Unravelling

Chapter 53 - Home

I had initially been assigned the seat in between the two guys because they logically argued that I was the smallest and it would be most comfortable for everybody if I sat there. I quickly reminded them that I had never before been on a plane and wanted to look outside. I didn't even have to get out my infamous puppy dog look to convince Sean, who had the window seat, to switch with me. Jordan had claimed the aisle seat for himself so he could occasionally stretch out his long legs to keep them from cramping in the small space.

He told me that he normally books a seat with more leg room, but since it was all a bit last minute, these seats were not available anymore. Actually, it is only due to a very friendly woman who willingly switched seats with Jordan after he asked her, that the three of us are even sitting all together in one row. She is now two rows further up on the other side of the aisle and keeps glancing back at my brother. I think she even winked at him once and I don't even want to know what kind of encouraging looks he most likely sent back to her, because she is totally his type.

"I know. I love watching the earth from above, too," Sean says, sounding a bit contemplative.

He probably regrets letting me have the window seat.

"Do you want to switch back?" I ask, hoping that he will say no.

Sean snakes his arm around my shoulders and briefly hugs me against him. He lets go of me after pressing a quick kiss on top of my hair.

"I'm gonna miss having you around," he murmurs randomly.

"You said you'll stay until after New Year's. That's still more than a week," I remind him. "By then, you'll be glad to get a break from me."

And that is probably true, too. I don't remember when we last spent a whole week together. It must have been on one of our skiing trips in winter. But we have never spent that much time just the two of us. Well, three, with Jordan there. Had there not been that guilty conscience slowly eating away at me, it could easily have been the most amazing week of my whole life.

"True. But it won't be the same, what with you stuck in your room all day long."

I immediately stiffen at Sean's words. The extent of my punishment for running away has still not been revealed to me, even after talking twice to Alex in the past week. Well, it was more of a one-sided conversation really, with him doing most of the talking.

He called on Wednesday and again on Saturday on Sean's phone to find out how I was doing and to hear what we had been up to. I was apprehensive to answer this, because it sounded a bit like a trick question. Jordan had implied that I was expected to stay away from fun after that last day together with Will, and I was not planning on selling out my two favourite brothers to Alex, since they had very obviously struggled with sticking to that concept. We have had tons of fun, the three of us, all week. But I would never admit that out loud to anyone outside our tight-knit circle.

Alex was very sweet though, and very patient with me, too, since I was the opposite of my usual talkative self. At least I said more to him than on that first day when I remained completely silent. And he didn't push me, either. I politely answered a few of his standard questions and successfully avoided to give straight answers to those that I thought would result in a reminder that I wasn't supposed to have fun during my week away from home.

"You could keep me company in my room to save me from dying of boredom," I suggest hopefully.

Without electronics and without seeing my friends plus being stuck within the tight four walls of my bedroom, which is the likeliest scenario for my punishment, this Christmas holiday will undoubtedly be remembered as the most mind-numbing ever. And if Will's prediction is anything to go by, it might not be much different in a year's time.