by Krista Lakes
His words only solidified that what she was going to do was the right thing. This wasn't a good match. She was too clingy right now. He didn't need her craziness.
“I know,” she said softly.
“You know? Then why do you do it?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There's a plane missing. It was supposed to land in Denver, and it didn't,” she explained calmly. “It was on the news, and I freaked out. I thought it was your plane.”
The silence on the other end was deafening.
“I'm sorry, Laura,” he said after a moment. “I'm fine. My plane is fine. It wasn't me. Everything is fine.”
“I know that now,” she said. She paused. There was something in his tone that felt off. “Are you sure everything is fine? You sound... different.”
He sighed. “Can we meet? I should talk to you about something.”
His words made her heart sink. Those were never good words to hear from the person you were dating. They were actually the words she wanted to say to him.
“The kids are home,” she said. “I can't go anywhere, but you're welcome to come here.”
“I'll be there in fifteen minutes,” he told her, and then he hung up.
Laura stared at her phone and felt the tears well up in her eyes. This felt like the beginning of the end. This wasn't going to end with rainbows and sunshine. No one was going to end up happy after they had the conversation that was coming. They would hurt, but hopefully, it would be a quick pain instead of an unsurvivable one.
Was she going to do the right thing? She wasn't sure. Then, she wiped her cheeks and thought of the fear that had just gripped her heart for the past twenty minutes. She thought of the terror she'd just experienced thinking he was gone. She couldn't do that anymore.
It was going to hurt. But, maybe it should hurt now so that there could be rainbows and sunshine later.
Chapter 34
Ethan
Ethan let out a long slow breath as the car pulled out onto the highway. He was doing his best not to be angry, but it was hard. It was hard not to be frustrated when she messaged him so constantly. Laura was so amazing in every other way, but her fear of him flying was the one thing that he did not enjoy about her.
He stared out the window, watching the mountains to the west rise and dip into the horizon. He knew that he would have texted her too if their positions had been reversed and he'd seen the news on the missing plane. It was just that there were so many messages. He had so many issues on his plate between the R&D department problems and now Janie stalking him and sending him death threats. Getting a million messages telling him to call her was not helpful.
He pulled up his phone and checked the news. The other plane was a small personal aircraft, not nearly as nice as his was, but he could see how she would be worried. Luckily, the other plane had landed without injuries. It just had serious electrical issues and had shorted out several systems, making them late and difficult to communicate with.
He closed his phone and leaned back against the car seat. She was going to be upset and worked up because of this. He needed to tell her that it wasn't safe to be around him right now because of Janie. He didn't know what Janie would do if he saw the two of them together now. She could get seriously hurt because of him, and he would never forgive himself if she did.
The muscle in his jaw tightened. What about the kids? He could easily see Janie targeting Dallas and Ivy because they were Laura's. Janie wanted to hurt him, and right now, the easiest way to do that was through Laura. Janie had already disrupted his relationship with her once already. What would she do now that they really were together?
He didn't like thinking about it.
How was he going to keep Laura and the kids safe? What would he do if anything happened to them? He felt responsible now, and it was a lot of commitment. He needed to step back. He needed to slow down so they wouldn't get hurt.
“Take a right here,” he said to one of his new security guards. Pete and Joe were a lot less chatty than Craig, but they seemed good at their jobs, so Ethan didn't mind. He hoped Craig was enjoying some time off while Pete and Joe drove him around. “It's the little townhouse on the left.”
The car pulled to a stop on the street outside her home. He looked out at it. It was just a small townhouse squished between two others. There were two small aspen trees growing in the front yard, framing the view of the mountains. It was quiet and safe, but with Janie on the loose, he wasn't sure just how safe it was anymore. He didn't want to tell her this, but it had to be done.
“Wait here,” he instructed the two guards as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Sir?” Pete asked, unbuckling his seat belt to follow.
“I'll be right at the door.” Ethan motioned toward Laura's house. “If I go inside, you may come in. Until then, just wait in the car.”
“Sir, I don't think that's the best idea,” Pete replied.
Ethan rolled his eyes. “Are you really worried someone is going jump out from behind the tree and get me?” He motioned to the tree. A cat couldn't hide in the tree without being seen.
Pete sat back down. “We'll wait here for you, sir.”
“Thank you,” Ethan replied, turning away and walking up to her front door. Each step felt heavier than the last. He was freaking exhausted, and all he wanted to do was go to his hotel and sleep for a week, but he needed to talk to her. She didn't sound right on the phone. The closer he got to the door, the worse he felt about what was going to happen next.
He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened before he could make any noise. Laura held a finger up to her lips.
“I'll be right outside guys,” she said. He could see Ivy and Dallas watching a movie. They were mesmerized and barely responded that they'd heard her. She stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her.
She wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at him. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying. Guilt pulled at him.
“You have bad news, don't you?” she asked, breaking the silence between them.
“How can you tell?”
“You get this line between your eyebrows and your shoulders tense up when you don't like something,” she explained. She motioned to his body. “You're standing aggressively. If you were a horse, I'd be worried you were going to kick me. Or bite.”
He consciously tried to relax his shoulders and found it harder than he expected. “I'm not going to bite,” he assured her.
“So what's the matter?” she asked. Her voice was soft like she already expected the worst.
He sighed. He'd practiced in his head, but now he wasn't sure what to say. He started out with the easier intro to what was bothering him.
“Part of it is work,” he replied. “Things are a lot more complicated. The California office needs me, and the R&D opening is having issues. Carter will be able to help, but...”
“But you need to be going back and forth,” she finished. She lips thinned. “You have to fly more.”
He nodded. She glanced around like she was looking for strength and her arms tightened around her.
“I can't handle that,” she said softly. “I can't handle you flying all the time.”
“Laura...”
“No, I know that it's stupid,” she said, holding up a hand. “I know that it's irrational and that there are people with way riskier jobs. I know that. But I also know that when you get on that plane, the only thing I can think about is how I lost two people that cared about me most in this world.”
“Flying is safe,” he replied. He didn't know what else to say.
“I know. Believe me, I know,” she said. “Did you know the odds of being killed on a flight are 1 in 29.4 million? The odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 960,000. I was thirty times more likely to be hit by lightning than have just one of my parents die in a plane crash. I won the unlucky lottery not just once, but twice.”
“I can't change that,” he replied, f
eeling the need to defend himself. She was worked up and blaming him for something he couldn't do anything about. It wasn't fair.
“I know that,” she snapped. “But it's still there.”
“You know this isn't healthy, right?” He wanted to throw up his arms and yell at her to get over it. That she needed to move on with her life. She needed to confront her fear and live in the real world. This was irrational and insane. It wasn't good for her or the kids.
Her nostrils flared. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “I can't lose any more people. And yes, I get that planes are safe, and almost no one dies in them. I get that. But it happened. And lightning usually strikes the same place every time. That's why lightning rods work. I am a lightning rod.”
He rolled his eyes. He should have gone to the hotel and taken a nap before this. He wasn't in the right state of mind to be having this conversation, but it was too late now. He could feel his blood pressure rising.
“It sounds like you've made up your mind,” he replied. He could tell what she was doing. She was going to end things. She couldn't handle his job, so she was going to push him away. He didn't know how to change her mind.
“I think we need to take a break,” she said, carefully forming each word. “We need to slow things down.”
He clenched his fists and then relaxed them. She wasn't in a rational place right now. She was still upset about the airplane going missing. He shouldn't have pushed it today. He should have just gone to the hotel.
“This isn't what I want, Laura,” he said. “Can we talk about this later? When we're both calmer?”
“I am calm,” she replied. “This is what I want. It's what's best for the kids. They saw that plane on the TV and freaked out. They didn't even know you were flying today. If they did, I don't know what they would have done.”
“The plane crash was a freak accident,” he told her. “It almost never happens.”
“One in 29.4 million,” she told him. She shook her head. “Once things are settled at your work, we can try again. Until then, I can't have you flying and scaring them and me. It's not going to work.”
Panic at losing her clawed at his chest. “Laura, I care about you.”
“I know. And I care about you,” she whispered. “That's the problem.”
He hated the way his throat was tightening. He had to do something.
He kissed her. He didn't think, he just pressed his lips against hers, hoping that he could convey the depth of his feelings through the motion. He didn't have the words to tell her how he felt, so he showed her.
She pushed him away and wiped at her mouth. “That's not what I want, Ethan,” she told him. Her voice wasn't angry. If anything it was sad. “I want a break. I want to not worry about you, and I don't want to have to explain to Ivy and Dallas where you are. I don't want to lie and tell them that you're not on a plane.”
His heart cracked. He didn't want to lose her. Not like this. He thought he was going to lose her because of Janie, but this?
Janie. The thought hit him hard. If Janie thought they were broken up, she would leave Laura alone. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. If Janie thought that Laura wasn't a threat, she would focus only on him. Laura would be safe.
He looked up into Laura's sad green eyes and knew what he had to do. He had to keep her safe. He had to push her away.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, his heart already breaking.
She swallowed hard but met his eyes. “Yes. I can't do this.”
His heart shattered, but he knew it would keep her safer this way. At least until Janie was found and taken care of. He took a step away from her and lowered his eyes.
“I respect your decision,” he said softly. “We'll take a break.”
Her lower lip quivered, and he nearly lost his nerve.
“I'm sorry, Ethan.” She swallowed hard.
“Me too,” he replied. He took a deep breath and looked around. “Say goodbye to the kids for me.”
And with that, he turned and walked away. He wasn't a safe person for her to be around. He needed to keep them safe, and this was the most efficient way. He'd make sure it leaked to the papers, and he'd have Pete and Joe tell Bruce to spread the word.
He felt like sobbing as he walked back to the car. He would fix everything as soon as he could, but for right now, he was protecting her. He walked away without looking back. There was no reason to be here now.
Chapter 35
Laura
Laura walked into Sandy's and was glad to see the place was mostly empty. It wasn't quite lunchtime yet, so the usual crowds weren't there. She'd dropped the kids off for their last day at school and headed over to the one place she knew would have comfort food and a friend.
“Hey you,” Elena greeted her from the bar as she walked up. Elena's smile faded as she looked at Laura. “What's the matter?”
“I think I broke up with Ethan,” Laura told her. The words felt like daggers driving into her heart.
“What?” Elena asked. She quickly walked around the bar and wrapped her friend up in a hug. “What happened?”
“I freaked out because he was on an airplane,” Laura explained. “Like super freaked.”
“Okay...” Elena let her go, motioning to two bar stools. Together they sat down to talk. “How did that lead to you two breaking up?”
Laura shrugged. It sounded stupid now, but she still felt mad about the whole thing. “He's going to be traveling a lot,” she explained. “He has to go back and forth between here and California. I can't handle it. I lose it just thinking about what could happen on the plane.”
“You know planes are safe, right?” Elena asked. “He's fine.”
“Oh, your right,” Laura replied, putting as much sarcasm into her voice as she could without snarling. “Soooo safe. By the way, how are your parents, Elena?”
“Whoa, Laura,” Elena held up her hands defensively. “I'm not trying to attack you.”
Laura sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “I know. Sorry.”
“It's okay,” Elena assured her. “So you told him this?”
Laura nodded. “Yeah. I told him we needed to take a break. That we were going too fast.”
“Okay. How'd he respond?” Elena asked.
“He kissed me,” Laura replied. “He said he didn't want to take a break. But, I made it clear that was what was happening.”
“Then what?” Elena asked. Laura couldn't read her expression.
“He said okay and left. He just walked off. It was two days ago, and he hasn't called me or anything,” Laura told her. Her throat tightened, and she played with a napkin left on the bar. “Did I do the right thing?”
“Did you do the right thing?” Elena snorted. “You pushed away a great guy you not only thinks you're the bee's knees, but he also doesn't care that you have kids. He actually likes your kids. Not to mention he's got a good job, to put it mildly.”
Laura's mouth dropped open. This was not the reaction she was expecting from her friend.
“And you're telling me that you gave him up because he gets on a plane once in a while?” Elena continued. “There are way, way more dangerous jobs out there that deserve this reaction. The problem is all in your head, Laura.”
Anger flared up in Laura's chest, hot and fierce. She crumpled the napkin and wished she had the power to light it on fire with her mind.
“You know I love you, Laura,” Elena said shaking her head. “But I don't think this was the right move.”
Laura got up, nearly knocking the bar stool over in her fury. She couldn't believe her friend was betraying her like this. She needed support, not criticism.
“Fine. You don't get it either,” Laura spat, grabbing her purse and heading to the door. She threw open the door as hard as she could and stormed outside. She didn't need this. She already felt terrible. The last thing she needed was someone telling her she was wrong.
Tears stung at her eyes as she looked f
or her car. She couldn't remember where she parked.
“Laura! Laura, come back,” Elena called, hurrying out of the restaurant after her. She stood in front of Laura with her hands open. “I'm trying to be a friend, but I'm coming across as a bitch, and I'm sorry. Honestly, I'm sorry, Laura.”
Laura's lower lip shook, and a tear snuck down her face. “He hasn't called me.”
Elena hugged her close. “Oh, honey. I'm so sorry.”
“I think you're right, Elena,” Laura whispered into her friend's shoulder. She was glad Elena hadn't released her from the hug yet. She needed to be held. “I think I screwed up.”
Elena hugged her tighter. “It'll be okay. You'll see. I know he cares about you.”
Laura sniffled. “I'm still terrified I'm going to lose him,” she admitted. “I'm not ready for this, Elena. I don't want to feel all of this.”
“Oh, Laura.” Elena rubbed her back. “Come back inside. I'll buy you a drink.”
“That would be good,” Laura said, letting Elena go and wiping her face. She tried to smile, but it still came out as weepy.
“I'll buy you two drinks,” Elena said, putting her hand on Laura's shoulder and guiding her back inside the empty restaurant. “Then you can tell me how horrible he is, and this time I promise to agree with you and tell you that all men are pigs.”
Laura chuckled and wiped at her face again. “You got any ice cream?”
“I have a whole freezer full,” Elena promised, holding open the door. “Come on.”
Elena held the door for Laura and brought her back to the bar. She hurried around to the serving side and quickly started making up a drink.
“So, I bet he left the toilet seat up, didn't he?” Elena asked. “Men are terrible.”
Laura chuckled and took the drink when Elena handed it to her. “The worst,” she agreed. “The absolute worst.”
Chapter 36
Laura
“Bye, guys! Have fun! Love you!” Laura waved to the kids as the car pulled away. She could see Ivy and Dallas waving back, as well as Grandma and Grandpa. The two kids were off to spend the weekend with their grandparents. Laura had forgotten about it completely until Grandma had called and asked what time to pick them up.