Page 9 of Life To My Flight

It never failed.

Nonnie would call them airplanes, and Cleo would correct her.

“They’re helicopters,” he said dryly.

I opened my eyes to find his on me.

He was trying his hardest not to laugh.

I had no such gumption.

I let the laughter wash through me, happy to have something to laugh at with Nonnie again.

When Cleo’s eyes warmed, I sobered.

Must not forgive, I repeated to myself over and over again.

***

Rue

“She didn’t look that bad,” Cleo observed as we were walking out into the autumn air.

“That’s the best I’ve seen her in nearly a year. When you...when I finally decided I couldn’t do it by myself anymore and moved her here, she just seemed to...give up. She likes it here most of the time though. Even if I have to work two overtime shifts a week to pay for it,” I explained as I unlocked my car’s door.

The manual way, that is. I had to jiggle the key a little bit to get it all the way in, but it worked. My windows, on the other hand, were a different story. My old Jetta was on its last leg for sure.

“Why are you still driving this?” Cleo asked as he pressed his hand down on the hood where it was dented up. “What’d you do? Try to slam this closed with the stick still holding it open?”

In fact, that was exactly what I’d done.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said as I collapsed into my seat. “I’ll see you later.”

I slammed the door before he could answer.

It didn’t matter what he had to say. I didn’t really want to talk to him.

My heart was already aching as it was. If I had to stay in his presence and be put underneath his tantalizing gaze a moment longer, I didn’t know what I’d do.

He walked towards his bike shaking his head, and straddled it before starting it up.

The loud rumble brought back the old feelings.

The times he’d take me for a ride and I’d bury my face into his back. Rubbing my face against his neck. Feeling the wind in my hair, and smelling the musky scent rolling off his body.

Slamming my hand down into the steering wheel, hard, to get all things Cleo out of my head, I started the car.

Or would’ve if it’d actually started.

Cleo watched me from his perch on the bike, knowing damn well that something was wrong with my car, and just waiting for me to come ask him for a ride.

I narrowed my eyes at him as I pulled out my phone.

“Hello?” My best friend answered.

“I need a ride,” I said without preamble.

“I can’t,” Cody said. “I’m at work. Where are you?”

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