Page 12 of Reconnected Hearts
“All right. Let us know if you need anything. We’ll do anything we can to make this situation more pleasant for the both of you.” She starts to walk away but pauses and turns back to me. “Oh, and, we would really appreciate it if you and your husband could possibly keep any...serious conversations to a lower volume. We’ve received some complaints from the other passengers.”
“Oh, right, right. Yeah, of course.” My cheeks heat up as she walks away, and I’m consumed yet again by the urge tokillNoah. Other people don’t usually get under my skin so easily, but there is something abouthim.
If he wasn’t so damn infuriating, we wouldn’t have given the impression to the entire plane that we’re one spat away from divorce.Though, I guess I didn’t help that.
I decide to text Nora and update her on my current situation. She’s the only person in my contact list who gives sound, trustworthy advice—and I just know she’s going to think this is absolutely hilarious.
Flight got diverted to Charlotte and we’re stuck here at least overnight
And my seatmate is this sexist dick I knew in college
He’s been arguing with me all night and people keep complaining to flight attendants about how loud we are :’)
She texts back almost immediately. If it was anyone else, I would be worried about why they’re answering texts in the middle of the night, but that’s just Nora.
NO!!
Oh my gosh how does this stuff happen to you lol
Truly what are the odds???
What are u gonna do?
I don’t even have to think about the answer to that question. My thumbs fly across the screen without hesitation. I know good and well what Noah Laurier will be to me after we get the hell off of this plane.
NOTHING!
He can whine and mope around all he wants to but the second I make it to Providence, I have no intention of ever seeing him again
He’s honestly the most insufferable man I’ve ever met and I can’t wait to go back to being strangers
Oh yeah, and people keep thinking we’re husband and wife
Again, another almost-instant reply from Nora.
Ok but is he cute???
Because you and I both know it’s been a hot minute since you had any action
One night stand material perhaps????
I scoff at the question. Never in a million years would I eventhinkabout seeing Noah that way. I start to type out a lengthy paragraph ofno’s, but another message from Nora comes through.
And be honest
Like if he wasn’t your arch nemesis and you met him in a bar, would you wanna go home with him???
Ugh. Okay, so maybe—objectively speaking—Noah is kinda...sorta...okay-ish. The first time I saw him in class, I perhaps stared a moment longer than I should have. He was different then, though. He still looked about seventeen with honey-colored curls and glasses always falling down his nose that he’d have to push up again and again. He always wore graphic tees—stupid, stupid graphic tees that perfectly encapsulated nineteen-year-old boys in college who still haven’t quite grown into their age. He was as scrawny as could be and couldn’t even grow a beard. Now, though? Noah is like a boy trying to look like a man. The barely visible scruff on the bottom half of his face. His grown-out curls falling straight down to the nape of his neck. The several tattoos he’s acquired that accentuate the obvious muscle and body mass he’s put on—he’s wearing a stupidly tight t-shirt that showseverything.
Would I say he’s hot, though?
No, absolutely not
In my peripheral vision, I see a silhouette approaching. I look up, locking eyes with Noah. He appears nearly as miserable as I feel. If he was anyone else, I might feel bad for him. But, alas, it’s Noah, so I have little to no empathy.
I power off my phone and shove it in the seat pocket, reaching instead forLittle Women.I have no intention of talking to Noah. In fact, I downright refuse to. We clearly can’t get along, so I’m not going to waste my energy trying. Instead, I’ll spend my time more productively: reading.
I get through a dozen or so pages without any issues.
