AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As the sun touched the ocean to the west, Veronica reluctantly guided the plane back toward the airport, and a sense of unease crept in, souring all of her happiness.
“What’s wrong?” Connelly asked.
Of course he would notice her change of mood. He noticed everything.
“I don’t want to come down,” she said wistfully. “I don’t want to go back to reality. It’s... bleak.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You were born to fly, Vee, and you’re damn good at it. Don’t let fear rob you of this.”
It was easy to make promises up here when she felt like a giant with the world at her feet. But those promises would be a lie on the ground because her fear had never been about flying. It was about living, facing the world that had hurt her so badly, that had left her broken. The fear was an insidious thing that crept in and took hold of her, leaving her paralyzed and helpless to fight against it.
“I don’t know how to not be afraid,” she admitted.
“Veronica,” Connelly said softly, reaching out to lace his fingers through her. He waited until she met his gaze before continuing, “We all have things we’re afraid of. Your fear is valid, but it can’t be the only thing that defines you. You’re stronger than that. You survived something horrific, and you’re still here. That’s a testament to your strength and resilience.”
A lump lodged in her throat, and she stared at their joined hands. “What are you afraid of?”
He laughed softly. “I write horror for a living. I’m afraid of everything.”
“That’s not true.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said.
“No, but really. What scares you?”
“My biggest fear? Being buried alive.”
The admission startled a surprised laugh out of her. “Oh, c’mon. That’s not true.”
He held up his free hand. “Scout’s honor.”
“But that’s irrational. The chances of that happening are astronomically slim.”
“I know. And yet I have nightmares about it all the time. It’s why I write about it in almost every book.”
“To face it?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not that fearless.”
“You used to be.” He squeezed her hand. “But it’s not about being fearless. You’re allowed to be afraid. Fear is what has kept us alive since the dawn of time. I told you once before that being brave is not a lack of fear but doing the scary things despite it. And I know you can do that. Look how steady you were as we plunged toward certain death. You were a rock while I was over here silently shitting myself.”
That made her smile. “I had control the whole time.”
“You have control on the ground, too.”
It was a revelation. She had spent years trapped in her own mind, her own fears, and now Connelly was telling her that she had the power to break free? Could she just take control and start living again?
The idea of having control over her life seemed foreign.
But… not impossible.
Was it really that simple?
Connelly squeezed her hand again, the warmth of his touch spreading through her like a balm. “You ready to land this bird?”
She had control.
