Page 13 of Revival

“It doesn’t matter,” she mumbles.

“Cortney.” I wait until her gaze finds mine again. “Stop torturing yourself.”

“I’m not.”

“He didn’t deserve you.”

She snorts softly. “You can’t possibly know that.”

“Yes, I can. If you’re even a fraction of the girl I remember, then he’s the second biggest idiot on the planet.”

“Second biggest? Who has the honor of being the first?”

“Me,” I admit softly.

A crease forms between her eyebrows as she takes in my words.

Suddenly, the plane shakes, sending my heart into my throat. “Fuck.” I slap a palm on the wall and grip the basin with the other.

“Are you afraid of flying?”

“Nope.” I force myself to keep my eyes open.

“Then why are you panicking over a little bit of turbulence?”

Because I’m afraid of dying.

“Is that what that shit is?” The words rip from somewhere deep in my throat, giving them a gravelly quality.

“Spencer, is this your first time on a plane?”

Closing my eyes while breathing deeply, I lick my lips. “Yep.”

And no one other than CortneyfuckingPowell could get me on an aircraft.

“Wow, you must have needed that vacation bad.” She laughs.

“You have no idea.”

A sharp knock interrupts our conversation before she can pry farther into my past.

“I need you both to exit the lavatory.”

Cortney covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh my god, Spencer! They think we’re doing it in here.”

“It’s a little cramped, don’t you think?” I cock a sarcastic brow while fighting against the flash of memory her words provoke.

She slaps my bicep. “Get out!”

I catch her hand and lower my mouth to her ear. Her startled intake of breath sends a pulse of electricity through my gut. “Play it cool before you get us both arrested.”

Without giving her time to respond, I shove the door open and block Cortney with my body. “I’m sorry, my wife is sick. Can you get her some water?”

The flight attendant’s expression clearly asks if I’m questioning her intelligence. “You need to return to your seats. The pilot has turned on the seat belt sign.”

“Of course. Come on, babe, it’s only a few steps.”

Behind me, there’s a muffled groan before Cortney faceplants into my back. “Hurry, babe.”

---