Sparks - Wendy Higgins Page 0,82
asked.
I startled, yanking my eyes upward and sweating a little as a blush burned my cheeks.
“Uh, yeah.” I licked my dry lips.
“You were zoning out.”
“Was I?” I let out a weird laugh. More like zoning in on your junk. I needed to distract myself. “How many times have you flown this?”
“I’ve flown with the owner three times. This is my first time flying without him.”
“It’s really nice of him to let you use it,” I said.
Silas laughed. “I had to agree to be his DD when he wants to go to a football game with a couple of his buddies this fall.”
“Bartering,” I said. “Good system.”
We chatted and laughed together all the way to Philadelphia. When we landed, Silas told me to hang tight while he climbed out. A man came up to our plane with a big paper bag, and the two of them began to chat.
It looked like they were taking a minute, so I did something royally stupid. I pulled out my phone and looked at Jacquie’s account. My stomach turned when I saw a new post. Not a picture of herself though. It was a beautifully designed quote: Fight for What’s Yours.
Ah, fuck me. Raw guilt like sewage rose up. The message was loud and clear. Silas was still hers and she wasn’t letting him go without a fight.
Outside the plane, Silas took the bag and gave the man a wave of thanks. I quickly put my phone away as Silas climbed back up.
“Special delivery.” He held up the bag.
“Seriously?” I had to laugh, though it felt strained now.
“No onions, right?” he asked. I nodded, loving how Silas always picked up on details when he hung out with someone. I tried really hard to push Jacquie’s words from my mind and focus on my friend.
He checked the to-go containers and handed me one. My mouth watered when I opened it and saw the cheesesteak sub with sautéed peppers and all the works, and a side of fresh cut fries, still hot. I didn’t know how Silas had these kinds of connections, but I wasn’t complaining. It was impossible not to feel special right now with all of his thoughtful attention. But there was a tinge of danger in all of it.
He picked up his giant sub and held it out. “Cheers.” I picked mine up and bumped it to his, the cheese getting stuck and stretching a little as we laughed.
We both bit in and moaned. I grabbed a pile of napkins and tried to take lady-like bites but it was really difficult.
“Good?” he asked.
“So good.” I ate as much as I could before wiping my mouth one final time and closing the lid, letting my head fall back against the headrest.
Silas took my trash and put it all back in the bag. “Glad I didn’t have to satisfy that craving alone.”
My mouth opened, but every single word I wanted to say sounded super dirty in my mind. Cravings are best satisfied with another person. Finally, I said, “Yeah. Thanks for bringing me along.”
We stared at each other a long moment until my heart began to pick up speed and I went very still. Was he going to try and kiss me? Would I let him? But it turned out I didn’t need to worry. He sat back and let out a breath, then pulled out his wallet.
“You’re going to think I’m really weird for this.”
The air in my chest stuck there as I stared down at a small beverage napkin with my handwriting.
Have a great day! ☺
“It’s the first one you ever gave me.” His smile was sheepish before he carefully folded it and slipped it back into his wallet. “It made me smile, so I kept it.”
Oh, my gosh. That was so Silas. I didn’t know what to say. My soul was swirling with all the feelings.
“You think I’m weird.” He kept his eyes averted as he slipped the wallet into his back pocket.
“No, I don’t. I’m just surprised. I didn’t expect that. It’s really sweet.”
“You’re sweet, Harlow. I’ve always liked being around you.” His eyes shifted to me and the cockpit filled with tension as we locked eyes. My heart was beating too fast. His stare was penetrating, and I did not use that word lightly. His voice went soft. “You’re not going to let me in, are you?”
Fuck, I was shaking. And all of my thoughts jumbled. I shut my eyes. Jacquie’s post about second chances, and forgiveness, and fighting for him.