Page 29 of Fighting With Light
Unknown: All you have to do is ask
Aelia: Yeah because you’re going to tell me everything
Unknown: Just because I said you can ask doesn’t mean I’ll give you all the answers. But I learned that you are twenty-nine years old and you’ve never had a long-term relationship. I think thewhyis relatively obvious. You have a heart of gold. You give to others when no one is looking, but I was. You sacrifice for your mom and brothers even if you can’t stand to be around your father.
You have no friends except for Violet Ferreira because you don’t want to get too close to people. Your eyes explode when I put my hand around your neck. You gasp when I push you up against the wall and you like it. And for some reason, you want to trust me, but you won’t let yourself do it, so you’re using your body to get closer to me, but you’re mad because I won’t give you what you want, and you always get whatyou want.
But you’re learning you won’t with me…
Yet you’re still coming back to me.
I stare at his words, reading them repeatedly. There is a part of me that should be disturbed. I should get off this plane and toss my phone, but he would find me. There is no doubt in my mind he would find me.
Aelia: The plane is about to take off.
Unknown: I’ll be waiting
I take a long, deep breath, relax back into the comfortable seat, and take my mimosa, tossing the entire thing back.
I think I just stepped on a landmine.
13
Aelia
The plane lands andI roll to the bathroom to pee before looking for Liam. After I finish my business, I look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t put makeup on. My hair is in a messy bun. I’m wearing black leggings and a sweatshirt that hangs off my shoulder. I always take my carry-on with a couple of changes of clothes just in case they lose my suitcase. Feeling the sudden urge to look presentable, I go back into a stall to change.
Luckily, I packed a black dress and shorts with a shirt because it’s so warm. I undress, tossing my other clothes in the suitcase, and slip the black dress over my head with buttons running up the front. I unbutton a few at the bottom and the top, then tighten the thin belt in the center. I undo my hair so it looks more like I spent some time at the beach, and then throw on a bit of mascara and blush.
After I’m done, I look for baggage claim. This airport is pretty big, so it takes me a minute to get downstairs to where my suitcase will be.
Finally, I find the escalator because everything is half Portuguese and English and I’m only fluent in English and Italian. I stand on the stairs as they bring me down to the level and find Liam standing there with a sign that saysprincesson it and my suitcase already next to him.
Unable to hide my smile, I step off the moving stairs and walk over to him. I want to throw myself into his arms, but we aren’t like that, right? We barely know each other, but I feel so drawn to him. I have from the first time I saw him in Bali. He makes me feel weak because I’ve never felt this way towards someone. I don’t enjoy the feeling, but around him, I can’t help it. What he did was ameans to protect his family, and I understand it. I’m over it, and maybe I’m just as unhinged as he is.
Whatever the case, I may have met my match in my enemy, who isn’t really my enemy at all.
He stares at me and I meet his perceptive eyes. “Did you get dressed up for me, princess?”
I purse my lips at him. “You’re a creep.”
He chuckles. “I thought I was unhinged.”
“That too,” I mumble.
He opens his arms and gestures down to his chest like I’m already supposed to be there. I hesitate and he grabs my wrist, yanking me into his firm body.
“Hey, partner in crime, how was the flight?”
I lay my head on his chest and breathe his scent of ocean and sunscreen.
“It was fine.”
“Good. This is your bag, right?”
I nod against his chest.
“Come on, we have about an hour in the car.” He drops his arms and holds his hand out while his other hand holds the sign and the handle to my suitcase.
