Page 37 of Time to Bounce

She followed me, her fingers going to the door to wrap around it.

I started toward my bike, ready to roll it down the road to hide it in a different spot before I made my way back, but her voice stopped me cold.

“Gable?”

I looked over to her as I was about to step out the door. “Yes?”

“Are you sure you can’t come?” she asked softly.

Too softly.

“I can’t,” I apologized, trying not to let my frustration with the situation leech into my voice. “I have to work.”

The look on her face would haunt me for the rest of my life. “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll just leave the itinerary here, just in case.” She smiled, holding it out to me. “I’ll see you around, Gable.”

I felt like I’d just kicked a puppy, but I took the paper anyway.

I looked down at the piece of paper that showed her entire itinerary for the two weeks she and Gavrel had planned out for Japan.

And I was tempted.

I was so tempted to drop everything and leave with her.

But I couldn’t go. I wouldn’t rest until Madman was behind bars.

Your boyfriend looks like he asks Auto Zone to change the wiper blades.

—Athena’s secret thoughts

ATHENA

“Ma’am.” The flight attendant came up to me, her eyes smiling. “I have a family here,” she pointed to a mom, dad, and three kids. The kids were all teenagers by the looks of it. Older teens at that. “They would like to sit together, but to do that, they’d need to take your seat.”

I nodded. “Where is the seat I’d be taking?” I went to grab my bag.

“24B.” The dad handed over his boarding pass.

I didn’t take it.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, dropping my arm. “I just assumed the seat I’d be taking was in first class. Unfortunately, I won’t be switching. I had to upgrade a lot of airline miles to get this first-class seat.”

Almost all of them, actually.

The man looked at me dumbfounded, surprised I’d told him no.

“But how will my kids sit with us?” the mother asked, pointing at the three sullen teens behind her.

“Well,” I suggested. “You could possibly go sit in coach and leave the three kids up here to sit with one parent. That way they’re not back there alone.”

The woman didn’t like that answer at all.

I didn’t give a fuck.

If that seat had been in first class, I would’ve been the first one to trade seats.

I would’ve offered up my second seat, but I called the airline last night and explained my situation, and she’d given me a full refund for Gavrel’s ticket.

I was all alone.

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