The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) by Amanda Richardson Read Free Book Online

tunic sweater, a black beanie, and some white hi-top sneakers. I grabbed my navy pea coat, my suitcase, and my purse. Now I was ready to go.
    “Much better,” Amara agreed as we got into her jeep. “Now… what are you going to say to Alec when you get to Wales?”
    “The truth.”
    We got to the airport in under thirty minutes, and I gave Amara a bear hug before heading in to the International Terminal. I approached the KLM desk and, much to my surprise, there sat the same woman I’d encountered in June when I’d first left for Wales. I looked around wildly. Maybe Alec was still in the airport. How many flights left for Swansea every day? It had only been a couple of hours since Alec had been at my front door. Maybe my chance to win him back would be now.
    “Hi… Do you remember me?” I asked Dani, the woman behind the counter, who’d helped me the last time I was here. I was grinning like a crazy person.
    “Ma’am, no offense, but I encounter hundreds of people every day.”
    “Right. Well, have you seen a tall man with dark hair come through here?”
    “Probably.”
    This wouldn’t work. I needed a new approach.
    “OK, well, was there a flight to Swansea in the last three hours?”
    “Let me check,” she said in a monotone, typing wildly on her computer.
    “No. The last flight to Swansea was at 2:00 p.m.”
    “That’s great! Can you check other airlines?”
    “Sure. To Swansea?”
    “Yes. All departing flights to Swansea from LAX after, say, 9:00 p.m.”
    She clicked away and I checked my phone. It was almost one in the morning.
    “There was a flight at 9:30 through United.”
    What time had Alec come? I checked my phone again. I’d texted Amara when I was walking up to my apartment with Charlie. 8:56. There was no way Alec would’ve made it.
    He was still here.
    He was somewhere in the airport.
    “Great! When’s the next flight to Swansea? Through KLM or any airline. I just need to get there.”
    “Oh, yes, I do remember you,” she said drily. I smiled back. “Let me see…” she typed for another few seconds and quickly found an answer. “In six hours. It’s not direct, though. It stops over in Dublin.”
    “That’s fine. So, that’s the only flight leaving tonight?”
    “Technically, tomorrow morning. But, yes. The one at 2:00 p.m. was the last one, and this is the next one. Can I please see your passport?”
    This was perfect. Alec was probably already in the terminal. I handed over my passport and texted Amara.
    Only flights to Swansea were today at 2 p.m. and tomorrow at 7 a.m., in six hours. Alec has to be here. Wish me luck!
    Dani handed my passport back to me, and I swiftly finished checking in. I thanked her hurriedly as I walked away. Luckily, the line for security was short because it was so late. I jogged through the terminals, looking for A26. When I found it, my eyes scanned the small crowd of people sitting in the waiting area. I checked twice. Alec wasn’t there.
    I dragged my suitcase to the bar, thinking he might be there. He wasn’t. I took my beanie off and waited outside the men’s bathroom for a good twenty minutes, and when that yielded no results, I walked up and down the entire international terminal. Alec wasn’t here. I checked my phone. He hadn’t texted or called and, stupid me, I’d deleted his number. I could’ve called the Parc for his number, but something told me he wouldn’t pick up his phone if he knew I was calling.
    As I dejectedly sat down in a terminal seat, I felt the heavy pull of sleep take over. I curled my knees up to my chest and leaned against the seat, placing my hat on my knees for a pillow. The next thing I knew, we were boarding. It was barely light out. I stood up, groggy, and my heart sped up as a tall man five people ahead of me got on the plane. I couldn’t tell for sure, but he was definitely the same height and build as Alec. He was wearing a green parka and a black beanie. I almost ran into the woman in front of me as I