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Memories flashed in Liz's head as she made her way through the airport. The anger she saw in Ben had left her shaken. She felt so alone and helpless ... like there was nothing she could do about the fact that she might never see him again. The tears that stung her eyes didn't help matters any, but she still continued forward to the ticket counter.
She looked down at the ticket Ben had sent to her; it was her ticket to freedom and the only chance she had to stay alive. The idea of being in another country, far away from Ben and everything she knew, frightened her.
What if she never saw his face again? Since the moment she met Ben, she had been caught in a whirlwind of danger, lies, and excitement. He had awakened a part of her that had been dormant in her for so long that she had forgotten it had ever existed.
People around her went about their day without a care in the world. They passed her, paying no attention to her as she walked in a daze, lost in her thoughts. Every few minutes, she glanced around, hoping to see Ben, but she saw no sign of him. His harsh words repeated in her head, causing the knot in her stomach to tighten.
Her mind spun with thoughts of everything that had transpired during the time she had known Ben. Her entire life had changed the day he walked into the gym, and it would never be the same again. She hadn't spoken to anyone for what seemed like hours. She had just walked through the security line and gotten on a plane.
The flight attendant smiled at Liz as she pointed her in the direction of her seat, but Liz paid no attention to her. On board the plane, Liz checked her bank account. She was stunned to see that Ben had been depositing money into it over time, and now there was three hundred thousand dollars in it. He’d set it up so she wouldn’t look suspicious to the banks but would still have plenty to get away.
It was enough money for her to start a new life somewhere far from the people who would still be looking for her. She should be relieved that she had plenty of money to live off of, but a sense of dread still loomed over her.
She supposed Ben must’ve thought the money was fair because he felt guilty over the whole situation. The way he had treated her was brutal, but it had done nothing to change how she felt about him. She still longed to feel his arms around her and look into his eyes.
She checked her messages but saw nothing from Ben. An ache in her heart erupted thinking about him. All she wanted was to be with him, but she feared he wouldn't want the same thing.
It was selfish. She couldn't help but hope Ben would feel the same way. It didn’t make any sense because it should have been obvious what his intentions would be, but she still felt disappointed when she found no reply. She hated that the last memory she had of him would be so awful.
She watched the birds out the small window as they drifted through the sky, unbound and free from anything trying to hold them back. She tried to convince herself that she needed to be free as well. She told herself that she would be fine on her own and that Ben would be a distant memory soon.
The plane was steadily filling with people and overhead baggage as she sat with her mind in chaos. The jumbled voices of the people around her blended into a buzzing clamor, making it hard to understand anything being said, and soon it was only background noise to her.
Her mind wandered, thinking of the time she spent with Ben. He was kind, strong, funny ... and everything she thought she wanted. It made her sick, not knowing how he felt about her. Was the time they spent together meaningless to him? Or did he feel differently? Did his feelings for her go beyond what she thought they were?
Liz looked down at her hands and tried not to think too hard about Ben but failed, remembering the way he smiled when they were kissing, then the way he looked at her after they pulled apart. Guilt gnawed at her insides. She shouldn't be feeling at fault for what happened last night, but she did. She couldn't stop picturing his face as she sat on the plane, waiting for it to take off.
No matter how happy she had felt, she felt worse now from the pain in her chest. She knew that if she could see Ben, she wouldn't want to leave, but even if she was able to get off the plane, she would have nothing to go back to. There was nothing there for her anymore.
She was headed somewhere that would never be home to her, to live a life that would never make her happy. It would be nothing but a place where Ben wouldn't be. A place that would feel empty without him. Liz couldn't imagine living the rest of her life without him in it. The last thing she wanted was to leave him, but what if she took a chance and he rejected her? What would she do? How could she possibly survive without him?
There was no doubt their relationship was meant to be. It just wasn't working out the way either of them wanted. She'd lost hope in ever becoming close enough to him to realize it herself.
If there was something she needed to know, though, she would get it from him. Whatever happened between them, he couldn't take away the love she felt for him. She had never doubted her feelings. They were real.
Ben had taught her to believe in herself. For the first time in her life, Liz felt more confident in the person she was. She knew he loved her. There was no denying it anymore. She didn't need the proof or the confirmation. She already knew.
She was in love with him. And so, she needed to know if he felt the same way about her. His dangerous life made a relationship with him seem impossible, but that was all she wanted.
Deep down, she knew it was better this way. She tried to convince herself of that. She told herself that she could live without the heartache. She could do without the risk. The danger that excited and terrified her at the same time was what attracted her to him in the first place.
He was worth every risk, even when those risks seemed hopeless. When he saved her life, she fell in love with him. He was one of the few people who helped her feel alive and made her want to keep going.
He might deny it, maybe even run from her if he knew, but she would show him. She was determined to prove to him that he loved her, that she was who he wanted her to be. She would show that she was worthy of being loved and cared for by Ben.
Even though it hurt her that she might lose him, she had to try. And if that meant sacrificing all of herself to win him, she would do it. He was worth every risk.
The first step was to tell him, no matter how terrified she was of his reaction. But she had to know if he felt the same way and if he loved her back.
If there was even the smallest chance that he had feelings for her, she would make sure to pursue the feelings, whether she could accept them or not. She would never forgive herself if she left without trying.
It would be worth it, anyway. She just needed to find the right words. The right way to tell him. She took a deep breath and grabbed her things. Unable to take the uncertainty any longer, Liz got up from her seat and exited the plane, ignoring the flight attendants trying to get her attention.
As she walked through the airport, she noticed row upon row of people lined along the vast windows overlooking the tarmac, the sun streaming through.
"Excuse me," someone called behind her. Turning, she saw Vito, who was accompanied by the last remaining Moretti boy. Her heart dropped into her stomach, and her blood ran cold as she stood face-to-face with them once more.
"You look surprised to see us," Vito said as he took a step toward her. "You shouldn't be. You should have known we would find you."
