The Exception(6)

****

Jillian

Just as I started to relax again, the plane abruptly dropped and the pilot announced that we were heading into some severe storms and turbulence was going to a problem for a short while. The seatbelt light went on and all the flight attendants were commanded to sit in their seats until we got through it. I wasn’t sure if I could get through it. As I felt the plane going up and down, I grabbed on to Drew’s arm again. For now, he was my safety and there was no way I was letting go. Anxiety had started to kick in and I found it difficult to breathe.

“Hey. Relax. It’s going to okay,” Drew said as he placed his hand on mine. “Let’s talk. Tell me something. Anything.”

He was trying to distract me and I appreciated him for it. He could see I was struggling to calm the f*ck down.

“Breathe, Jillian.” His eyes burnt into mine.

My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was sweating.

“Talk to me,” he spoke with seriousness.

“I left my fiancé at the altar today. I didn’t even tell him that I couldn’t marry him. I just up and left without anyone noticing a couple of minutes before I was to walk down the aisle. I couldn’t marry him. I don’t love him. I never did. It was too much. Between my parents and him, I just couldn’t take it anymore,” I blurted out. “And now, this is my punishment. We’re going to crash and I’m going to die and go to Hell for it.”

Drew stared at me with a shocked expression on his face. He didn’t know what to say because I was sure his whole perception of me had just changed in that moment.

“We aren’t going to crash, you’re not going to die, and you certainly aren’t going to Hell because you left your fiancé.”

After he spoke those words, the plane leveled out and once again became steady. The pilot came on the overhead and said we were in the clear and thanked us for our cooperation. Letting out a sigh of relief, I began to calm down and regain my breath.

“See. It was just a little turbulence. It’s over now.” He smiled.

“I’m sorry for just blurting that out.”

“It’s okay. You thought you were going to die, so you had to tell someone. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked in a soothing voice.

“That’s basically it. Today was my wedding day and I ran.”

“If you never loved him, why did you accept his proposal?”

“Because I had no choice. He was my fiancé since I was a child. Planned by my parents and his. He was the one I had to marry.”

“Wait a minute.” He shook his head. “Was this an arranged marriage?”

I laughed. “If you really stop to think about it, I guess it was. His parents and my parents have been best friends since they were teenagers. He is the heir to his father’s law firm and I am the daughter of the prestigious Donald Bell of DB Simpson & Co.”

“You mean one of the largest global financial firms, DB Simpson & Co?”

“Yep. That’s the one.”

“Wow. Oh boy. Wow.”

“See. You’re speechless.”

“Not really. I mean, why would you marry someone you’re not in love with? I just don’t understand why you didn’t say something before the wedding.”

“Because I never had any control over my own life. From the day I was born, my life had already been planned out. Where I would go to school, who my friends would be, who I could and could not socialize with, and my career. Shit. I don’t even want to be a lawyer.”

“I take it you’re an only child?”

“Yeah. Well, sort of. That’s another story.” I shook my head.

Drew looked at his watch. “We have a couple of hours left.”

“Thanks, but I don’t really want to talk about it. It’s just that I never was allowed to make my own decisions. My mom and Grant’s mom planned the entire wedding. I didn’t have a say in anything, not even my wedding dress. The one I wanted wasn’t expensive enough and my mother said it made me look fat. So she picked the dress she liked and I just agreed to it. I didn’t care and I didn’t have any fight in me. Going against my parents was a losing battle.”

“And now?” he asked.

“I guess you could say I snapped.” I gave a small smile. “I don’t know who I am, Drew. Every time I look in a mirror, I see a total stranger staring back at me.”

“So you’re going to Hawaii. Why?” He cocked his head.

“I needed to escape and what better place than Hawaii. I’m starting my life over and, little by little, I’m going to find out who Jillian Bell really is.”

The corners of his mouth curved upwards. “Good for you.”

“Thanks. It’s really liberating.”

“So what about your parents and Grant?”

“Who knows and who cares? I don’t think he even loved me anyway. He was a cheater and a liar. Hell, his bachelor party was last weekend in Vegas and he slept with two strippers at the same time.” I looked down.

“Ouch. What a dick. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. I’m feeling really tired from that whole turbulence experience. I’m going to try and get some sleep. So, would you wake me if I’m still sleeping when the plane lands?” I bit down on my bottom lip.