Page 88 of A Sky Full Of Stars

I shake off the panic ready to rise to the surface and instead nervously chuckle to myself. “Sorry, I’m not her.”And I almost did the same thing with you.

Luke curses again before a loud knocking cuts into the call, and he yells out her name. “Lainey. Open the door.”

He’s there.The panic I was expecting comes out in Luke’s tone, making my shoulders tense as the blood drains from my body. “Luke, what’s going on?” I repeat.

“She won’t answer her door. I called her this morning and she wasn’t in a good place, said something about Jaiton, and now…fuck. Please, Lainey. I know you’re in there.”

Everything I’ve been feeling for the past few months fades away to make way for a new emotion. Fear. “What do you mean she wasn’t in a good place?”

Without waiting for his answer, I rush to find the service desk within the lounge, pushing my way through the thick crowds hovering near the food, only stopping when I’m standing in line.

Luke ignores me as he seemingly tries to demolish Lainey’s door, but I don’t hang up. I’m just as invested as he is.

“Have you tried calling her again?” I ask stupidly as I bounce on my toes, impatiently waiting for my turn.

“Of course I have,” Luke snaps, and I’d apologize for even asking, but I have no idea what else to do and I can’t donothing. I keep listening for any signs of Lainey, but when the desk in front of me clears, I mute Luke’s call and step forward, handing over my identification, Luke all but forgotten.

“I need to change my flight. I’ll pay anything you want and I’ll take any seat.”

“Of course, sir. Where do you need to go?”

“San Francisco.”

***

A few hours later, when we touch down at San Francisco airport, my jaw is locked so tight from anxiously gritting my teeth, it’s painful to move. Grabbing my phone, I text Lainey as we taxi along the runway, crossing my fingers as I will her to respond. She never answered the door for Luke, and his panic has me worried.

Thomas: I’m in San Francisco. Can I see you?

I skip the pleasantries, hoping my direct questioning will garner a direct reply. I’m past the point of patience. Even though I’d been rushed onto a flight, I’d still tried to call her as I ran to the gate, but just like with Luke, she didn’t answer, and now I’m anxious to know she’s okay.

Once again, Lainey doesn’t respond, so when the seatbelt sign turns off, I jump up and grab my bag, determined to find her. Even if that means talking to Luke. As I wait for the doors to open, I consider giving him a call when a message comes through.

LLS: Are you okay? Where are you?

I physically deflate as the anxious energy leaves my body.I’m okay now.She’s not ignoring me. She may not have called me back, but at least she’s responding.

Thomas: I’m still on the tarmac. Give me an hour and I’ll be wherever you want me to be.

The three dots appear as the plane starts to empty, but I wait until I’ve seen her response before I move, my eyes locked on the screen.

LLS: I’ll come to you. Send me the details and I’ll pick you up.

Chapter Thirty-One

Lainey

My passenger door flies open before I’ve even put the car in park, and I jump as Thomas slides into the car.

We exchange brief hellos and then Thomas sinks back into the headrest, his hand wrapping around my thigh as his eyes fall closed. He squeezes my leg as he releases a long slow breath, and to anyone passing by, you’d swear he’d just taken a hit of something.

“Fuck, you’ve had me worried,” he says, opening his eyes to buckle his seatbelt, his gaze zeroing in on my hair. “We’ll come back to this,” he adds with a curious expression. “But first, are you okay?”

What?My own curious expression meets his as I try to decide whether he’s preemptively keeping the topic off his game or if it’s more than that.

“I’m good, thanks. Areyouokay? The game—”

Thomas reaches over and presses his finger to my lips, cutting off my words. “Nope. That’s over. Today’s another day. And I want to know aboutyou.” The intensity of his eyes suggests he’s asking about something specific, but I have no idea what he thinks he knows or where it’s come from.Maybe I look like shit?God knows, I feel it.

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