Page 96 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Merritt kicked off her shoes and started to toss her things in the bin. I did the same.

“Sir, step over here,” a TSA agent called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Great. Another “random” screening. I muttered something under my breath and stepped out of line, handing over my ID and ticket. The agent motioned me toward the body scanner. The whole thing felt like an inconvenience I didn’t have the patience for right then.

“Arms up,” the agent instructed.

I complied but my irritation was simmering just beneath the surface. When the scanner beeped, they pulled me aside for a pat-down and the lid on my temper finally came off.

“This is the second time this trip,” I said, my voice tight. “You guys seriously don’t have anything better to do? You didn’t find shit the first time and you’re not going to find shit this time.”

“Sir, this is standard procedure,” the agent said, his tone as bland as his expression.

“It’s bullshit,” I snapped. “You guys just love wasting people’s time. Fucking pervs feeling people up all damn day.”

“Kannon,” Merritt called from the line, her voice laced with warning. “Just relax, okay? It’ll be fine.”

My blood was boiling and telling me to relax didn’t help. The agent’s calm indifference only made it worse. I stepped closer, my voice dropping low. “What’s your fucking problem, man? You get a kick out of this or something?”

The guy didn’t even blink. He just waved over another agent, who motioned for me to follow him.

“Sir, you need to come with us.”

“What the fuck now?” I asked. “You’re gonna double team me now?”

Merritt watched helplessly as I was led away to a small room—an interrogation room. It was cold and sterile, with harsh fluorescent lighting that buzzed faintly in the silence. They left me in there for what felt like an eternity, the anger still churning in my chest. My fists clenched and unclenched as I paced the small space, the walls closing in on me.

This wasn’t just about the TSA or the stupid security line. Everyone was trying to put me in a cage that day.

Fuck that and fuck them.

38

MERRITT

The clock seemed to slow down as I waited, my anxiety growing with every passing second. What the hell was taking so long? Kannon had been pulled aside for “additional screening” nearly two hours ago, and there was no sign of him.

I had flown plenty and had never been treated the way he was. I wondered if there was something on his record that was triggering all these extra security measures.

I paced for twenty minutes and then even got myself coffee. That was a mistake. The last thing I needed was caffeine. I was already amped up. I tried to ask one of the agents what was going on but that was futile. They weren’t willing to tell me anything.

I walked around the airport aimlessly, feeling lost. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I flopped into a chair and ended up sitting next to a woman who was reading a book. I thought she would be a safe bet. She was too busy to want to make small talk.

I was wrong.

She glanced up from her book, a friendly smile on her lips. “You look like you could use some company,” she said.

I was unsure if I was ready to dive into conversation with a stranger, but my desperate need for distraction won out. “It’s just been one of those days,” I admitted, forcing a tight laugh.

“Travel can do that to you,” she replied sympathetically, marking her place in the book with a finger. “I love traveling, but I hate the getting there.”

I laughed. “Yes, if only we could all own our own little airplanes.”

“It would make life easier.”

“My boyfriend was pulled aside for a random screening, and it’s been hours. I’m worried about him,” I confessed, the weight of the situation settling back on my shoulders as the brief distraction faded.

The woman’s expression softened further. “Oh dear, that sounds stressful. You know, sometimes these things take a while but usually work out fine. Has this happened before?”