. Snow looked pretty and snow covering a castle looked beautiful, but bloody hell it was freezing.
“I got your case, Nell,” Damon said sarcastically as he entered the hotel a few seconds later.
“I can’t feel my feet. I’m positive that when I take my socks off my toes will still be in them.”
He laughed and let go of our bags in favour of holding me. “How about when we get to our room I warm you up?”
Logan made a gagging sound and took Chloe to reception to check in.
“Hmm,” I replied, stepping closer to him. “I think I like the sound of that.”
“Damon, Nell,” Chloe called. “Come on, I’ve got your key.”
I sighed and narrowed my eyes. “They better not be ruining our fun all weekend.”
“I think the fun starts after we get that key from her,” he said, letting go of me and grabbing the handles of the cases. “Go get it.”
Turning on my heel, I stalked towards my best friend. She had better not try anything stupid like hiding the key or trying to keep it out of my reach. Chlo handed it over with a smirk. “Do you want to meet in five minutes to take a look around?”
“No,” I replied tightly, glaring at her expression.
Logan shrugged and said ‘I’ll only need three’ which made everyone laugh. From the few stories I’d managed to pry out of Chloe he could last a lot longer than that.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Lucky me.”
“Best three minutes of your life, sweetheart.”
“You two are so sad,” I said shaking my head. “So…our rooms are where?”
“Third floor, lifts are this way,” Logan said, taking Chloe’s hand and walking to the corridor going left. “Thankfully our rooms aren’t too close though.”
“Whatever do you mean, Logan?” I asked, bumping Damon’s shoulder as he smirked down at me.
“He means they don’t want to hear you screaming my name all night.”
Logan looked over his shoulder. “What he said.”
We got in the lift and since there was an old couple riding with us we opted for silence. I leant against the wall and hooked my finger around the waistband of Damon’s dark jeans. Of course I knew that I wouldn’t win a game of who can feel up who more in public, because he had no shame, but that didn’t stop me from doing it.
He raised his arm and I held my hand up. Okay, this was a bad idea. His eyes were on my boobs so no doubt his hand would’ve been if I hadn’t stopped him.
“I’m disappointed, Nell,” he whispered.
“Yeah, well, I’m stopping us being arrested.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“If you spend the weekend in a cell…”
“Ah,” he said, grinning. He couldn’t spend it in me. “Good thinking. I’m very much looking forward to this.”
I gulped and licked my newly bone dry lips. The temperature had risen a lot in the last few seconds. “So am I.”
The lift doors slid open. Chloe and Logan walked out with their arm wrapped around each other, Logan calling over his shoulder that we’d meet in reception in three hours. Damon took a step back and started to pull our bags along with him. I took a breath and followed.