sky and too far away from the Van Nuys airport to make turning around convenient.
I left the chilly atmosphere in the cockpit, nodding slightly to a wide-eyed flight attendant as I stepped into the opulent main cabin of the plane. Other than a few crew members, Maren was alone in one of the luxurious leather seats. Her dark head was bent, and she was staring at something on her phone. She was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants that looked like they were two sizes too big for her and a tight tank top. She was wearing a pair of sneakers with neon designs on the sides rather than designer shoes that cost as much as a first-class ticket on a regular flight. She looked far from being one of the most in-demand actresses, and in no way did she look a day over twenty-one. She’d been through a lot lately, but time had been kind to her. That fresh-faced appeal that had stolen hearts the minute she appeared on screen was still there. It was no wonder she’d been discovered the instant she landed in California. That face of hers was priceless. I still liked it as much as I had back in the day.
Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the empty seat facing hers.
It took her a minute to lift her head. I saw her gaze catch on the scuffed toes of my black combat boots and slowly travel up the legs of my ripped jeans, skim over my Gucci belt, and skate over my tight black t-shirt. I was also dressed down, but it was more common for me to look like I threw my outfit together from whatever was on my bedroom floor. Those hazel eyes, more supercharged than that simple description implied, danced over the colorful ink that covered my arms and paused when they landed on the bright design that marked the front of my neck. She hadn’t changed much, but I looked a lot different than I had when I was sixteen. Time had taken its toll on me both physically and mentally.
Her eyes were an unusual mix of dark brown, grayish-blue, and light amber. The lighter parts of her gaze seemed to glow as her disbelief became a palpable thing between us. Then shock quickly switched to anger as our eyes locked. I’d seen that expression on her stunning face once before: when she walked in on me doing lines of cocaine with her makeup artist all those years ago. She had the same look on her face now. It said she couldn’t believe what she was seeing and felt rage when she realized the sight before her was indeed real.
Her elegant hands curled into fists, and her phone dropped to the floor of the plane unnoticed. Her shoulders tensed, and her mouth flattened into a hard, unforgiving line. A red flush crawled up her chest and flooded into her cheeks. I could tell she was practically vibrating in her seat as she stared at me.
I fought back a grin, because as cliché as it was, Maren really was one of those women who looked beautiful when she was angry. Maybe it was because she was always so composed and cool with everyone else. She’d always had an image of being docile and even-tempered, and she rarely let her emotions slip. I was one of the few people she’d ever lost her composure with, so watching her get heated was always kind of a secret thrill.
If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man.
I settled back in my seat and lifted a foot to rest on my knee. I was trying to appear calm and collected, but on the inside, I was a mess. This was the closest I’d been to her in ages, and it was hard not to get engulfed in memories and regret. She was looking at me like she wanted to toss me out of the plane. I knew I was watching her with my heart in my eyes.
“Long time no see, Maren.” My voice was husky and deeper than normal. There was even a small quiver I couldn’t hide, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes narrowed, and she took a deep breath. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out a way to get away from me.
“Not long enough, Salinger.” If her words got any colder, icicles would hang from them. She unfurled