Shattered Dreams (Boys of Bellerose, #3)(46)
That was why I’d thrown Grayson that lifeline. Were you there? Yes. He’d confirmed he was, so… what other explanation was there? He’d already admitted to killing people for his family in the past. What if my parents were just a hit?
My stomach clenched with anxiety, and a groan slipped out of me when the plane shook slightly. The last thing I needed, on top of my flashback and panic attack, was to get motion sick.
A quiet tap on the door had me sitting up again, except this time it was Vee’s pretty face that greeted me.
“Hey, you,” she whispered, her eyes full of sympathy. Normally I hated feeling pitied, but right now I just felt… justified. Validated. Like I wasn’t totally overreacting. “We’re about to land; they asked us to return to our seats and buckle up.”
I glanced down at the sleeping princes on either side of me, then gave Vee a tired nod. “Okay. I’ll wake them up. Just give us a minute?”
She smiled her understanding and closed the door again. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Angelo and Jace up, but I also didn’t want us all to die if the landing had more turbulence. So… it was the lesser of two evils.
I woke Angelo first, barely even shaking his arm before his eyes snapped open and he sat up in one smooth, if confused, motion. Then his gaze rested on me, and the tension ebbed away.
“Bella,” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
“We’re landing,” I told him quickly, not dwelling in the awkwardness of our mini-reunion. “We have to return to our seats and put on seat belts for safety and... stuff.” Okay, rambling was a defense mechanism.
Angelo stared at me, puzzled, then glanced down at Jace, still sleeping on my other side. A soft smile touched his lips, then he groaned as he pushed to standing. His leg was still definitely hurting him, and I made a mental note to ask what he was doing about rehab. The walking aid might be gone, but that didn’t mean he was all healed up.
“Jace,” I murmured, shaking his shoulder. He didn’t stir, so I did it again. Then he just snaked out an arm and hooked me around the waist. I gave a squeak of surprise as he dragged me down into his embrace, tucking me into his body like a small spoon.
It was so tempting to stay right there that I actually entertained the idea. But then we’d probably have one of the airline crew in here dragging us back to our seats, which would ruin the mood.
“We’re about to land,” I told him as his arm around my waist held me tight. “They need us in seats, Jace. You gotta wake up.”
“Mmm,” he mumbled, “’kay. In a sec.”
I laughed quietly. “No, now. Come on, Sleeping Beauty, time to wake up.”
He took his time, yawning and snuggling harder against me before I mustered the willpower to push him away. “Fine,” he groaned. “I’m getting up.”
Just as reluctant, I sat up and climbed out of the bed. “Um… thanks, I think. For…” I waved a hand in the general direction of the cabin, where Grayson was. “I don’t totally know what happened after my flashback, but… I know you guys had my back. So thanks.”
Jace rose to his feet in an enviably smooth motion, then crossed the small space to where I hovered awkwardly beside the door. “Billie,” he murmured, his hands smoothing down my upper arms in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a dick to you ever since Rhett dragged you into that club in Siena.”
I offered a half smile. “Yeah. You have.”
He wrapped his arms around me, letting his hug say what I knew he meant: He wanted to move on from the past and start fresh. So did I.
“We’re commencing our descent into Dublin; please ensure you’re seated with safety belts fastened and tray tables folded away. Let’s get this bird on the ground without any more incidents.” The pilot sounded annoyed, and I didn’t blame him. Hopefully, the flight attendant who’d cut herself was okay.
Jace released me from his hug, and silently we returned to the cabin. I deliberately avoided looking at Grayson, but my spine prickled with an awareness of his gaze. Too bad. The moment we got off this flying tin can, I was surgically removing him from my life. Somehow.
“Are we good?” Rhett asked softly as I took my seat beside him. His gaze was searching, his body language cautious, as if I was a ticking time bomb about to detonate.
“Yep,” I lied. I was far from good, but for the sake of stopping another fistfight, it was the only answer I could give. I extended my hand, searching for his, and he linked our fingers together once more. “Do you ever wish you could just take a vacation from your own head?” My question popped out before I could put a leash on it, but Rhett, of all people, would know what I meant.
He sighed, slouching down in his seat and guiding my head to rest on his shoulder. “More often than I can count,” he admitted. “But never when I’m with you, Thorn.”
Crap. I was crying again.
Rhett just kissed my hair and held my hand, letting me silently sob against him as the plane lowered in altitude and finally delivered us with a jarring bump onto the Dublin runway. Forever the protector of my heart.
twenty-one
BILLIE
To my relief, Dr. Candace was happy to schedule me an emergency appointment over video chat when our time zones overlapped. She helped me dial back from murderous rage and ended our chat with me settling into a slightly less bloodthirsty heartbroken and hurt. Despite how good she was at never showing personal bias about my crises, I got the distinct impression she also felt that I’d be better served talking it through with Grayson rather than pinning all my faith on a blurry repressed memory from a deeply traumatic night.