Page 130 of Company Ink

"Honey, are you okay?" Lucy asks, wrapping her arms around me as I wipe under my eyes. "Oh gosh."

I sniffle, looking at Ness. "Now we're actually late," I mutter. "We need to go. We need to leave. Please, can we go?"

"Of course." Vanessa passes me a compact from her purse. "Eyes."

We give Lucy one final hug and rush towards the security checkpoint. This is not how I imagined this day going. Today was supposed to be exciting, happy, but now I just feel tired. I've been tired for so long now. What a mess. What a sticky, horrendous mess. I can't think about it. I can't dwell. I need to move on. I need to forget.

"This is the final boarding call for passengers Cassandra Carrington and Vanessa Clarke booked on flight 143C to New York City. Please proceed to Gate 6 immediately. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for Cassandra Carrington and Vanessa Clarke. Thank you."

Shit!I grab Vanessa's hand. "Ness, can you try to run?" I ask her softly.

"I can try," Ness murmurs and we speed walk to Gate 6.

We stop just a few yards away from the kiosk. "Hi!" I exclaim, waving my hand. "We're here! Sorry, we're late!"

The flight attendant tosses me a tight smile. "It's quite alright, it's busy today. Tickets please?" I hand her our tickets and she scans them. "Go ahead. Enjoy your flight."

"Thank you! Sorry again!"

Vanessa and I make our way down the jet bridge and onto the aircraft. We're escorted to our seats in business class. "You can have the window," I say to Ness and she slides inside, buckling her seatbelt. "Comfortable?"

"Yes." Vanessa nods, tilting her head. "What did he say?"

I sigh, reclining into my seat. "He said things that every woman wants to hear."

Ness hums, biting her lip. "I'm sorry."

I rest my head on her shoulder. "Me too, Ness."

After the preflight and safety announcements, we take off, Vanessa gripping my hand as we ascend into the air. I peer over her shoulder, gazing down at a disappearing Seattle. "Are you excited for New York?" I ask.

"Very," Ness says softly, pointing to the screen in the seat in front of us. "What movie?"

My eyes flicker to the dashboard above our seat, thankfully the Captain turned off the seatbelt sign. "I need to pee first, that tea was a bad idea." I unbuckle my belt. "I'll be right back."

I shimmy my way through the narrow aisles until I get to the bathrooms. There's something that's super unsettling about peeing in a moving plane, I'm always worried I'll get sucked out. Stupid, I know, but a real fear.

When I get back to my seat, a confused frown marks my eyebrows, as my gaze immediately darts to Vanessa.What the fu—"Ness?" I ask warily. "Why is there a succulent on my seat?"Did she buy this? When? Is this...Stella?

Vanessa presses her lips into a thin line, her eyes glistening knowingly. She lifts her finger and points towards the first-class cabin. "Go see."

"What do you mean,go see?" I ask, my heart racing. "Who left this here?"

Vanessa cocks her head to the side, raising a sassy brow. "You know."

I shake my head in disbelief. No. He didn't. He isn't. Why would he... after everything? What?

"Blake's here?" I ask in a whisper. "Are you fucking with me, right now? 'Cause, it's not funny, Ness."

"Go," she says, shooing me away. "Seat 1A."

"You're serious?"

"Yes!"

I flick my nails as I stare off into first class. Blake's here. Just behind those curtains. What is up with today? Don't people call anymore? I've had enough surprises to last a lifetime.

"Go!" Vanessa commands. "Go."