Page 91 of Love to Defy You
Gretchen appears with a bottle of water on a cocktail tray, and Enzo snatches it to unscrew the cap. He raises the bottle to my lips and tips my head back, cradling my neck in his palm.
I swallow a sip of water, then wave him off. “It’s fine. I can do it.”
“Do you need a minute before we get off?”
I snatch the bottle from him and gulp the water down. “No, I’m ready to get out of here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice plane, but I need some fresh air.”
The tension in his face relaxes. “Don’t worry, you won’t hurt the plane’s feelings.” He offers me his hand and pulls me to my feet, but once I’m standing, his hand remains wrapped around mine.
Did I really sit on his lap and sob my eyes out? The way he held me as I cried was so intimate, and guilt forms a knot in my stomach.
I yank my hand out of Enzo’s and grab my phone. When I switch it from airplane mode, a text message from my father pops up, as well as one from Prisha, but nothing from Alek.
It’s after nine o’clock in Zurich.
“What time were they going to let Alek go home?” I ask.
“Let’s see...” Enzo checks his watch. “About an hour ago.”
It’s possible Alek hasn’t gotten home yet, but wouldn’t he call me as soon as he’s able to? Bile rises in my throat, and I grip the seat to steady myself. Before another panic attack comes along, I close my eyes and take deep breaths through my nose.
Enzo places a hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”
After a moment, I manage to suppress the bile and open my eyes. “I’m good. Let’s go.”
We climb down from the plane onto the tarmac. Night has settled over Olininburg, and even though it’s April, the nights are still rather chilly. I shove my hands into the pockets of my zip-up hoodie and climb down the stairs where our bags are waiting.
Olininburg has a small airport, and since it’s so late, we’re the only people at customs. We get our passports stamped and head into the arrivals area.
“Do you need a ride anywhere?” Enzo asks. “I don’t think you should take a taxi by yourself this late at night.”
“Uh, no, I’m good. I called my dad and let him know I was taking a later flight. He’s picking me up.” I give him a tight smile and stare at my sneakers.
Heavy silence falls between us, and I chew my bottom lip. He doesn’t make any move to leave, and neither do I. It feels weird to say goodbye after he talked me through a panic attack and let me fall asleep in his arms.
He kicks a small pebble on the floor between our feet, hands in his pockets. As I stare at him, I can’t reconcile the fact that this awkward guy is a cold-blooded killer. And what he did for me on the plane was, dare I say, sweet.
However, I’m mad at him for showing me that photo. If I had my way, he’d take it back and I’d pretend I never saw it.
“Well, thanks for the ride.” God, I sound lame.
He nods. “Of course. Let me know what time you want to leave on Sunday, and I’ll make the arrangements for the plane.”
I shouldn’t take him up on his offer. The lines between us are so blurred now, and a better person would let him down easy instead of leading him on even more.
But I’m not a better person. I’m flawed and fucked-up and a selfish cocktease.
That picture of Alek and the prostitute is branded permanently on the inside of my eyelids, and every time I blink, I see them with their hands on each other.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” I say. “I’ll text you.”
Enzo takes a step forward. “Willow, I—“
“Willow!”
I jump back from Enzo faster than I’ve ever moved in my life. When I whirl around, my dad is walking toward us through the empty airport, waving at me with a broad grin. I wave back with a thin smile.
My dad reaches us and wraps me in a tight hug, and there’s something about his safe, familiar embrace that makes me break. I clutch the back of his shirt and slump in his arms, and my tears fall onto his chest.
