Page 113 of The Fine Line
He slung an arm around me. “Oh, Rhett. I have so much to teach you.”
I’m not good at taking instruction,a voice whispered in theback of my mind. But I ignored it, mostly because I was too busy laughing for no reason.
“Okay then,” I chuckled.
Sid laughed too. “I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
twenty-seven
CAROLINE
Toronto, ON, CA
I don’t know what started first. The deep ache in my stomach. The tightness in my throat. The heat in my cheeks. But I’ve been dreading this flight back to Austin all morning.
The only thing keeping me going is knowing it’s the last bit of space I’ll have before I’m stuck alone with Rhett again.
At least the plane gives me a built-in buffer—and an excuse to throw on headphones and ignore him completely. I meant what I said at the end of our fight last night, and I intend to stick to it. He won’t be hearing my voice anytime soon.
I managed to avoid Rhett all morning, but now that we’re back in close quarters with everyone else, continuing to avoid him would only draw suspicion. And as much as I’d rather sit on the wing of the plane right now, sitting beside him is what people expect.
I take a steadying breath as I climb the stairs to the plane,bracing for him to already be seated, watching the door for me, ready to put on a show.
But when I step onto the plane, I spot him off to the left, tucked near the flight attendants, mid-conversation with one of the assistant coaches. They’re both waiting for the bathroom.
I don’t know what it is about the back of his head that sets me off, but before I know it, I’m speed-walking right past him. I spot his bag a few rows in, but I pretend I don’t see it and keep going. My pace only slows once I’m near the back of the plane, far enough away that it would take effort—intentionaleffort—for him to come sit beside me.
Let him make the walk if he cares that much.
I slide into a window seat, glancing back just in time to catch him shift like he sensed me pass. His head turns.
He spots me instantly. It’s obvious by the way his shoulders go rigid and his brows pull together as he continues listening to the coach.
Our eyes don’t quite meet, but then—he presses his lips into a flat line and turns his back.
I blink.
That’s it?
He’s not coming?
A sharp breath escapes me. “Well, fuck you too,” I mutter, ducking into the seat and crossing my arms.
I stare ahead, simmering. At Rhett for how he’s acted over this entire trip. At myself for giving a shit. At the world for what my life has become.
“You know, if I’m not supposed to be breathing in your direction, you probably shouldn’t sit right next to me.”
My head snaps to the left, and I find Mick sitting across the aisle.
“It wouldn’t be a problem if you didn’t talk to me,” I shoot back. “But if you can’t control yourself, maybe you should move.”
“If anyone here lacks willpower, Barrett, it’s you.”
I flinch—and I hate that he sees it. But that line is the final straw. I bite my lip hard, trying to hold in the emotion swelling in my throat—and to stop myself from blurting out the truth about me and Rhett. One more jab from Mick and it might all come spilling out.
I face forward, letting silence settle between us. Minutes pass. The captain comes over the speaker to announce takeoff. I fasten my seatbelt but otherwise remain still as the plane lifts into the sky.
I’m almost starting to relax when I hear Mick again.
