Page 12 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

Grateful for the distraction, Julien directed his attention away from the window and back to Tyler, who looked—fine. He had on an oversized flat-back sweatshirt and the glasses that drove Julien crazier than he’d admit out loud. “Gruff? You think I’m gruff?”

Tyler’s lips quirked. “I mean, you walk around looking mad at the world half the time. You know, the scowls and glares.”

Julien glared. “I do not.” If he looked as though he was mad at the world, it was because the world had managed to fuck him over time and time again. He would not smile more just because he looked pretty when he did.

Tyler gave a soft laugh. “Please, at least try to be friendly with my parents, alright?”

Julien rolled his eyes. The conversation was a welcome distraction, even at his expense. “I told you, Baby,” he drawled. “They’re going to love me as much as you love me.”

When pink spread over Tyler’s pale skin from cheeks to ears, Julien felt a warm sense of satisfaction in his belly, which replaced the jitters. All Jules could think about was chasing the blush down Tyler’s slender neck and see it paint that bare chest.

“Save it for when we get there, alright?” Tyler told him. He reached out, tapped Julien’s knee, and picked up his carry-on. “Our group is about to be called.”

Whatever sense of contentment Julien had vanished as soon as he stood up and followed Tyler to the gate.

Then, there he was, about to board a plane. About to be suspended midair for an hour and a half, miles above the ground, in a tin can filled with strangers. Any one of those strangers could be just waiting to kill the pilots and crash the planes. The pilots were strangers, too. Maybe they were drunk, sick, orblind.

He exhaled and tried to get it together. There was no way he would lose his shit in front of Tyler, not to mentionthe hoard of people pushing toward the gate as if they feared the plane would leave without them.

“Get your boarding pass out,” Tyler reminded him.

“Right. Uh-huh, good.” Julien pulled it from his pocket. He followed Tyler up the line and showed the boarding pass to the lady before stepping onto the gangway, where the space seemed too tight and loud. Jules could feel the entire walkway shake underfoot when anyone took a step. At this rate, he wouldn’t make it to the plane. The flimsy structure would collapse, and he would die on the pavement below.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the plane’s entryway was ahead. Julien ducked in through the door, careful not to trip as he entered.

“I’m glad I could find us seats next to each other so close to the flight,” Tyler said once they were directed by a flight attendant to their seats toward the middle of the plane.

Julien helped Tyler put their luggage in the overhead compartments and maneuvered around other passengers as he slid into the window seat and looked out. He could see the wing from his spot and swore a piece was missing. He knew nothing about planes, but that seemed wrong.

More and more people filed into the plane. It began to seem impossibly small and loud. The aisle was crowded, with people taking their seats and cramming too much stuff into the compartments. There was no way they were within the allowed dimensions. Julien was sure the plane would be too heavy.

His heart thudded in his ears, and he squirmed, trying to get comfortable in the cramped seat. His knees hit the back of the chair in front of him, and he felt someone pushing on the back of his chair.

Someone on the tarmac drove by the broken wing and overlooked the apparent fault.

“I don’t think I can do this,” he announced to Tyler, who had settled into the seat beside him. He was pulling out a pack of gum and wireless earbuds, completely calm.

“What? What do you mean you can’t do this? You said you would help me. You can’t back out now,” Tyler told him. He twisted his body and blocked Julien in.

Julien took a deep breath. “I know. I want to, I really do. I’ll get your money back, but Ineedto get off this plane.”How could you get the money back, though,Julien? Don’t be an idiot. You’ve already given it to Rossi. Even if you get it back now, how will you pony up 5Gs by Christmas without Tyler?He weighed the benefits of dying in the plane over getting his finger chopped off.

“Please, Julien.Please,” Tyler begged. “I swear it’ll be fine. We can forget this happened in a week and a half. I will make this as painless as possible.” He sounded as desperate as Julien felt at this moment.

The flight attendants closed the doors and the overhead storage and began their safety spiel. It was too late to get off the plane. Even if Julien wanted to, he needed that money. “Okay. Fine,” he said, losing the war with himself.

When Tyler sighed and settled back into his seat, Julien forced himself to listen to the flight attendants. He didn’t want to hear a list of the terrible things that could happen if they crashed, but he needed to know precisely what he had to do. Just in case.

He checked and double-checked his seat belt and looked for the nearest exit window, but he had a sick feeling in his stomach. The people who sat there were on their phones, earbuds in. One was already asleep.

What if the plane really is broken? Why doesn’t anyone notice there is something wrong with the wing? Why is no one else concerned?

His breathing sped up, and he looked frantically behind him to see who was kicking his seat. It was a child. The poor kid would surely crash and burn with all of them.

“Are…are you okay?” Tyler asked, his voice low. He leaned in as Julien clutched the armrest so hard his knuckles were white.

“I’m fine,” he bit out, closing his eyes when the plane started to move.

“You didn’t tell me you were afraid of flying,” Tyler said. His tone was soft, but he leaned in close enough that Julien could still him over the sounds of the plane.

---