Flying Home
Prologue
"I love you." the words stun Maddie and her eyes widen. She looks around, her eyes focus on anything, anything but Jon. She knows she has to say something, it's impossible for her to get out of this situation without saying something. But what should she say?
"God I wish he hadn't said that. Everything would be so much simpler." She shakes her head and finally musters up enough strength to look at Jon. She's waited too long to say something and now a hurt look has crossed his face.
"Jon," she whispers, searching her brain to find the right words. His fist clench and he stands quickly, almost making the chair he was sitting in topple. She can tell he's angry.
"How could you?" he demands. Maddie's mouth drops in astonishment. He was going to make this her fault? "How could you lead me on? You make me fall in love with you and then you can't feel the same way." He falls back onto the chair in defeat, staying as far away from Maddie as possible. His hands cover his face and he will himself not to cry. He doesn't need to humiliate himself further.
"It's not that I do feel the same way, Jon, it's-."
"Then what is it?" Jon interrupts.
"It's that I'm leaving." she snaps, slamming her palm down on the table. The gesture surprises Jon, but her words shock him even more. His mouth opens and his brain seems to go blank.
"You're-you're leaving? What? When?" Jon stumbles over his words.
"Tomorrow."
"For what?"
"The Air Force." Jon goes into shock, even more so than before. His mind is blank and he doesn't even know what to think. Maddie had never mentioned going into the army before. He couldn't decide if he should be angry she's leaving so soon and didn't tell them, or if he should be proud she's serving her country or sad that she's leaving.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jon ask, he tries to keep the anger and bitterness out of his words but he can't help it.
"I got a call today. I wasn't supposed to leave for another month. They pushed up my departure date. I thought I would have plenty of time to tell you and I can’t exactly tell them no.”
“But you’re only eighteen!” Jon cries out in frustration. Maddie’s eyes darken and he can tell he’s offended her. Her eyes refuse to meet his and she crosses her arms and her hands and clenched into tight fists. “Maddie, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then how did you mean it?”
“I’m just being selfish. I want you to stay. I want you for myself. I’m proud of you for doing this but I wish you could do this but still be with me.” He reaches across the table and takes her hands in his own. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
“I’m sorry Jon, I’m doing this.” Jon knew Maddie was stubborn and would never back down from what she wanted. That’s what he liked about her. She never changed, no matter what. She always said what was on her mind and she never let anyone change her.
“I know. I know I can’t change your mind. But please, tell me you love me to and everything will be okay.” She studied him carefully, debating whether or not to say it. If she did, it would complicate things more and make it harder to leave. Leaving Jon, and her best friend and childhood companion Patrick Kane and the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks who she had befriended over the past two months when her and Patrick reconnected, made it hard enough. But leaving once admitting that she loved Jon would just make things even harder. But if anything happened to her overseas, she knew she would regret not telling him.
“I love you.” She says without missing a beat. That’s is all Jon needs to hear before pressing his lips to hers. Their lips moved together perfectly. Jon pulls away first and his face hovers just centimeters from hers.
“Just promise me you’ll come home.”
“I promise.”
"God I wish he hadn't said that. Everything would be so much simpler." She shakes her head and finally musters up enough strength to look at Jon. She's waited too long to say something and now a hurt look has crossed his face.
"Jon," she whispers, searching her brain to find the right words. His fist clench and he stands quickly, almost making the chair he was sitting in topple. She can tell he's angry.
"How could you?" he demands. Maddie's mouth drops in astonishment. He was going to make this her fault? "How could you lead me on? You make me fall in love with you and then you can't feel the same way." He falls back onto the chair in defeat, staying as far away from Maddie as possible. His hands cover his face and he will himself not to cry. He doesn't need to humiliate himself further.
"It's not that I do feel the same way, Jon, it's-."
"Then what is it?" Jon interrupts.
"It's that I'm leaving." she snaps, slamming her palm down on the table. The gesture surprises Jon, but her words shock him even more. His mouth opens and his brain seems to go blank.
"You're-you're leaving? What? When?" Jon stumbles over his words.
"Tomorrow."
"For what?"
"The Air Force." Jon goes into shock, even more so than before. His mind is blank and he doesn't even know what to think. Maddie had never mentioned going into the army before. He couldn't decide if he should be angry she's leaving so soon and didn't tell them, or if he should be proud she's serving her country or sad that she's leaving.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jon ask, he tries to keep the anger and bitterness out of his words but he can't help it.
"I got a call today. I wasn't supposed to leave for another month. They pushed up my departure date. I thought I would have plenty of time to tell you and I can’t exactly tell them no.”
“But you’re only eighteen!” Jon cries out in frustration. Maddie’s eyes darken and he can tell he’s offended her. Her eyes refuse to meet his and she crosses her arms and her hands and clenched into tight fists. “Maddie, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then how did you mean it?”
“I’m just being selfish. I want you to stay. I want you for myself. I’m proud of you for doing this but I wish you could do this but still be with me.” He reaches across the table and takes her hands in his own. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
“I’m sorry Jon, I’m doing this.” Jon knew Maddie was stubborn and would never back down from what she wanted. That’s what he liked about her. She never changed, no matter what. She always said what was on her mind and she never let anyone change her.
“I know. I know I can’t change your mind. But please, tell me you love me to and everything will be okay.” She studied him carefully, debating whether or not to say it. If she did, it would complicate things more and make it harder to leave. Leaving Jon, and her best friend and childhood companion Patrick Kane and the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks who she had befriended over the past two months when her and Patrick reconnected, made it hard enough. But leaving once admitting that she loved Jon would just make things even harder. But if anything happened to her overseas, she knew she would regret not telling him.
“I love you.” She says without missing a beat. That’s is all Jon needs to hear before pressing his lips to hers. Their lips moved together perfectly. Jon pulls away first and his face hovers just centimeters from hers.
“Just promise me you’ll come home.”
“I promise.”
7/6/13