A North Carolina Autumn

Chapter Thirty-One

5.2.2022

Rylie's leg begins bouncing quickly the moment we're seated, and I reach over to slip my fingers between hers. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes. Is it obvious?" She giggles anxiously.

"A little bit. It'll be okay, don't worry. The take off isn't too bad, and that's the worst part."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She glares jokingly.

"Sorry." I laugh. "You can squeeze my hand as tightly as you need."

"Deal." She replies with a laugh. "Remember at the fair when we were at camp, how I made the same offer so you would go on Samurai with us?"

"I remember very clearly." I smile. "I was so excited to simply hold your hand, I would've done just about anything."

"Had I known that at the time..." Rylie grins. "I was looking for any excuse to hold your hand, even if it was just because you were scared on a ride."

"I still look for any excuse to hold your hand." I say with a laugh. Someone slides into the seat next to me then, and I stop laughing as I study the figure out of the corner of my eye.

Holy fuck...

I throw Rylie a glance, and see the same look on her face that I'm sure covered my own. That only made this worse. The guy in the seat next to me had to be the most attractive male to ever grace this planet. Rylie was almost fully lesbian, with the exception of thinking a few male actress were attractive, so if she was just as attracted to this guys perfect features as I was, then it was serious.

"Holy shit." I whisper as I pretend to look out the window, hoping my words only reach Rylie's ears.

"Yeah, what the hell! He cannot be human. It shouldn't be possible for someone to look that attractive."

Rylie got the good end of the deal. With her seat, she could be facing me to talk while getting the perfect view of this perfect stranger.

"Should I be worried about our marriage?" I tease when her eyes don't move from him.

"Well..."

"Hey!" I gasp, and Rylie laughs.

"I'm teasing! Despite this man being God's gift to earth, I would still choose you any day. Because you are absolutely breathtaking, and still the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. Plus, his looks can't make up for the fact that he has a dick." She grins and I laugh. "Hey! Maybe he can be a sperm donor for us when we decide to have kids! That way we'd have undoubtedly the most attractive kids on earth."

I bust up laughing and have to cover my mouth as the stranger side eyes me. "I love you." I whisper with a smile before kissing her softly. Luckily, the stranger doesn't pay us any more attention before putting on his neck pillow and headphones, and closing his eyes.

The plane begins backing away from the gate, and Rylie's hand tightens in mine. I use my other hand to trace my fingers along her arm as I look out the window. For once, it's a clean window. On all the other flights I'd been on, there were always smudges and what looked to be grease stains, maybe from a child's forehead.

The airport lights blink slowly as we move towards the runway and I smile excitedly. I loved airplanes, for no reason in particular. Maybe it was the fact that we'd be thousands of feet in the air, going over 500 mph, just us and the clouds. And the occasional bird.

I'm suddenly reminded of the movie 'Sully', and I have to clench my jaw shut to keep myself from telling Rylie about it. Now was most definitely not the time to scare Rylie at least half to death by telling her about a movie where a bird flies into an airplane engine, and the pilot has to land on the Hudson River.