16:58

Chapter Five

Colton and I have spent the last two hours in silence. We only have forty-five minutes left and I'm counting down the time until I can get off this damn flight. It's awkward as hell now. I keep looking at Colton and then opening my mouth to say something, but then looking away.

I gave up on trying to write my essay. I wrote about three hundred words, but in two hours. I just got distracted by Colton. And I'm good at writing essays too. Med-school is fucking intense and professors love to give huge projects.

After a few minutes, I can't take the tense silence anymore. I get up and start to walk out of our row.

"Where are you going?" Colton asks. I don't answer him. I open the overhead bin and pull my phone out of my backpack. I sit back down in my seat. "I thought we weren't using our phones."

I sigh. "I really don't care right now."

"You seem exhausted," Colton tells me.

"Six-hour flights are exhausting," I tell him. "And so is Med-school."

"I'd imagine it would be," Colton says.

My eyes widen. "Oh, fuck!"

Colton frowns. "Did I do something?"

I shake my head. "No, I never...my dad doesn't know I'm not at Harvard anymore. Neither does my aunt." I laugh bitterly. "Or my mother, who's at going to be at Christmas."

"I'm sure they'll still be proud of you," Colton says.

"Yeah. Thanks," I say. I sigh and tap my fingers against my leg. "It's just—" I stop myself.

"Just what?" Colton asks. When I don't say anything he says, "You can tell me. Who am I going to tell?"

"It's just dumb, you know? I went to NYU for Bryce, for his job. But he's never even home," I tell Colton. I almost laugh. "And I don't even know. But it's fucking Harvard. And I wanted to go there for all eight years."

"Well," Colton says, rubbing his neck. "You're gonna be a doctor, which is more than most people can say."

"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry to bother you," I say. "Do you have anything you wanna talk about?"

He shrugs. "I'm good." He seems to think about something. "It's kinda weird though."

"What is?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Once we get off the plane, it'll be like we never saw each other."

"I guess." It will be kind of weird. No one is going to know that Colton and I spent six hours together. It's almost like a secret. "You're right. It is weird."

Colton laughs. "I'm so happy Bryce wasn't on the flight."

I smile. "It was really nice to see you, Colton," I tell him.

"Why are you saying goodbye?" Colton asks.

I swallow. "I don't know," I tell Colton."It just seems like I won't see you again."

Colton almost smiles. "I guess we'll see." He seems to realize something and then grins. "Wait, are you sad to leave me?"

"What? No," I say quickly. I feel my cheeks redden.

"Aww, you're gonna miss me," Colton says.

"I never—"

"Relax," Colton says. "I might miss you, just a little bit."

I sigh. "You're arrogant," I tell him. He frowns. "And you're a dick."

"I don't like where this is going," Colton says.

I smile."But you're still fun to be around. It's like...I don't know. I forget that shitty things are happening when I'm around you."

"And I'm nice to look at," he tells me.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, whatever. At least you didn't try to feel me up," I say. "When we had biology together, literally the first day—"

"Hey, I only hit on you the first day. I didn't feel you up the next day," Colton says.

I roll my eyes. "Like that makes it okay," I say, trying not to smile.

Colton shrugs and says, "I was always, always, a gentleman."

I start laughing. "You're so full of shit."

"Maybe," he shrugs, smiling. "But at least you're laughing."

***************

I'm sad for the plane ride to end. Somehow, Colton and I have gotten over our tense, awkward phase and are back to talking. We seemed to have talked for most of the plane ride. We land in a few minutes. It's easy to talk to Colton, easy to be around him. It's like we're friends again. And Colton was always a really good friend.

It'll just be weird to get off the plane and pretend that I never saw him. And to not see him anymore. Despite four years and a rough breakup, it feels like nothing as changed.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we're about to land. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and have a lovely holiday," the captain says over the speaker.

"Are you staying with your dad?" Colton asks.

I nod. "You staying with your mom?"

He nods. "She's been strangely happy lately. And she hates Christmas."

"It's probably nothing."

Colton nods and hands me a piece of gum. I smile and start chewing it. I'm going to miss Colton.

"Oh, what about the rest of your questions? I think you have three," I tell him.

He shrugs. "I'll use them later."

The plane touches down on the ground and runs along the runway before slowing down. We seem to pull up to our gate.

I go to stand up, but Colton grabs my arm gently. "Why don't we wait?" he says. "Other people can get off first and we don't have anywhere to be."

"Sure." I tap my fingers against my leg. I'm strangely anxious. "Like I said, it was really nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too," Colton says.

Most of the people get off the plane rather quickly. Colton stands up and starts to grab his bag from the overhead bin. I stand up and go to get out of the aisle, but Colton puts his arms on the bin, so he's blocking me.

"You gonna move?" I ask, stepping closer, thinking that he'll let me out. But he doesn't. He lowers his head to my ear and whispers, "Do you know what the flight number is?"

His breath tickles my ear. "Is that your question?" I ask.

"What's the flight number, Andy?" he asks, his lips brushing my ear.

"I don't remem..." I trail off when I realize what it is.

"What's the fight number?" Colton repeats again.

"229." I swallow.

"And what does that mean?" Colton asks. His lips brush my ear again. "Or did you forget?"

"We both know what it means," I tell him softly. I turn my head so his lips brush my jaw.

Colton pulls away abruptly and grabs his bag. He walks away without saying anything.

"Damn," I mutter. My heart's beating too fast.