Page 103 of Exchange of Heart

Nora wasn’t there.

My heart pounded up my throat and strangled me with disappointment. Where the hell was she?

‘Sir, please take a seat. The captain will be preparing for take-off soon.’ The air hostess waited behind me.

I dropped into my spacious cushioned seat and clicked on my seatbelt. My hand combed through my short hair then I rubbed them together. All this energy, and no one to share it with. No one to talk to. No one to—

Tinkling laughter echoed down the aisle and seeped through my skin. I twisted my head and ripped my seatbelt from my lap. I’d pushed onto my feet before I could stop myself and stormed down the aisle until I stood inches from the scattering of freckles across her nose.

‘I didn’t think you’d come,’ she whispered.

The confusion in her eyes begged for answers. And she’d get them.

‘Please take your seat, we’re preparing for take-off.’ That same air hostess was losing her patience.

We walked down the crammed aisle from the bathroom to take our seats.

‘You said you’d be waiting for me at the airport, but I wasn’t surprised you weren’t.’ Her voice belonged in the arctic.

‘It’s not what you think.’ I rubbed the back of my neck.

‘Actions may speak louder than words, but I’m not going to forgive you just because you showed up on this flight.’ She turned to face the window as the plane rolled forward.

‘Let me explain, please,’ I begged.

‘You’ve got thirty seconds, then I’m plugging in a movie and throwing back endless glasses of champagne.’

Thoughts scrambled in my brain like a toddler shoving his hand on the keyboard of a computer. I only had one shot, and I needed to get this right.

‘Muay Thai,’ I said.

Nora’s face scrunched in a way that showed she couldn’t understand the nonsense happening. She wasn’t the only one. I didn’t understand the nonsense. Why did I start with the words ‘Muay Thai’?

‘I met a guy there,’ I continued.

‘Well, I hope you’ll be very happy together.’

‘Nora,’ I groaned. ‘I met a guy that needed a job, and he was perfect for the role. You weren’t.’

‘Thanks for clarifying,’ Nora thundered.

I raised my hands in the air with a ‘shh’ because passengers had twisted their heads to stare at us, but that pissed her off even more. This wasn’t coming out right. I stared out the window as the plane rolled to the runway, trying to gather my thoughts.

‘Nora, you were too good for it.’

‘You ruined my life.’ She blinked back tears.

‘Yeah? Well, you ruined mine, too. I can’t get through a single day without thinking about you. When I wake up and brush my teeth, right through to when I arrive home to an empty apartment and order Mexican. That’s right! I eat Mexican now, because it reminds me of you. I mean, Jesus, I can’t even sleep without thinking about you. You’re in my dreams, you’re under my god-damn skin.’

Nora raised an eyebrow at my confession, and the plane rumbled as it picked up speed down the runway.

‘Please, Nora. I was trying to protect you.’

Her gaze lingered on mine for a moment too long to be considered hateful, her mind likely thinking about a book she’d read and what advice it’d given her.

We lifted into the air. There was no going back now.

‘For someone trying to protect me, you really hurt me. I don’t even need your protection; I’m not a baby.’