Someday Never Came

Chapter Five

I suppose this is it: this is where it all ends one way or another, I think to myself as the gate agent makes the final boarding call for flight 3055 to Phantom Shores, South Carolina.

I stand frozen in place, panic racing through me. I watch as the other passengers stand in a single file line. Each person scans their boarding pass and makes basic small talk before slowly disappearing into the passenger boarding bridge. By now, I’m sure each and every passenger is settled into their seats on the aircraft, aside from myself that is. I chose to be the last in line, allowing myself extra time to chicken out, to turn and run.

To leave Phantom Shores and all that it holds in my past behind me. To make the sound decision to leave the ghosts buried where they belong. Like a baby fawn stuck in head lights, I still have not taken a single step toward the gate agent. After another frozen moment, the women scanning the boarding passes approaches me.

“Miss?” Her voice is sweet but hurried, time is running out and I have a final decision to make. “Is this your flight? If so, I will need to scan your boarding pass.”

I remain unmoving, as if my feet are glued to the very spot I took in line.

“Miss? Did you hear me?” She asks, starting to look slightly concerned by my appearance. Sweating, ghostly pale, and pacing in an airport is not exactly something that should be done. I’m sure I look suspicious, and I need to be careful before I get myself put onto a watchlist, wouldn’t that just be great. Hell, I can hear his laughter in my head—Jensen would be cackling like a hyena at the thought of me being marked as a threat, all because I was so nervous to see him again.

“Are you okay?” She asks, gently touching my shoulder.

“Yes!” I blurt out more aggressively than intended. “I am so sorry . . . I’m a nervous flyer.” She chuckles and shakes her head. I feel bad for lying to her, because while being trapped in a metal flying tube doesn’t sound fantastic, the flight isn’t truly what scares me or makes me nervous. The possibility of what might happen once I land—and how I may be completely insane for flying to a man who I truly no longer know—makes me nervous. But is that true? Do I truly no longer know Jensen? I know him in my soul, I always have. Time changes us all though, and not always for the better, but I deserve the truth of what happened all those years ago. Maybe it’s all my nerves, or maybe part of me still believes my fate is tied to his, that our souls have always been connected somehow.

“I understand, but the flight isn’t long. Little over two hours, then you will be on land again. The flight crew is highly trained, if you have any issues, all you have to do is ask for a flight attendant.” Fuck it, I grumble under my breath, nodding as she scans my boarding pass. Let destiny lead the way. What’s the worst that can happen?

I continue mumbling my seat number as I board the plane, 18A, 18A, 18A. Most passengers already found their seats while I debated major life choices. Now, I am currently hoping my ‘fuck it’ doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass or worse, break my heart again. If I’m being honest, I’ve never truly recovered from him just abandoning me a decade ago.

18A, finally. It’s a window seat, and no one else is seated in the row as I slide in. Thank gods, at least I can stress and overthink without a curious neighbor giving me concerned glances every ten minutes. An announcement from our pilot crackles over the plane’s intercom. I only half listen as he rambles on about what the weather should be when we land, estimated time of arrival, how drink service will start once we are in the air, and how he hopes everyone has an easy flight. Soon after, the flight attendants start their safety spiel, but honestly all I can think about is drink service starting. I could use a drink to take this edge off. My nerves are shot and my whole body trembles. As I look out my window for the first time, something stills me—a realization as the wheels lift from the runway and we set to the sky.

Resolution settles in my heart and in my mind, something I had known ever since that first text came through, but never fully accepted until this moment: Jensen came back . . .