Page 26 of The Stunt
Just as I hit send, my phone dies.Fuck.I’ll just buy a portable charger when we get to the airport.
Gripping tightly to the armrests, I prepare to land in the wind and rain.
MAVERICK
“Please,” I beg the pilot. “My girlfriend is in trouble, and I need to get to Scranton. I know you can re-route us.”
He gives me a sympathetic look. “Mr. Moran, I understand your concern, but it’s not on our flight route and it wouldn’t be smart to fly into rainy weather unnecessarily. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” I grumble, as he turns back toward the cockpit.
I’m terrified for Bella’s safety after receiving her text. I’ve replied about a hundred times, trying to figure out what’s going on, but she hasn’t said a word. Even my calls are going to her voicemail. They could just be landing because they can’t get into New York. Or there could be an actual emergency. It doesn’t make sense that I can’t get ahold of her. If it were just a routine landing to wait out the weather in New York, she’d be answering me. Updating me. Every bad scenario runs through my head as I fist my hands into my hair and tug. I just need to know she’s okay.
As I begin to spiral, my phone rings. I grab it off the table quickly, hoping to see Bella’s name, but it’s Twyla. “Tell me she’s safe,” I bark into the receiver.
“What? Who?” she replies, confused.
“Bella!” I yell. “She texted saying they were making an emergency landing and now she isn’t answering my calls and texts. I need to know she’s ok.” My hands are shaking as I stand and start pacing the aisle. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tanner getting up from his seat and heading toward the front of the plane, but I’m too busy freaking the fuck out to see where he’s going.
“Maverick, relax. I’m sure she’s fine,” she says, her nonchalance pissing me the fuck off.
I seethe. “Twyla, I fuckinglove her. For real. This isn’t fucking fake anymore. I need to know she’s safe!Now!”I don’t normally raise my voice to her, but her dismissal is making me fume. I feel like a wild animal, and nobody is listening to me.
“Okay,” she says, her voice softening. “I’ll find her for you. It’s going to be alright. Let me make some calls.”
“Thank you,” I say, nerves making my voice break as I end the call and wait for someone to tell me that Bella is safe.
SIXTEEN
BELLA
“What do you mean,I can’t get off the plane?” I ask the flight attendant as we sit, unmoving, on the runway. We’ve been sitting here almost an hour and I just want to get off.
She gives me a sympathetic look. “Because of all the grounded flights in New York, there’s more traffic here than normal. Security is concerned about the risks associated with you going into the airport. They weren’t prepared for you.” I curse myself for telling Carlo to take an earlier flight so I could have him ready to get me home when I got to JFK. Now I’m stuck on this plane while we wait for the green light to take off again.
“Are there any extra iPhone chargers on the plane?” I ask. “I’m sure my boyfriend is worried, and I want to let him know I’m on the ground and safe.”
She scrunches her nose. “I don’t think so, but let me ask.”
“Thank you,” I say as she turns and walks toward the front of the plane. I think for a split second that I could just ask one of the staff to use their phones, but thanks to the digital age, I don’t know any phone numbers off the top of my head. So, I sit back in my seat and close my eyes. I take a few calming breaths, but Ican’t stop the worry that washes over me when I remember that Maverick could’ve been flying into bad weather, too.
I’m startled when the flight attendant returns. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an iPhone charger, but the co-pilot has to go inside because the rain is messing with the radio connection, so he’s going to see if he can get you one in there.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much,” I say as the co-pilot opens the passenger exit and waits for the airstairs to lower. He nods his head once before leaving the plane. My knee bounces as I’m left alone to worry about Maverick and how I’ll get home to him. I miss him so much already. My stomach twists as I think about it, and I can’t help the moisture that fills my eyes.
I try to collect myself, blinking rapidly with my head tilted up to combat the tears that are threatening to run down my cheeks.
“Sir, I can’t let you on the plane,” says a male voice from outside.
“Fuck you! I need to see my girlfriend!”
I jump from my seat, running to the door to see Maverick shoving past the co-pilot and taking the stairs two at a time. I’m stunned silent, unable to move as I try to figure out if what I’m seeing is real. He walks through the door, and I look up at him, blinking but still not able to form words. He closes the space between us in two large steps and grabs ahold of my face before crashing his mouth to mine. When his tongue pushes forcefully against my lips, I open for him, letting him take what he needs. His hands slide down my body, gripping my waist tightly as he ends the kiss, but leaves his lips hovering over mine.
“You’re—you’re here,” I stammer, breathlessly. “How are you here?”
“You scared the shit out of me, baby,” he says against my mouth. “I was worried sick when I couldn’t get ahold of you.”
I give him an apologetic look. “My phone died. I left my charger in Vegas. I’m so sorry.”
