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“It gets smaller every day.” Hisjovial attitude had marred a touch, but not as much as I suspected it would’ve. Or should’ve.
From the side of my eye, I glanced at my former classmate. Why was he not curling his lip in disgust? Why was he being kind and sweet? By all rights, he shouldbe rude and mean; I certainly had been. What was his game plan here?
He shifted as the plane paused in final preparations for takeoff, pushing his back into the seat.“I suppose I should warn you, in case you don’t remember, how I ramble too much and, what was it again? I’m a know-it-all? I may fill your head with useless facts.”
Fuck me. He hadn’t forgotten a thing. Clearly, this was his plan – make me remember all the bad things I’d done to him. It was going to be a long, painful flight.
“However, if itgets to be too much, please just tell me.” He cleared his throat and tossed a quick glance in my direction. His features softened. “We’re both grown ups now, and I hope we can be civil towards each other.”
Although his voice was soothing, myheart was pounding too erratically, and my blood pressure had to be through the roof, a mixture bound to keep me awake for the duration of the flight without idle chit-chat of recalling all the stupid shit I did years ago. “Fair enough.”
“If my memory is correct, you were always one for speaking your mind.”
I cringed and turned away. Looked like things have flipped. Now he was the one being direct, and I was cowering.
However, he carried on. “But high school was a long time ago. It’s water under the bridge and all that. I’m sure you’ve matured, settled into your life, and grown up. I know I sure have.”
“Yeah, my high school years are far behind me.”
High school was the highlight for most people, excluding myself. I was a major shithead likely because I wastreated as such. A vicious cycle of nastiness that only intensified until I ran away from that problem and dropped out of high school mid way through grade eleven to move out on my own.
A new ache pinpricked my heart for having been such a punk back in theday.
“But bygones be bygones.” He shrugged, and a weak smile filled his face. “Catch me up on the 411 with you.”
“No one uses that phrase anymore.” I held back a sharp eye roll.
“Point to you.Are you heading to Vancouver, or continuing on to Victoria?”
The plane started moving and through closed eyes, I breathedin deeply. “Even beyond that. A little village on the west coast called Cheshire Bay.”
“Never heard of it butvisiting anything with a bay in its name sounds nice.”
I nodded in agreement andlifted a shoulder. “I’m moving there to lie low for a bit.” And that was more information spoken aloud than I’d wanted to share. Blinking away my stupidity at the verbal diarrhea, I scanned his unadorned hand. No ring, no tan line from a ring. Perhaps he was as single as I was. “Married? Kids?”
“At my age?” He covered a cough, and quickly turned away.
Sometimes I felt like I’d experienced more life at twenty-four, and most days, I felt way older than it too.
“Is Vancouver your home now?”
Whatever ittook to keep him talking. The melodic effect from his voice calmed my heart and steadied my breathing.
“Actually, I’m making a connection in YVR, that’s code for Vancouver.”
“I’m aware of what YVR stands for. I’ve been on social media.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” He gave me a judgemental once over. “Likely quite popular too.”
My internet popularity did not rival that of my high school years, good, bad, or otherwise. I never posted anything, and what would be the point? It was all smoke and mirrors. Nobody was honest on the internet, and if you were, no one cared. No one at all.
“Anyway, I’m moving to Victoria. I’m expected to be at the university first thing Monday morning for a prestigious position within the university.”
I gave him a steely-eyed glance. He was younger than meandhe had a solid job? I needed more clarification. “You’ll be working there?”
“Yes, ma’am.” After a quick wink, Holdenpointed out the window. “Oh, we’re moving to the runway now.”
This time, I trulyopened my eyes to him, rather than a passing glance, and the view was not disappointing. Dark hair and dark green eyes, but the kind that held more sincerity in them than anything frightening. “What should I expect?”
