The Thunderproof Sky

by Loretta Lost

  I glance down at his body as curiosity gets the better of me. I bite my lip. “Did you get ‘Property of Snow’ tattooed on your penis? ‘If lost, return to Scarlett Hunter’?”

  He laughs loudly. “No. Jesus, that’s a lot of letters, that would really hurt.”

  “So you did get a tattoo on your penis? That’s a really impractical and unhygienic thing to do, and you wouldn’t be able to use it for a really long time.”

  “Maybe,” he says, lifting his eyebrows mischievously. “You’ll never know until you investigate.”

  He casually takes a sip from his glass of wine, which the stewardess brought over earlier.

  “You’re so annoying, Cole,” I say, reaching for the edge of his shirt and lifting it. As I expected, the plastic bandage is on the side of his abdomen, covering a simple tattoo that he placed over his bullet wound. I squint in the dark, but I can’t quite see it, so I turn the light on my phone to examine it.

  The design is a small, nautical compass—it didn’t need to be very large to cover the scar left by a bullet. But the interesting thing is that instead of letters to mark north, south, east, and west, it only indicates south, on all sides.

  “Is this some kind of joke about being at the North Pole?” I ask him. “Where every direction is south? Are you trying to say that you feel like you’re on top of the world? Or it’s all downhill from here?”

  He laughs softly, reaching out and tousling my already messy hair, like I’m still a kid. “No, silly. The S is for you. My Scarlett and Sophie, Serena and Snow—and whoever else we might find in there. I’m thankful that I got shot, because it led me to finding you again. And in the future, the only sense of direction I’ll ever need, is to go to you, whether that means going north, south, east, or west. Anywhere we go, we go together. And if we’re apart, even for a minute, I will make sure I find you.”

  “Damn,” I say slowly. I stare at him with my mouth slightly open in amazement. “That was romantic as hell. I’ve said this before, but you’ve got mad game. Like, I’ve got tingly feelings everywhere—especially my lady parts. But there’s also electricity going to weird places like my elbows and my toes.” I fan myself slightly. “I think I’m swooning. Does it look like I’m swooning? What does swooning even look like?”

  “Maybe I can help you with some of those tingly feelings,” Cole suggests, taking a sip from his wine glass and putting it down. “Would you like me to come over there?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He joins me on my posh airplane bed, kissing me deeply, and I can taste the wine lingering on his lips. I kiss back hungrily, reaching for the buckle of his belt to remove his pants.

  “Wait,” he says softly, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out the ring box I know he’s been carrying around, and opens it up again. “Are you ready to wear this yet?”

  I take a deep breath, feeling anxiety mount in my chest. He doesn’t know that he’s proposing to the wrong woman. I feel like such a fake, pretending to be Serena like this. But he did say that one letter S belonged to me.

  “Cole, I still have so much to work out,” I tell him. “Reading the information Luciana sent about this mental illness I could possibly have—it’s more complex than we could imagine. I could need years of therapy before even getting a diagnosis, and even more years to get proper treatment. Are you sure—?”

  “I’m sure that I love you,” he says softly. “And whatever you need to work through, we’ll do it together. Let’s not waste any more time.”

  I find myself nodding. I feel like I am crossing too many lines. I stole Serena’s body, permanently marked her skin, and now I’m stealing her proposal and her man.

  “Can you really deal with all my insanity, all my anger, all my violence—”

  “I love all of those things about you,” he promises. “Even when you were going to kill Jim Larson—I hesitated. I knew I needed to stop you, but I just wanted to watch you strangle that man. He deserved it. You were right to do that, and it makes you even more beautiful to me, that you have the strength to do all these things that everyone wants to do, but no one ever actually attempts. You’re incredible to me, Scarlett. You’re a force of nature.”

  I can’t really refuse him. I never could. I am scared, but I can’t bear to hurt his feelings or delay any longer. I can’t bear to tell him that I’m not the person he thinks I am. I don’t want to disappoint him.

  Also, this is just really romantic, and we’re on a plane.

  “Fine,” I say, as tears gather in my eyes. I give him my hand, unable to resist. “Put it on me.”

  He complies and removes the ring from the box, and slides it onto my finger. It’s stunning, and I smile.

  “Okay, now,” I say, kissing him and getting back to work on removing his pants. “Put it in me.”

  He chuckles softly. “It’s a good thing you agreed. If we ever broke up, I’d be forever limited to dating girls named Sarah, Sally, Shannon, Sandra, Sabrina, Samantha, Stephanie, Stella, Sasha, Simone, Sylvia, Susan…”

  “Will you shut up,” I tell him, as I slide his pants off. “You could date anyone you wanted and just tell them the tattoo is a joke about the North Pole.”

  “I definitely feel like I’m on top of the world right now,” he says, kissing me soundly. “And not just because we’re 30,000 feet high.”

  “Cole,” I say groaning. “That is such a dad joke. By the way, if you notice a camera flash, just ignore it. I need a picture to send to my boss. It’s completely work-related, I swear.”

  Chapter Eleven

  "Holy shit!" Cole says, as we walk through the ski chalet, toward our room. He releases his luggage and puts his hands in his hair, spinning around, staring at the ceilings, the windows, and all of the other things an architect would stare at. "Holy shit! You didn’t tell we would be staying in one of Heinz Julen's designs! What an artist.”

  "I don't know who that is," I tell him, with a quizzical smile, watching him behave like a fangirl. “Owen didn’t give me all the details.”

  "This," he says pointing, to one side of the structure. "And this! See how he uses the light? Just windows, windows everywhere!”

  “Okay,” I say with a laugh. “It’s pretty impressive."

  The structure is nestled high up on a picturesque, snow-capped mountain, above a village in the Alps. It's kind of hidden and cozy, and in addition to the light from all sides, the views are stunning.

  "Oh my god," Cole says as we reach our room and enter the suite. He drops his luggage immediately so he can walk forward, lifting both of his hands to gesture in awe. "Look at this magnificence. That's how you build a house on a damn mountain."

  I giggle slightly, putting my luggage beside his and taking off my purse, and coat, and boots. "Silly Cole. Your designs are just as nice as this.”

  The temperature change is quite significant up here, and we stopped to grab some warmer clothes and coats in the village, just in case. For the actual ceremony, we just plan to use the formal attire we got on Fifth Avenue. Upon arriving, we were greeted by Helen's father, Richard Winters, who seems like a very nice person. I remember Helen telling me that her mother died a few years ago—and her father just introduced us to his new wife, Dr. Leslie Winters, explaining that they decided to have an impromptu wedding in Michigan, since everyone was already gathered for the one Liam walked out on.

  My biological brother isn't here yet, and neither is Helen, but her sister, Carmen chatted with us a little. Even though she is dating Owen, she flew in with her father, to let Owen spend some time with his depressed best friend, and cheer Liam up on the plane. The family is having cocktails and appetizers in the reception area, while waiting for the bride and groom to arrive.

  They all seem so sweet and understanding of Liam’s cold feet, and genuinely excited to be here.

  I move toward the bed and turn around, collapsing backward onto it, exhausted from traveling. The Winters family sent a car to pick us up from the airport, but it was still a lon
g trip from Geneva up into the mountains. A beautiful trip, but a long one, nonetheless.

  "This is an odd situation for a wedding," I tell Cole, thoughtfully. "The bride and groom haven't even seen each other since the last wedding I ruined, and she went on their honeymoon with a different guy. She isn't even aware that they are planning a second, surprise wedding for her. Weird, right? What if she has changed her mind?"

  "I think it's all very romantic," Cole says, as he moves to the window and stares out at the mountains. “Maybe it will give us some ideas for our second wedding," he suggests.

  "Do we really have to have one?" I ask him. "It just seems like a lot of work."

  "Of course, we do," he responds. "We were high school kids when we got married—and you were only a high school kid because you stole the identity of a slightly older girl. Anyway, Snow popped out for a few seconds before our wedding to insist that she wanted a real one someday, in a beautiful location, with a real dress, and dancing, chandeliers, and cake."

  I lift my head slightly to gaze at him. He remembers that I said that?

  "Maybe later—someday soon," I tell him in a quiet voice. "Later—just later. I think we should focus on building your tower first, and both of us getting back to work and feeling more like ourselves."

  "You keep saying that. Don't you feel like yourself?"

  "No, not so much."

  He comes over to the bed and throws himself down beside me, and we stare up and the mountain through the towering glass windows.

  "It's been a rough few days, with meeting your parents and everything. I'm sure you'll feel better soon."

  I turn toward him, and shuffle closer, putting my head on his chest and wrapping my arm around his middle. "At least you seem to be enjoying yourself. It was worth coming all this way just to see your eyes light up like a little boy getting Hot Wheels on Christmas."

  "Excuse me, but I was never into Hot Wheels. Complex Lego sets, on the other hand, and those 3D puzzle sets of landmarks like the Notre Dame or Eiffel Tower. That was my jam."

  "Okay, Cole. If you ever get dementia and revert to a childlike state, that's what I'll buy for you."

  "Or you could just buy some for me to play with this upcoming Christmas, if you promise not to tell anyone," he says with a wink, and I laugh.

  He looks down at me, suddenly serious. "You know what, Scar? I am enjoying myself. Family weddings are supposed to be weird and have tons of drama. We've never been able to experience that. And in-laws are supposed to be awful and make me want to commit vehicular manslaughter. So, I was even pretty glad to meet your terrible parents!"

  "Are they in-laws if they were never really my legal guardians? Technically Benjamin was my parent. So, I already killed your father-in-law—my apologies. But you know, it's funny. Even with all that Benjamin did, in some sick way, he actually cared about me more than my real father. Is abusive, violent love better than no love at all? I wonder what kind of a person I would have been if I had grown up in that house, with Janet and Jim Larson. I wonder if Liam is more emotionally healthy than I am."

  "I think you would have survived anything," Cole says. "But seeing your mother get hurt constantly—I don't know if you could have taken that."

  "Nah. I would have killed Jim, too."

  "Probably," Cole says, squeezing my shoulders. "Well, maybe after today, I'll inherit a brother-in-law who's a semi-decent guy."

  "I don't know if he's semi-decent. Maybe quasi-decent?"

  "We can't hold him to the same standards we use for normal people. We need to give him a little bit of leeway, and expect him to be slightly off."

  "Leeway for Liam. Got it," I mutter. "I mean, he did manage to be a doctor in Manhattan, so how damaged can he be?"

  "Scarlett. You managed to work for the CIA, while having multiple people inside your head."

  "Fair point."

  "Plus," Cole says. "He hasn't been okay lately, according to Owen, remember? When he heard about what happened to you, he left his wedding and hasn't been able to go to work."

  "Okay, okay. I will try to be nice."

  "Good," Cole says, pressing a kiss on the top of my head.

  "And even if he's a complete and total asshole, just like the rest of them I won't attempt to murder him today.” I say with a yawn. “It's his wedding day, and Helen doesn't deserve that drama, on top of all the drama I've already caused her. I could always murder him tomorrow, if things seem to be going in that direction."

  "That's..." Cole sighs. "Let's hope things don't go in that direction."

  "I could even make it look like an accident," I muse in a sleepy voice, glancing out at the mountain. "Like, hey, Liam! Let's go skiing. Oops, guys, I don't know what happened. He just fell down the mountain and hit his head on a rock. Like ten times."

  "Jeez, Snow has been a really bad influence on you."

  "Don't worry, I'm just joking,” I say with another yawn. “I'm just nervous about all this, I guess. I'm not the best in social situations."

  "You'll be fine. Besides—no matter how badly things go, out there, we can always come back to this room, together, and relax, and look at that view," he says, pointing at the mountain. "Through those perfectly designed windows."

  “Mmmm,” I mumble, snuggling closer to him happily as I gaze at the scenery. “That does sound nice. Hey, Cole? Thanks for convincing me to do this. The Alps are gorgeous beyond belief. It feels a little otherworldly.”

  “It’s paradise,” he says softly. “Being here with you.”

  I wrap my leg around him, smiling happily, as my eyes drift closed.

  Chapter Twelve

  My phone rings, and I groan as I feel my comfortable, man-shaped pillow moving underneath me. Cole gently shoves me off him, and stands up to walk over to my coat and retrieve my phone.

  “No,” I whine, reaching for him. “Come back.”

  “You got a text message from Owen,” Cole says with a yawn, his own voice still croaky from sleep. He brings the phone over and hands it to me, but I push it away.

  “Not yet. More sleep,” I mumble.

  “It says that everyone is arriving, and they are meeting up in the reception area. We should probably go join them, Scar.”

  I squeeze open one eye, suspiciously. “How did you know the passcode to enter my phone?”

  He puts one hand on either side of me, leaning down to kiss me. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe after living with this sexy hacker girl for a few years, I picked up some tricks.”

  I start to kiss him back, but he pulls away abruptly. “Also, your passcode is my birthday. Get up.’”

  “Or we could just stay here and sleep some more, and exploit them for the free vacation while totally ignoring everyone,” I suggest. “And you can come back to bed and do all sorts of naughty things to me.”

  He rolls his eyes. "I do that all the time. Come on. Let's go say hi."

  “You’re the worst,” I grumble, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. “Let me just freshen up a little. Three seconds.” I stand and grab my purse, and move to the bathroom to try and remove any smudged makeup. I grab a toothbrush and begin brushing my teeth, and I am startled at the sight of the giant, glittering rock on my finger. I smile. I see the lines from Cole’s shirt embedded in the side of my face, and I sigh and try to nudge my hair forward to cover it. "Just remember that I'm mostly doing this for you. You're the one who wants a brother-in-law. I already have an awesome foster brother."

  "Newsflash. You can't have sex with someone a million times and still call them your brother."

  "Why not? Benjamin wanted me to call him 'Daddy.'"

  "Ew," Cole says, with a face of disgust. "Try to avoid mentioning Benjamin, if you can. Actually, try to avoid talking or thinking about anything that could bring Snow out. If you think your social skills are bad, hers are even worse.”

  I am a little hurt by this, and I chew my lip. "Fine. Let's go meet the last Larson."

  Grabbing my fuzzy black coat, I pull it on quickly and shov
e my phone into the pockets. I also shove my legs into my new, knee-high, black, high-heeled boots. When we walk out of the room, and down the corridor, we see that Liam and Owen have entered the reception area, and are giving hugs to Richard and Leslie Winters.

  Owen excuses himself, and walks into the corridor, and sees us. He throws out his arms. “Hey, guys! Sophie and Cole, I presume? So glad you could make it!”

  Before we can even respond, Owen is squeezing each of us in giant, excited, bear hugs.

  “I’m going to go get Carmen—her dad says she’s in her room. You guys should go see Liam!” Owen glances back over his shoulder at his friend, and then back at me, and whispers loudly. “Be nice! He’s sensitive.”

  I lift my eyebrows as Owen walks away. “If one more person tells me to be nice,” I mutter.

  “Hey, Scar,” Cole whispers as we approach. "Let's not tell him that we put his mother in a nursing home until after the wedding ceremony.”

  “I doubt he’ll care either way. We should just not tell him at all, and see how long it takes him to notice she’s gone. Oh! Maybe we could leave a clue in his mother’s apartment, and if he ever goes to find her, send him on a scavenger hunt. I mean, if she’s still alive when he notices.”

  “That’s hilarious, but not a good idea,” Cole says. “We need to let him know.”

  “Fine. When should I tell him that I attempted to strangle his father with IV tubes, to kill him faster than cancer could, but you stopped me?"

  "You should probably leave that out of the briefing."

  "You're right. Liam would probably be so disappointed to hear that I failed."

  "We don't know anything about him."

  “He’s my brother and he’s a jackass,” I whisper as we approach. “That’s all we need to know.”

  “Glad you’re going into this with an open mind.”