Chapter 45
At the small, private airport the next morning, we sit in the SUV holding hands, staring out the windshield, watching the workers prepare our separate twin-engine planes. West will go one way, I’ll go another, and we’ll see each other tonight.
The pilots signal to leave.
West cups my cheeks in his palms. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year to you, too.”
“I’m going to miss you.” He kisses me.
“It’s only a day,” I tease.
“I don’t care. I’ll still miss you.”
Who am I kidding? I’ll miss him, too.
We open our doors, grab our things, and head to our separate planes.
When I reach mine, I turn back, and with each step he takes away, my soul goes more and more empty. What if I don’t see him again? What if something happens and I have to run? What if…what if his plane crashes?
When that last horrible question reels through my head, I gasp for air.
I memorize everything about him. The fit of his jeans, his well-worn Adidas, the dark blue suitcase in his left hand, the sound of his laughter, his scent, his voice. Oh, no, what does he smell like? What about his voice? What does it sound like?
I take a step toward him. “West!” I shout, then clamp my shaky hand over my mouth.
Every person on the field, including West, turns toward me. With a grin, he sets his suitcase down and opens his arms, and I sprint across the open field to land hard against him. He squeezes me and rains kisses on my forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose, and mouth.
Then he pulls back to rub our noses together. “There, that should do us until we see each other tonight.”
“I love you,” I whisper. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t. But I can’t help it. I do love him. I do.
“You did not just tell me that as I’m leaving,” he groans.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
He plants a quick, firm kiss on my lips. “You are so telling me that again later.”
“Later,” I agree, smiling.
“See you tonight, Blue Eyes.”
I nod.
One more kiss and he’s gone.
West boards the plane, keeping his gaze glued to me the whole time. His plane taxis down the runway. My emotions swell with need, longing, and the rawness of love.
“You ready, Miss?”
I nod toward the worker and climb into my small plane. As it taxies away, I glance out the window, and I freeze.
There, hovering along the fence that borders the private airport, stands a man in a dark suit, camera in hand, staring right at me.
By the time we land in Miami, I’m so wound up that everything in me aches, and my head pounds.
On the taxi ride to the hotel, all I can think about is that man and his camera. It’s probably just paparazzi taking pictures of West. This is what I tell myself, try to convince myself of, but my gut tells me otherwise.
Fear careens through my body and floods my stomach with acid. I just… I don’t know what to do.
When I get to the hotel, I go to my room. Anne’s stuff is on her bed, but she’s gone somewhere. I sit down and look at my phone. I want to call Brynn. A whole hour ticks by, and all I do is stare at my phone.
I’m going insane.
…be ready to run if I tell you.
But she hasn’t told me anything. It’s been radio silent.
I go down to the business center. I do a search on Grayson, me, West, but everything seems the same. He’s having me followed. Brynn’s words come back to me. I type her name into the search engine.
An article from last week appears. I click on it and begin reading, and I stop breathing when I get to: Longtime friend of the Kader family, Brynn Spindell, is set to go in Laura’s place on Grayson’s electoral tour.
Beneath that is a photo of Brynn standing beside Grayson, both smiling.
Noah is in the background.