The lady in Red (REWRITTEN!)

Chapter 30

I feel sick to my stomach, and it's not because of the flight I'm about to board. I can't shake off an usual feeling bubbling in my stomach. I feel defeated in every way because I can't stop visualizing my experience here in Japan. In just short minutes we will fly away from here but the imprint of my bitter experience will always remain in me. I try to shake it off, I really do. I'm good at burying things down to the ground, but not this time.

I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen after here on. I wasn't completely filled in with the whole Kapoor case after I left the building. Now, I'm in the dark. I'm sitting impatiently, waiting in my seat in the plane while Reece talks to the pilot and the co-pilot in the front. I know Reece sensed something was wrong with me the minute we got into the car to get to the airport. I felt his eyes on me, but he never asked what was going on. Frankly speaking, I wouldn't know what to say to him.

I'm good at pretending I'm fine. It's how I continued through in life. But there's certain people in life you just can't escape from, and Reece is one of them. I'm bathed in guilt that I can't share with him my most devastating memories. I know he wants to help me. I see it in his eyes. But everyone wants to help me when they see the sadness in my eyes. It's nothing new, and it's nothing they can do. My past cannot be changed.

I buckle my seatbelt and wait for the doors to close so we can lift off. I'm ready to slip away from this world, and into my own. I can't express how much I miss Greta, my little room, and work. I look down at my wrist and see fading bruises, and I know it'll be a constant reminder of Japan until it all fades away to nothing. But, it's going to take a long time. I close my eyes for a brief second and when I reopen them, Reece is sitting in his seat, looking at me. How long was he there? How long was he observing me? I'm devastated by all of this and when my eyes fall on the fading bruises on his knuckles, my heart cracks a little.

The doors finally close, and the Pilot and Co-pilot speaks over the speakerphone, but I blur them out. I avert my gaze and look out the window and watch as the plane starts to pick up and glide away from the runaway. Then slowly the plane's mouth peaks up and soon we're up in the sky. My stomach tickles, and when the plane bounces, a small little sound escapes my mouth. The worst part is the bounce and then it gets all better. But nothing is ever going to get better for me.

Carrie, a flight attendant, comes forward with a drink menu in her hand and she hands the both of us the card. I go for water, and Reece orders his usual drink consisting on alcohol. I wish I could be like him—carefree, healthy, and shiny with no trace of tainted past. Carrie hurries away, and I take the moment to look back at his knuckles again. Flashbacks of the video plays in my head, and I blink it away. He effortlessly went after Kapoor for me. He didn't have to do that. He could have just handed him to the police to do their dirty work.

"What are you thinking?" He asks, suddenly, taking me by surprise. I look up and catch his eyes sharpening on me. How long was I staring at his hands? I swallow a dry lump that forms in my throat and search for the right words.

"Does it hurt?" I always wondered since that night. I'll never understand why he marred his pretty knuckles just for me. The world will see it, and they will ask him how the bruises formed. And I'll always know I was the reason behind it. I'm fine being bruised, but I'm not fine if someone else has to go through it because of me. I wish I could clean him up, and wipe away the colors on his knuckles. His skin is red, and but I can see the fading dark bruises from the beating. They match mine. How ironic.

"No. It doesn't hurt," he simply says. I nod, and look away again. I don't know what else to say. I have so many questions to ask him that all particularly relate to Kapoor, but I refrain from doing so. I made it clear that I don't want America to find out about Japan, so the case should be closed.

Carrie comes back with our drinks, and we both look away for a moment to retrieve the drinks. Carrie looks long and hard at Reece, but unfortunately for her he doesn't give her any importance. He averts his  gaze back to me and Carrie takes this as a chance to walk away. The woman was beautiful and she definitely wanted his attention.

"I think she wants you," I casually say, breaking the ice a little. Reece remains rigid in his seat, oblivious to my little joke, but he ignores it all. His eyes are smoldering, and intense, and it's like he's seeing right through my window. I can't hide from Reece Dean. Ever.

"Talk to me," he speaks, swirling the liquid in the glass with his wrist. I eye the liquid swooshing around in the glass. I know what he's asking from me, and my throat constricts. I take a sip of my water but nothing helps. There's a rough friction in my throat every time I swallow, and it's uncomfortable.

"There's nothing to talk about," I whisper, my voice betraying me.

"Why are you hiding from me?" It's not just you, Reece. It's from the whole world. My chest feels tight all of a sudden, and I can't breathe. My eyes cloud over.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please, Mr. Dean," I plead. I can't hide from him. Reece had asked me this same question before, but the only difference was that at that time I had to strength to change the topic and ignore it. Now, it feels almost too impossible. I'm stuck airborne with a man who is hellbent on cracking me open. My secrets have kept me alive for so long and I'm afraid that if it all comes to surface...

I unbuckle my seatbelt and push myself out of my seat. Reece is up to at the same time I get up but I start to walk away from him. The plane bounces again, and I tumble a little bit I gather the strength and balance to keep pushing past the aisles.

"You can't run from me, Catherine. Let me in," he says, from behind me. I keep walking until I get to the center of the plane. Then a rough hand is grabbing on to my arm, yanking me towards the body. Him.

"My secrets have kept me alive for years, Mr. Dean. I keep it hidden for a reason."

"Who are you hiding from?" The same question, the same situation. He catches me when I'm the most vulnerable and I hate myself for it. I close my eyes for a brief moment.

"My family."