Page 25 of In Flight

“Well, you’re wrong.”

“Okay.” He half shrugs. “I’m wrong.”

He doesn’t believe me, but at least he’s letting the topic drop. We spend the rest of the time until our descent into Boston quietly doing our own work in mostly good spirits. I occasionally sneak a few covert glances at him, and I catch him doing the same to me more than once.

It excites me. Makes me jittery.

But too guilty to fully enjoy it.

After we land and connect to the gate, we have to wait for the rest of the plane to deboard, and then he takes my suitcase down from the overhead compartment like normal before he gets his own.

When we walk up the ramp and into the airport, we stand looking at each other for a minute.

“Okay,” he says at last, squaring his shoulders and turning toward the hall that leads to the exit. “I can do it.”

“Do what?”

“Break up with Sophie.”

“What?” I’m so shocked that the one word comes out as a squeak.

He frowns down at me like he’s confused. “Why are you surprised? We talked about this last week. It’s not right to string her along when I’m not all in.” He shakes his head, looking at a spot in the air over my right shoulder. “And I’m not all in.”

“Oh.”

He frowns down at me. “Didn’t you break up with Cash?”

“No! Why would you assume that?”

“Because we talked about it.”

“We talked about it in theory. We didn’t make a breakup pact or anything like that.”

He’s gotten stiffer. His jaw muscles ripple. “You didn’t break up with him?”

“No. I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, and I never act unless I’m sure.”

“Of course it’s the right thing to do. You’re not into him any more than I’m into Sophie. Why are you dragging the relationship out like that?”

I’m getting upset now. Both resentful at his presumptions and guilty because part of me knows he’s right. “I told you. I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do is.”

“You’re sure. You just prefer to have the security blanket.” His tone is sharp the way I haven’t heard at all today. Until now.

“Cash is not a security blanket!”

“Okay. If you say so.” His eyes are narrowed as he looks down at me. He’s not happy with me. “Anyway, I’m going to break up with Sophie because I’m sure it’s the right thing to do. And I’m sure partly because you convinced me of it. So maybe you should take your own advice.”

I’m angry now. Not as much at his words as at his smug, condescending tone. I’m about to snap back at him, but he turns away from me.

Walks away.

Just like that. Without another word.

He walks away from me.

---