by Gemma Brooks
He reached over and grabbed my hand.
“Are you nervous?” he asked with a laugh. “Your hand is sweating.”
“Oh, sorry,” I said as I yanked it away and wiped it on my jeans. “I’ve only ever flown once before.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I fly all the time. Nothing bad has ever happened. It’s actually kind of fun.”
We found our gate and took a seat as he positioned himself away from the view of the general public and slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses.
“Does the sunglass thing actually work?” I asked.
“I like to think it does,” he said as he leaned back and rested his face in his hand.
I crossed my legs and stared out the window, watching the plane as it pulled up. My left foot began to jiggle nervously as the thought of flying out of Iowa really hit me.
“Now boarding for flight 742, Delta Airlines, Des Moines to Los Angeles,” a flight attendant stated over the speaker system. “We’ll begin with our first class passengers.”
“That’s us,” he said as he tapped my knee and stood up.
My heart was pounding hard in my chest and my face felt flush. There was absolutely no turning back now. I needed a sign that I was doing the right thing, but the space around me was spinning and all I could focus on was the back of Hudson’s gray shirt.
We walked down the jet bridge towards the plane and were greeted immediately by two flight attendants who seemed more than happy to help us find our seats.
“You want the window or the aisle?” he asked.
I shrugged. Everything was a blur, and I couldn’t quite think right then.
“You can have the window,” he said. “Since you don’t get to fly much.”
I climbed in and took my seat, buckling myself in. As soon as he sat down next to me, other flyers began filing on and the plane was filling up fast. I could hear the chatter of men, women, and children and the shuffling of bags and carry ons. I felt trapped between the window and Hudson, and even if I wanted to flee, there was no way I’d be able to get through the swarms of people and back towards the jet bridge.
“You need another pill?” Hudson whispered to me. “You’re breathing really hard.”
I nodded, closed my eyes, and waited.
“Here you are,” a flight attended showed up with a couple of bottles of Evian. “Let me know if you need anything else. We’ll have an inflight meal ready for you shortly after takeoff.”
Hudson handed me a pill and then a bottle of water. The ice cold liquid rushing down my throat instantly cooled me and brought me back down to earth as the pill settled in my belly. I was going to be okay.
The cabin grew louder as the flight attendants began shutting overhead storage bins and securing the plane. The engines fired up and my ears began to pop. The dry air made my throat a little scratchy, so I tossed back a few sips of cold water. Hudson reached over to squeeze my hand and flashed me the most beautiful, comforting smile.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead.
“I can’t wait to get you home with me,” he whispered.
I felt a little better knowing he was so excited to take me with him, but it still didn’t quash all of my fears. Everything had happened so fast and in the heat of the moment. I was afraid of what I’d gotten myself into. I closed my eyes and prayed for a sign.
As if on cue, my phone went off in my purse.
“Oh,” I said as I pulled it out. I had a text and it was from Luke.
SORRY I’VE BEEN SUCH AN ASS. I LOVE YOU, BRYNN.
My heart raced at the sight of those words.
“Is that from Luke?” Hudson asked. He had read the text over my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said, clutching the phone close to my chest and embarrassed he’d read my message. “I called him to tell him I was leaving town.”
“Why would he say he loves you?” he asked. The plane’s engines were growing louder, almost angrily, as Hudson’s face contorted. “What did you talk about?”
“I wanted him to hear it from me,” I said. “That was I was leaving.”
“Or you wanted to give him a chance to tell you to stay.” For someone who hardly knew me, he knew me well.
“It’s not like that,” I lied. “I just thought I should do the right thing and tell him over the phone that I was leaving. He’s one of my best friends.”
Hudson took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair, shifting uncomfortably. I never realized he had a jealous side to him.
“You need to turn your phone off,” he said. “FDA regulations.”
I shut my phone down and tossed it in my bag, kicking my bag under the seat in front of me. I leaned back into the wide, leather seat and turned to look out the window.
Luke loved me and now Hudson was pissed. It was funny how everything could change in an instant like that, when you least expected it.
The plane taxied to the runway as I gripped the arm rests and prayed for the Xanax to kick in. Within seconds, we were mid-air, going higher and higher and heading west into the great unknown.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gemma Brooks is a sucker for a good love story that’s peppered with plenty of drama. Writing since she was old enough to pick up a pen and graduating from college with a degree in English, Gemma’s hunger for crafting stories has always been nothing short of insatiable.
When she’s not hiding behind her laptop feverishly typing up scene after scene like a mad woman, you can find her drinking tea lattes from a local coffee shop, shopping for a new perfume or lux candle, working on her tan, or searching for the perfect shade of red lipstick (which she still has yet to find).
For updates and information on Gemma’s release schedule, please “like” her page on Facebook or sign up for her mailing list. Serial installments will be released every 2-3 weeks!
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