I hunch my shoulders further forwards, my eyes stinging with the threat of tears. Then something touches my shoulder... or someone. My eyes brighten with the palpitation of my heart. I relax at the touch and turn around.
Nathan?
But no.
The lady with red botox lips stands behind me, her hand withdrawing from my shoulder. Displaying no expression, I raise my eye brows with complete optimism that she is about to tell me Nathan is here after all.
But as I scan my surroundings, the entire room dead with silence, a nasty feeling rumbles my stomach with doubt.
"He's not here... is he?" I gulp, my eyes down casting towards the floor, my foot scraping across the titles. A wash of dismay drowns the life from my face as I glance up to catch her head facing the other way with a shake.
"I'm afraid not," she speaks, her voice resembling the same solemnness as her pierced lips. "The guy we were missing has just turned up." She points over to an older gentlemen handing over his pass. "You need to leave," her arm extends to the exit.
My eyes follow.
With a tired and neglected sigh, I stand to my feet and face the door.
The lady, her name badge reading: Cheryl, doesn't part her eyes from me as I trail to the other side of the room. Once I open the door, she leaves her stance.
My attention then drifts to the window, vertically beside me. I take a long look at the plane not so far from the wall I am od by. The hundreds of tiny windows on the side of the plane are transparent, allowing me to see straight through. A familiar looking figure is sat with his head phones on, by the window closet towards me.
I take out my phone and type a text.
Send.
I relocate his appearance and notice his head bow. After a few seconds his face becomes visible again, my phone vibrating in my hand. I peer down to the screen with an unknown race of my heart.
Bye Paige.
Restraining a tear, I look back out of the window. By now the plane has wheeled half way down the track. The sky's once colour of vivid blue is shaded with a dark cloud. My eyes stare at the door, no hesitation made as I leave the airport with a swift motion, my pace quickening as I begin to run to my car.
With the rumble of the unsettled sky, the clouds open and a downpour of rain showers from above, drenching me within minutes. As I reach the car I fling open the door and climb inside. With my phone placed on my lap, my hair straggly from the rain, I contemplate whether to send him another message.
But what can be done now?
He's gone.
By the time I return home, the lights are dimmed with the curtains drawn. The TV is muted with late night news being reported in the background. The tapping of mom's slippers against the wooden flooring in the kitchen echoes to my ears.
"Hi dear," she chirps, walking out from the kitchen into the living room. Her face is uplifted into a permanent grin, her cheeks raised and eyes sparkling. I respond with an unenthusiastic grumble under my breath while I kick off my pumps, soaked from the puddles I hadn't avoided on my way up the drive.
"Hi mom," I eventually reply, joining her on the sofa.
"Good time at Lacy's?" she asks with genuine interest.
"Huh? Oh yeah, Lacy," I mentally slap myself for forgetting my lie that saved me from questions of where I had been to this hour, which, estimated by the glow of the moon, was after 9pm. "She's good, yeah."
"Good." My mom lifts her mug of- what appears to smell of coffee- up to her lips and takes a delicate sip. She places it onto a coaster with a dreamy sigh, her smile never weakening as she gazes into the corner of the room.
"Mom," I prompt, bringing her back to reality.
"Oh sorry," she muses, shaking her head. "Was just thinking."
"About?.." There was a pause.
With the rotation of her head, she beams at me with a sparkle glistening her eye. "Well," she begins, crossing her leg over the other. "You know when I had something I had to tell you?"
I nod my head with remembrance. "A-huh, what about it?"
"I am seeing someone," the words roll off her tongue as if they had been waiting all day to come out- and with the excitement bursting across her face, it seems as if they have.
"Mom that's amazing!" My reaction was delayed by the clogs in my head trying to process what she meant. That she has a new boyfriend. This only reminded me of two people: dad, and Nathan.
"I know!" Her squeal resembles the happiness of a teenage girl. "His name is Jeffery," she exhales in awe, even at just the sound of his name. "He is the best."
"H-How long have you known him?" I stutter apprehensively, remembering the truth that the guy that once made me feel this happy has already landed about 1,000 miles away from here.
"We have known each other for about four months, however we've been together official two months this Saturday," her voice dips slightly, averting her eyes from contacting mine. "I'm sorry I never told you sooner," her voice whispers.
"That's ok," I tell her. "You didn't want me knowing too soon in case it didn't work out. But it looks as if it has, and I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks dear," her arm hugs around my shoulders, pulling me closer to her. I let my head rest of her shoulder. "It's actually gone so well I am going to be spending next weekend with him at his house."
"You are?"
She nods with a thin smile. "Yes, to celebrate our two month anniversary. So I thought, that if this is going to work between us, we have to make the effort. As you are getting older, you can cope for one weekend without me, right?" She lightly chuckles, stroking my arm.
"I'll be fine mom."
"I'm sure you will," she kisses my forehead then stands up. "Now we are both off the market, ay Paige," she laughs, fading back into the kitchen with her empty mug in hand.
But I'm not laughing.
Not only does my mom not know that me and Josh never actually broke up the first time, she was clueless to the fact that the one I want to be with is no longer at arm's length, my heart never going to be restored with as much happiness as it once was.
If only I could be that happy again. And I know, no matter how hard she tries, not even Lacy will be able to make this better.
Nathan's POV
I have to escape; I have to get away, not only from the torture of my peers- Josh the target of my dismay- but from my wounded devotion towards Paige. Catching a flight to a new state, a new school, a new life, will hopefully be the freedom to the prison I feel my life is caged in if I stayed here.
"Nathan Johnson," I announce my name to the lady, wearing a bright blue jacket with a name badge reading Cheryl. She nods her head passively after scanning my boarding pass then placing it to the back of her pile.
The time on my phone flashes 4:20. I am early.
"Go through," she utters with a backwards glance, showing me in the direction to board the plane. I did as told and followed her instructions.
Before I know it I am all ready, seated comfortable, on the plane with my headphones occupying me with the loud bass of the music. The time passes, other people finding their seats and getting ready for the journey ahead.
A middle aged man locates his seat beside me. But we don't talk. We had nothing to converse about. A few silent nods and friendly smiles, however we didn't communicate at all. All I could do was think.
I wonder if anyone else on this flight is looking to start fresh in Washington. Maybe one of my new class mates is on this plane. But then the flight attendant- the same woman I had handed my pass to- gave the speech about the exits and emergency procedures. Once she has finished, I was able to put my headphones back on and lean back with my eye lids closed.
Then I get a text.
I peer down to the screen with a questioning frown upon my face.
Mom knew when my flight was and she had said goodbye to me back at the house- so it couldn't be her. Neither could it be dad, considering he was working. Doubtful he would be allowed to use his phone on the job. Bailey had no urgent need to contact me.
So who was it?
Have a great trip. Will miss you x
I hesitate, the image of Paige's big brown eyes and glossy hair filtering to mind. The sides of my lips curve. However, with the reality of what I am doing- where I am going and whom I am doing this because of- my face falls flat as I text her back, expressionless.
Send.
I pocket my phone as I am instructed to turn it off. My hands fold on my lap as I gaze out of the window with the rest of my head against the seat.
Paige will get over me, I know she will find a way to move on. And as for me, well, only time will tell...
A/N-
How do you feel about Nathan's departure? (I know a lot of you wanted him to stay)
But I don't think Paige will give up just yet...
Any ideas for what you want to happen in the next chapter? Would love to hear your suggestions- I have it all planned out though.
Please vote/ comment if you have enjoyed this chapter.
And please tag any users you think would be interested in reading this book.
More coming soon... Xx