Page 69 of Love Unwritten

“Nico,” Rafael says in that serious tone of his.

“Fine.”

They swap seats. Since Rafael bought four tickets so he didn’t have to sit next to anyone, Nico stretches across the two large seats.

“Put your seat belt on, please.” Rafael stands and waits for the confirmatory click of the two metal pieces locking together.

My heart, which was already racing, threatens to burst as Rafael slides through the gap between me and the seat in front of mine.

I’ve never been so acutely aware of someone else before, and my body goes haywire as he brushes past me to get to his seat.

“Hey,” he says once he settles into the chair beside me.

“Hi.” I stare into his dark brown eyes.

We rarely have a chance to be this close to one another, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I find it difficult to look away, while on the other, I’m desperate to evade his gaze.

Fortunately for both of us, he ruins the moment by lifting the window covering.

“No!” I rush to cover his hand with my own.

“You don’t like to look out the window?”

“Absolutely not.”

He frowns. “Why?”

Since my self-preservation was lost somewhere between the loading bridge and the first-class cabin, I have nothing to lose by being honest.

“It makes my anxiety worse.”

“Hm.”

“What?”

He takes a moment to think. “What is it that you’re most afraid of? Claustrophobia? Crashing? Turbulence? Takeoff or landing?”

“Is there an all of the above option?”

His lips curl ever so slightly at the corners. “You hate flying that much?”

“Absolutely despise it. This entire process is a nightmare from beginning to end, so maybe it’s best if I switch seats with Nico and let you two enjoy the whole first-class experience.”

He ignores my offer and asks, “How many times have you been on an airplane?”

“Twice.”

“In your life?”

“No, in the last month.”

He makes a face.

“Of course twice in my whole life. One trip was enough to last a lifetime.”

His head tilts. “But you agreed to go on this trip.”

“Because it’s important to him,” I whisper while pointing my thumb at the row behind us.