Page 93 of Come Fly with Me

“I think that’s going to be a little hard,” Sofia says, a finger pointing to something behind my back.

My eyes close slowly, and I don’t even have to turn around to know who’s standing there. I have to give him credit though. He let me cool down. And even though he’s tried to get in touch with me, he hasn’t shown up till now.

But I read into that so heavily. He’s avoiding me because he’s wrong, and he’s coming up with some convoluted lie. He’s avoiding me because he never really gave a shit. He’s avoiding me because he really is the asshole I’ve conjured up in my mind. Or he’s avoiding me because in the short time we’ve known each other, he knows me well enough to know I needed time.

I suck in a deep breath and turn around, and in that instant, I feel my knees go weak as I take in his beautiful face. Those sorrowful green eyes staring back at me.

“Do you have a minute?” he asks, and before I can answer, Sofia calls back that I definitely do.

“Girls, wait for me in the hangar. Start going over the gauges because I’m quizzing you when I get back.”

I walk over to Jake, arms crossed over my chest, trying not to let my anger boil over, but even more I’m trying not to let it slip through how much I miss him and how much my heart aches at seeing him right now.

He’s the first to speak, his voice cutting through and reminding me how soothing I once found it.

“There’s two sides to every story,” he starts.

“And you better not be a douchebag in both of them.”

Thirty-Two

Jake

Taylor stares back at me. Her face is hard, but her eyes betray her, revealing the hurt she feels. I so desperately want to pull her into my arms and somehow magically make all of this okay, but I know I can’t.

Behind her, the aspiring fighter pilot stands in a similar position, arms crossed, face hard, only she’s giving me the stink eye suggesting she’s not hurt, she’s pissed. But then she waves her hand at me, cocking a brow as if to say, “What are you waiting for, idiot?”

“Can we talk?” I ask, my gaze moving back to Taylor as I gesture to the table outside.

She nods and follows me over to it, both of us sitting on opposite sides of the table across from each other.

“You look like you wanna kick me in the nuts,” I say, offering her a small smile.

Taylor cocks a brow. “Is that why you put the table between us?”

I let out a small laugh. “I’ll come around there and let you do it if it’ll help you forgive me.”

I watch as she rests her elbows on the table, arms up and fingers locked together as she leans down and rests her chin on her hands. “And what exactly am I forgiving you for?” she asks, still not smiling. “Being married or lying to me about it?”

I exhale a hard breath. “Taylor, babe,” I say, not missing the way she flinches. “I’m really sorry, seriously, so fucking sorry.”

She takes a long, deep breath in, letting it out slowly as she stares back at me. “I trusted you, Jake,” she says, the words barely audible.

“I know,” I say, resting my hands on the table. “And I know how hard it is for you to do that. How much I’ve broken that trust now because I was so fucking stupid.”

Taylor stares at me, her face impassive, her mouth set in a firm line. I focus on her eyes, searching them for any sign that she believes me, that she can somehow forgive me. That she could possibly take me back and give me another chance.

“Are you going to tell me your side of the story then?” she asks, swallowing hard.

I nod, shuffling closer on the bench seat as I inch my hands closer to her. “Yes,” I say, my eyes locked with hers. “I’m going to tell you everything.”

Taylor nods, her tongue slipping out to wet her lips before she draws her bottom one between her teeth and waits for me to start.

So I take a deep breath and I do, knowing how much is riding on this.

“When I was in the Air Force,” I start, pausing for a second, because it’s been a long time since I told this story and I’m still not sure how it’s going to affect me. “I flew combat,” I say. “Iraq, Afghanistan, twice. Saw a lot of shit. Did a lot of shit,” I add, shrugging as if it’s no big deal, when it’s the total opposite. “I was a fucking mess when I got back.”

Taylor shifts in her seat now, lowering her hands to the table as her face softens a little. She doesn’t say anything though, just sits silently, waiting for me to keep talking.