Page 68 of Organized Chaos
Chapter 16
The sun was barelyabove the horizon when Milo dropped me off at the airport. I booked the earliest possible flight out of Nice, leaving me with a measly two hours to sleep.
Milo didn’t utter a single word as we hugged goodbye, and when I offered to visit him at his next destination, he reminded me of his busy schedule. My abrupt departure had stunk up the air that was now dripping with resentment. No matter how much I tried to reassure him this was about school, Milo was convinced I had chosen Raven over him—the ultimate slap on his face.
Milo needed time to lick his wounds. While I understood, my spirits lagged during the walk to the terminal gate. My morning was completed as I boarded and broke a nail while stuffing my carry-on suitcase into the overhead compartment.
“Perfect,” I scoffed before ducking under the open overhead bin and buckling into my seat.
God, I detested flying alone. To be honest, I hated doing anything by myself, which was a paradox for the otherwise lonely life I led. I preferred company, listening to others speak, hearing their ideas. I particularly loved the companionship of those who took care of me.
It wasn’t the most admirable quality in a “strong, independent woman,” but relying on others had been hardwired into my personality.
The times I tried to harness more independence didn’t amount to much. At some point, I got comfortable with the notion of someone else taking care of things at my behest. For the longest time, it was Milo. After graduating college, he bought a condo and became extremely busy with work. Though he stayed with us every time he returned to New York, his extended business trips ensured his visits were few and far between.
Since Milo didn’t trust our parents, a barrage of nannies and babysitters came over in his absence. It was humiliating to have a nanny at my age. Milo knew how much I despised this arrangement and always had them arrive under an abundance of false pretenses such as,“We are here to help out with your mom.”
Whenever high school was out of session, I flew out to Paris. Raven was even more protective than Milo. When I texted her last night with my flight details, she insisted on picking me up. Raven wouldn’t allow me to take a cab or train, though it’d take her over an hour to get to the airport.
Ironically, the flight itself was shorter than her commute to the airport. We landed within thirty minutes. I disembarked with the remaining passengers, pasting on a big, bright smile. Raven was already wary of my abrupt departure from Nice. I needed to get my shit together before she suspected there was more to the story.
I located Raven as soon as the double doors swung open. She was waiting with an iced coffee in hand, along with some sort of sandwich.
She threw up an enthusiastic wave, smiling brighter than the sun itself. As it often happened, I felt awestruck by her beauty at first glance. Her hair was up in sleek do, makeup perfectly polished. Ever the fashion designer, Raven was dressed in a chic outfit—leggings, gray sweater, oversized scarf, and a black coat tied around the waist. Few men turned their heads to check her out, though her beaming face was unaware.
“Hey, babe.” Raven threw one arm around my neck. “How was your flight?”
“Good.” Standing my carry-on next to me, I hugged her back tightly, cherishing the warmth.
Melting into Raven’s kindness was exactly what I needed. After Italy, it took me months to put the pieces back together. One encounter with Brandon and my recently mended heart was shattered into a million pieces. If possible, it hurt more this time because Brandon crushed any spec of hope I had stashed away.
“You okay?” Raven pulled back to shove the iced drink and breakfast sandwich into my open hands.
“Just tired,” I mumbled.
“Aww, obviously. It was an early fight.”
Shit. She probably woke up even earlier to pick me up. This airport pick-up policy made no sense to me. I regularly took cabs in New York and Paris, so what difference did it make if I took one from the airport.
“Rave... Thanks for waking up so early to pick me up. But you should’ve just let me take a taxi home.”
“What!? No way. What if someone kidnaps you?”
Dear God.
This overprotective nature took a toll on my siblings. They were in their twenties, the peak of their lives. Instead of living it fully, they were busy worrying about me, which only solidified the inconvenience I caused.
A vision of my trip with Brandon flashed in my mind. In the short time that I had spent with him, I never felt like an imposition or a chore. Brandon acted like being needed was a privilege. Perhaps we were a better fit than I cared to admit.
I shook the thought away immediately.
No! Absolutely not. I’m not going there again. I hate him. I hate him.
How much heartbreak did a girl need to endure before it was drilled into her brain that Brandon Cooper was bad news? Time and time again, he proved how wrong I had been about him all these years. He was such a dick and reacted exactly the way I had feared he would if he found out the truth.
“Other people take cabs from the airport.” I absentmindedly followed Raven as she grabbed my carry-on suitcase.
“Yes, but young American girls at an airport are prime targets for predators. Haven’t you seen the movieTaken? Two-seventeen-year-olds were kidnapped in Paris after taking a taxi from the airport.”
