Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 78576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Jesse looks around, eyeing the fallen suitcases and the sheet-white faces of our fellow passengers. “It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.”
Bethany nods. “I know. But trust me on this one. Is there anything I can get you?”
“A stiff drink?” he says.
She smiles. “Right away. What would you like?”
He blinks. “Nothing. I couldn’t possibly drink. I’m not sure why that came out of my mouth.”
“Water then?” she asks.
“Sure.” He looks at me. “Brianna?”
I simply shake my head. Anything that goes down is likely to come right back up. I still need to get my bearings.
Once Bethany is gone, Jesse turns back to me and plants a vigorous kiss on my lips. “Fuck, Brianna. I love you so much. If I wasn’t sure before, I sure as hell am now.”
I nod, gulping. “Me too. Jesse, I don’t want to die.”
He places his hands over my cheeks. “You won’t. You didn’t. We’re here. I don’t think we were ever in any real danger. At least according to that flight attendant.”
“It sure felt like it.”
“I know it did.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Man, I’m glad we don’t have a concert tomorrow. The band will need some recuperation time.”
“We all will,” I agree.
Jesse looks into the aisle. “Our carry-ons are still up in the bin.” He nods to Dave, who’s across the aisle from him with Maddie in the window seat. “You guys okay?”
Dave nods, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.
I hope Maddie’s all right.
I hope everyone’s all right.
What if…
My God…
This would have been like that plane crash decades ago that took out Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. I remember Mom and Dad talking about that once, how their parents loved all those musicians. The Day the Music Died, they called it.
All of Emerald Phoenix is on this plane.
And all of Dragonlock, except of course for Dragon himself, who’s still in London and will be traveling back to the States soon to begin an intense drug rehab program in Denver.
I nudge Jesse when he’s done talking to Dave. “Are they okay?”
“Maddie’s shook up. I hope Rory’s okay.”
“I’m sure Brock has her covered.”
He nods and turns back to me. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m grateful that Dave is here. What if Maddie were sitting alone? Had to go through this alone?”
“I don’t want to think about it,” I say. “I don’t want to think about any of it.”
He nods, inhaling. “For such a short flight, we sure had a big scare.”
I take a deep breath in and sigh. “And I’m the one who told you not to worry. That we were flying over turbulent waters so we should expect air turbulence.”
“You were right, baby.”
“I didn’t want to be that right.” I rub my forehead. “Did Maddie get sick?”
Jesse shakes his head. “Dave says she didn’t. Someone did, though. I saw puke fly through the air when we dropped.”
“I know. I can smell it. I’m glad it wasn’t me.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t you, too.” He squeezes my hand again. “Do you remember what I said to you when we thought it was the end?”
Most of it’s a blur, but I nod. Because that’s the one thing I do remember. “You said, ‘Wherever we’re going, we’ll be together.’”
He nods and grabs my hands. “I meant it. From now on, Bree, wherever we’re going, we’ll be together. We’ll find a way to make this work with both our careers.” He squeezes my hands tight. “Because the one thing I know for sure after looking mortality in the eye? I don’t ever want to be without you.” He cups my cheek. “Will you be my wife, Brianna?”
And just for a moment, all the fear and trauma from the last few minutes drifts away. Jesse and I aren’t even on the plane. We’re floating above it, on our own little pink cloud.
I wrap my arms around his neck. “Yes, Jesse! A thousand times yes.”
Chapter Two
Maddie
I swallow, making sure my dinner stays down.
“I don’t know how I’ll get back home to Colorado,” I say to Dave, “because I’m never setting foot on another airplane. Never in a million years. Once this plane is on the ground, my feet are staying on land.”
“Don’t be silly.” Dave grins. “You’re pre-disastered now.”
Dave is his jovial self, but underneath I see the truth. His complexion has faded to nearly white, and his lips tremble slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
He shrugs. “You’ve been through this once, so it’s statistically impossible that it will happen to you again.”
“The plane didn’t crash,” I remind him. Thank God, I add to myself.
“Which is also highly unlikely,” he says. “You’re safer in the air than in a car or on a ship, Maddie.”
I dig my nails into the armrests. “I don’t feel particularly safe.”
Dave and I aren’t an item, but I’m so glad he’s here. So far we’ve had a sort of friends-with-benefits thing going since he showed up, but Rory and Callie both know how attractive I find him. I wasn’t thrilled when I found out Brianna and Jesse were getting together. I didn’t see that coming, though maybe I should have. She always hung around him at Murphy’s Bar back home. I didn’t pay much attention because I was more interested in attracting Dave’s attention.