Page 142 of Friends with Benefits

He’s typing a response when “1985” starts playing in his ears.

Ooh hoo hoo!

And suddenly, Theo cannot breathe.Because of a Bowling for Soup song.___DAYS SINCE “1985.”He left the sign in his classroom that’s no longer his classroom because Evelyn told him to go, and it used to be easier to listen, to let her push, to tell himself it’s better this way. Is it better this way?I love you, too. Obviously.The woman he’s in love with loves him, too, and he’s on a plane that is about to fly three thousand miles away from her because… he’s scared of losing her?

Is this not losing her?

His library is on shuffle.

So when the next song is “Seven Nation Army,” Theo is on his feet. Most days, he isn’t sure what he believes about life, about love, about the point of their temporary time on this fucked-up planet. But every so often, he swears Lori sends him a sign. And right now? His mom is screaming at him.

Go.

Go.

Go.

Theo needs to get off this plane.

Right now.

He reaches for his carry-on in the overhead bin, then speed walks down the aisle, cursing under his breath because why did he choose a seat in the back of the plane?Who chooses the back?He has to get out of this metal tin before they close thedoor. He can’t leave without saying goodbye. He can’t leave without—

Fuck.

Theo’s so focused on the LEDEXITsign that he doesn’t register the body approaching until he crashes into it.

“Theodore?”

“Ev?”

He blinks.

Presses his two index fingers to his pulse because there’s a fifty percent chance that he’s having a stroke. There’s no way she’s here, dressed in leggings and his NYU sweatshirt that he swore he packed and yet she’s wearing it. Her hair is in a messy bun. Sweat coats her upper lip. She’s so beautiful. Evelyn reaches out to him, covers his heart with her hand until he can breathe again.

He hears the smile in her voice when she asks, “Where are you going?”

“I—” Theo exhales, still at a loss. “To you.”

You.

You.

You.

Evelyn beams at him before standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his and he still isn’t quite sure what is happening. If this is a fever dream or if he’s dead or—

Someone clears their throat. “Sir? Ma’am?” They break apart to make eye contact with a flustered flight attendant. “We’re preparing for takeoff. You, um, really need to take a seat. And keep it PG.”

Evelyn’s cheeks heat. “Sorry.”

Theo laughs. “Where are you?”

She smiles. “42B.”

The empty seat next to his.

Evelyn follows him to the back of the plane, and his heart settles becauseshe is here. Theo stores her bag in the overhead compartment and slides into the middle seat just as the cabin crew begins their safety spiel. Evelyn gets some major side-eye from their window seat companion, who scolds her for, quote,almost giving this sweet boy a heart attack!, then offers them both an edible. The plane smells like sour cream and onion chips. The child sitting behind Theo kicks him relentlessly after their parents tell them the iPad needs to go away until after takeoff.

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