As the Flight Progresses
As the plane leveled off, I felt the weight of the moment settle on my shoulders. “Just lean against me,” Luke said, his voice low but steady. It was a strange request, yet I found myself nodding, too weary to argue. The warmth from his shoulder seeped into me, a brief reprieve from the cold reality of my life.
Poppy squirmed in my lap, her innocent gaze flitting between me and Luke. Grateful for his quiet support, I offered a half-smile. “Can you make a llama noise?” I whispered to Poppy, hoping to distract her from the escalating tension in our row. I watched as she giggled, her bright eyes sparkling with delight.
Luke chuckled softly, leaning in slightly. “Or an owl?” He made a hooting sound that sent Poppy into a fit of laughter. For a moment, the chaos around us faded, and the other passengers seemed like distant echoes.
But I felt the weight of their stares, the flash of cameras, and the whispers that sliced through my fleeting happiness. I could almost hear my ex’s mocking tone in my head, the way he would twist a moment to make me feel small.
How had it come to this? My heart raced with a mix of gratitude for Luke and embarrassment that I had found myself here, pretending to sleep on a stranger—a man who, for all I knew, was a fleeting figure in my life.
Unsettling Recognition
Just as I began to relax, a sharp murmur broke through my bubble of comfort. “Ugh, kids,” the woman across the aisle scoffed, her eyes flicking to Poppy with disdain. My pulse quickened, the heat of embarrassment washing over me.
Luke must have sensed my agitation because he shifted his body slightly, creating a barrier between me and the woman. I glanced at him, and for a fleeting moment, I caught an unsettling glint of recognition in his eyes as they darted toward her.
“Don’t let her get to you,” he said softly, his voice a grounding force. But I could feel the tension radiating from him, a pulse of something unspoken. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Luke was more than just a casual bystander in this situation.
Before I could reply, a flight attendant approached, her brows knitted in confusion. “Is everything alright here?” she asked, glancing between us and the murmuring passengers. The air was thick with a mix of concern and suspicion.
As I opened my mouth to reassure her, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The cabin had gone eerily quiet. Just as I began to process Eric’s words in my mind, I noticed a group of people approaching us, their faces twisted in anger, demanding to know why Eric has been stealing from them.