Page 13 of Love at First Flight

A scent of spicy sage and citrus hit his nose, a smell he felt he’d been missing since... it was there on the tip of his brain. “Selah?”

She froze, a pink blush sweeping across her skin.

“Oh my God. Captain Selah?” It was her. Sure, she’d look different from the last time he’d seen her. With her face and hair completely uncovered, he could see she was... well, she was cute and, also, definitely cooler than him.

“You can just call me Selah,” she responded quietly.

He had a moment of absolute satisfaction at solving the mystery but, with this knowledge came the rush of memories from his failed proposal. Because he couldn’t remember Selah without also being reminded of the absolute rejection he’d experienced in her presence. The humiliation was a constant stab to his gut. And it wasn’t because he was pining over Ava. It was more that he’d been foolish for getting so wrapped up in the idea of marriage and had made the biggest blunder of his life and—

Selah had known.

She had recognized him because, despite her weak attempt at an explanation, she’d called him by name. Maybe his first humiliation she’d witnessed was happenstance and not her fault, but she couldn’t say the same about this time around. She’d let him stand there, looking foolish, pretending he was mistaken in his impression that there was a familiarity between them and—

He was done. He wasn’t doing this again, not with someone who’d continue letting him believe in something that wasn’t true at all, as though he needed to be protected or gaslighted. He wasn’t living in that type of world anymore.

“How’s, um, everything going with you?” Her brow lifted sympathetically, and it made him feel worse. Did she feel sorry for him? His heartbreak probably made for a diverting story to tell passengers on her other trips.

“No. We’re not doing this.”

Her lips stretched into a frown. “But I wasn’t... I’m sorry.”

“Your five minutes are up. Get out of the brush.” He strode away determinedly, returning to the path and away from her. Logically, he knew his aggravation and anger were misdirected, but he’d been holding it all in. He hadn’t had any other place to direct it.

When the van had returned to the farmhouse parking area after the failed proposal, Ava had gotten in her car and disappeared like a ghost. She hadn’t even responded when he called to remind her they had driven together and she had abandoned him without any transportation. He was about to call some kind of car service when Selah’s mom had been nice enough to give him a ride to Smith Rock, where he could bum a ride from one of his coworkers to take him home. He’d never felt so low and humiliated in his life and, for some reason, this moment with Selah was a close second. He couldn’t escape her fast enough.

*

“Are you brooding?”Jon asked later that afternoon.

“No,” Dex lied, because hewasbrooding as he leaned against a post, staring at nothing in particular and rubbing his jawline. It didn’t hurt anymore, but it was more of a phantom feeling from some past connection. He’d never understood brooding before, but it turned out he was a natural at it.

“There’s a new brewery that opened up in Redmond. Let’s go check it out after work.” His coworker gave him an encouraging slap on the back as though this would snap him from his funk.

“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to go home.” Dex wasn’t in the mood to socialize. Between going out and staying home to brood, the latter one was the more appealing choice.

Except Jon didn’t listen and dragged him out to Bottlecap Brewery, anyway.

“You always rush home. What’s so special about today?” Dex asked as Jon ordered another house IPA.

Dex had never been much of a drinker and when he did drink, it was usually a single beer, but they were in Redmond, near his home. Turns out, brooding and booze went well together. He’d ordered a rum and Coke, drank it quickly, and then ordered another. If he had to socialize, this was the only way he was going to get there. He’d worry about getting home in an Uber later.

“Nothing’s special. One of Steph’s cousins just had an operation, so she went up to Warm Springs to help her, and she took the kids with her.”

“So, you’re living it up while the wife is away?” Dex asked, then took a huge gulp from his glass.

“No. I just don’t like going home to an empty house. It’s lonely and... Hey, man, I’m sorry.” Jon raised his hands, apparently realizing he’d treaded onto a sensitive subject with that statement.

It was reminiscent of their wedding conversation many months before, except it was Dex who had been complaining about an empty house and being lonely. He finished the rest of his drink and ordered another.

“You doing okay?” his friend asked, eyeing the empty glasses in front of Dex.

“Yeah, fine. Why?” There was a short pause before he rambled with, “Do you know I’ve never broken up with a girl?”

“What? Never?”

“Nope, all four of them broke up with me, and I never saw it coming. Not one time. What do you think—” He was about to discuss this further when a glance at the door had him reacting by placing his glass in front of his face, like this was going to provide some type of concealing coverage. His brain, already getting fuzzy from the alcohol, slowly realized this wasn’t going to hide him, and he then made a half-hearted attempt to turn his shoulder as a way to shield his body. “Shit. Did she see me?”

Jon gave him a funny look before turning toward the brewery entrance. “Who? Ava?”

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