CHAPTER NINE Joshua
CHAPTER NINE
Joshua
S o much for keeping my mind off her. I am currently seated rows away from the girl, also known as Emily Rodriguez, who just happens to be my sister’s best friend, and unfortunately for me, the prettiest girl in the world. I should’ve known that night was too good to be true; there had to be a catch somewhere down the road.
After finding out that she was Emily, I thought it would remove any attraction I had for her. But nope. The attraction is still there. And now, I also instantly care about her. I used to always look out for her and Bon’s other friends. I would fight off her bullies, drive her around, and help her with her homework. Hell, I even chaperoned her first date when she was thirteen. Back then, all of it seemed like a task I had to do because I was the responsible older brother for both of them. But now… I don’t know where it puts me. It feels wrong that I’m physically attracted to Emily. But that’s all it is, anyway—It’s physical attraction. It should be easy to brush off. Except it’s not easy, it actually feels impossible, and it’s stressing the hell out of me.
Earlier, during the cab ride, I tried my absolute hardest to seem calm and nonchalant. I didn’t want to scare her off considering she was already freaking out that she kissed her best friend’s brother. I couldn’t care less about that fact, by the way. I wholeheartedly would not care if the whole population of Magnolia Heights found out I kissed Emily Rodriguez. Sure, it would cause a neighborhood gossip train; we would probably be the topic of dinner conversations, but I don’t care about that. But Emily, obviously, does. She cares a lot. So I had to lie to her. I told her it was just a single kiss and insinuated it shouldn’t mean anything. Even when it was all I thought about these past two weeks. But that seemed to calm her down as she realized she shouldn’t read too much into it.
I make a silent resolution with myself to keep my distance while we’re in Manila. Being in close proximity to her may prove to be more of a challenge than I originally thought, but I can handle it. I will simply lay low and stay busy with other things. I’m certain Bon has a list of things for me to do in preparation for the wedding.
When I get on the plane, I settle into my seat. I booked a business class seat because there’s no way I could survive twenty hours crammed with zero legroom. I need space. But when I peek out of the comfort of my seat, I see Emily visibly struggling in economy. She’s sandwiched between two guys, both of whom seem to keep invading her personal space. The guy on her right is smiling at her in a creepy way that makes my skin crawl, while she smiles back politely. And the other guy keeps brushing her arm, making her shift uncomfortably and lean against the first guy.
I can’t just do nothing, can I? I can’t just sit here in comfort while she squirms for hours. I have to at least try to help her. As a good neighbor, of course.
I don’t know if it’s possible to do what I’m planning, but I stand from my seat and walk over to a flight attendant.
“Excuse me,” I flash a smile—the one I know works in my favor when it comes to women. The flight attendant lets out a soft sigh as she smiles back, so I continue. “There’s an empty business class seat beside me. Would it be possible to upgrade that girl?” I ask, nodding in Emily's direction. “She looks severely uncomfortable.”
The attendant looks at Emily and the smile is instantly wiped from her face. She raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my request. “That’s an unusual request, sir. Do you know her?”
What I’m going to say next should convince her. The plane is leaving soon, and no one is seated beside me, so I guess the seat really is up for grabs. I run a hand through my hair and sigh.
“Yeah,” I say. “We’re actually together. Had a little argument earlier and she’s too stubborn to accept my offer to upgrade our seats. I can’t bear to see her like that, and I’d really like to make it up to her. Do you think I could upgrade her seat so we can sort things out?” I smile again and add, “Charge it to me when we land.”
The flight attendant’s eyes soften as she considers my words, her stance relaxing slightly. “Well,” she begins, “it’s not common practice, but under the circumstances...” She glances back at Emily, who’s still visibly uncomfortable, sandwiched between the two men. Hurry up, lady, or I’ll carry her over here . “Let me see what I can do.”
I stay there as she runs to the cabin and emerges a few moments later. She makes her way to Emily’s seat and leans in to talk to her. I lean against the entrance to the business class section and cross my arms. The flight attendant points to me. I hope Emily catches on and just goes with it. She looks confused as she follows the attendant’s gaze and locks eyes with me. I very casually wink and wave at her as her expression shifts from surprise to something unreadable, and I wonder if she’s going to go along with this little ruse.
After what feels like an eternity, Emily finally smiles politely and collects her things. As she approaches, she looks at me intently. She’s dressed in flared leggings and a simple white shirt, with a beige sweater casually draped over her shoulders. The outfit is understated, but on her, it looks effortlessly elegant. Maybe it’s just the way she carries herself, or maybe it’s that face.
Stop it, that’s your sister’s best friend. Don’t think about her like that.
The flight attendant follows her and says to us, “I hope you two sort it out. Have a good flight.” We thank her as she proceeds to tell everyone else to take their seats.
“Hey,” I say, in a much flirtier tone than I intended. I take her carry-on and lead her toward our seats.
Before she takes a seat, she looks at me and says, “So we’re a couple now?”
“Well, it’s either play my girlfriend or get cozy with Mr. Creepy-stare and Mr. Handsy back there,” I offer, waving a hand back toward them. “Unless you actually preferred that…”
“No!” She says instantly. “Do not send me back there. They weren’t only creepy but they smelled funky,” she says as she scrunches her nose. Cute.
“Very well, take a seat, honey.” I smile sarcastically and she smiles back. She proceeds to take a seat, with the barrier between our seats still up. I move over to the other side to settle into mine just as the seatbelt lights turn on. I badly want to slide the barrier to tease her again, but it probably won’t do us any good.
Just as I’m accepting the fact that I won’t see her until the flight ends, Emily’s face pops up next to me, our barrier now gone.
“Hey, Joshua,” she whispers like she’s about to tell me a big secret. The sound of my name casually slipping out of her mouth makes my insides squirm a little. “Is it still possible to go back there?” She motions to where she was seated earlier. “I, uh, left something.”
“What did you leave?” I ask.
“Something important,” she says.
“And that would be?” I raise my eyebrows.
Emily lets out a long sigh. “Fine.” Her voice returns to its usual volume. “I left this little stress ball I always bring on flights. I can’t survive without clutching it.” When I don’t immediately respond, she elaborates further, “I’m, um, kinda scared of flying.” She avoids my gaze as if expecting me to make fun of her.
For a second, I just look at her. All the confidence she’s had before suddenly disappears, exposing her vulnerability. As I glance down, I notice her hand is gripping the armrest between us so tightly, her knuckles are almost white. I feel a strange protectiveness kick in when I see her barely holding herself together.
I clear my throat softly. “I don’t think we can stand now, Emily,” I say, glancing at the seatbelt light that’s still glowing overhead. “But how about this,” I suggest. “Can I hold your hand?”
Emily looks confused, but she nods slowly. I reach out and take her hand from the armrest and hold it in mine, sliding my fingers into hers. Her hand is cold and it makes me shiver slightly. “Clutch my hand instead. Think of it as a sexy version of your stress ball,” I joke, trying to lighten up the situation.
She rolls her eyes, her lips twitching with a hint of a smile. Her smile fades before she asks, “Are you sure? I clutch that stress ball really hard.”
I chuckle slightly, squeezing her hand a little. “Break my bones if you want to, babe,” I say playfully. I never called anyone babe before, I never dared to let it slip in case I give off the wrong impression.
“Gosh, you are so breezy,” she says with a chuckle, but she doesn’t let go.
“I’ve been told.” I shrug.
Before Emily could respond, the plane begins its ascent. And I realize just how tightly she’s been holding onto me. Her grip tightens so much that I almost wince. Wow , looks like she really can break my bones. But of course, I don’t show her that I’m in pain. Instead, I give her a smile—–soft and reassuring—–and put my other hand over hers, providing her an extra layer of comfort.
Her eyes flick toward me for just a second, like she’s checking in, making sure I’m still here. And I am. I don’t move, even though my fingers are going numb from how hard she’s squeezing me.
For the rest of the trip, it becomes a little routine. She’ll let go to do something—eat, drink, go to the bathroom—but every single time she comes back, her hand finds mine again, as naturally as if we’ve been doing this for years. And the strangest part? I don’t mind. Her hand just fits in mine, like it belongs there. This can’t be good, can it?
I don’t think about it too hard, it’s just for the flight. I’m just helping someone feel better. Once we land in Manila, I’ll keep my distance. No need to complicate things. I’ll lay low, avoid her, and we’ll go our separate ways.
That’s the plan.