A Light in the Dark // Flicker Series Part I #wattys2019

The Hurt

Chapter 42
Evie's POV // The Hurt.

At some point during our wait in the terminal I must have fallen asleep. I wake up to the feeling of someone gently shaking my arm and when I open my eyes i'm met with a very timid looking Beck Avery.

"Time to board." He speaks quietly, with a half smile.

I stand to me feet, holding myself up on tired limbs as I shove my belongings back into my backpack.

I sleepily join Beck in line to board the plane behind a few dozen others beginning their journey to the other side of the world.

I pull out my phone, shooting Niall a quick "Boarding now. <3" text. His reply coming almost instantly.

     Niall: Safe flight. See you soon, my love.

His reply sends another round of comfort through my veins and calms my nerves, immediately.

The flight attendant scans my ticket. I thank her before I start my descent down the ramp that leads to the large aircraft.

I stumble through the aisle of the plane with my backpack threatening to tip me over from it's weight. Finally my eyes cross over a seat number that matches the one on my ticket and I begin to make myself at home for the long flight ahead.

Beck isn't far behind me, finding his seat across the aisle from mine and a couple seats back.

The last of the passengers board the plane and I look around to get a head-check on all of our team members. As I do, one member in particular comes up missing...Jaxon.

My eyes whip back and forth in hopes that i've just missed him in my initial scan of the aircraft. My instinct to take care of those around me overtakes whatever feelings I have for Jaxon and I just need to make sure everyone is on this plane before that door shuts.

Can't turn this darn maternal instinct off no matter how hard I try.

Just as I start to panic and prepare to alert Beck of our missing traveler, my eyes rest on the tired face that pops through the door. Jaxon.

I shock myself by letting out a sigh of relief that I hope no one else heard.

However, just after that breath my stomach returns to it's previous uneasy feeling as I watch him walk down the aisle of the plane. He steps closer and closer to my seat, checking the numbers above the rows as he passes them. I tell myself to look away so he doesn't see me staring at him, but before I know it he's there before me.

I look up at him as he stops, eyes locked on the number plaque above my head and his face reads unaware of my presence.

He looks down and since my eyes are still on him, our eyes meet —his face now reading certain that he's seen me.