Cheating in Love [Completed]

Chapter 8

Beckett was sitting in the hard chairs by the gate, sipping a coffee he'd bought in the terminal. He had a carry-on that he hadn't had when he'd arrived--clothes for next season. His feet were resting on the carry-on and his head was laying against his backpack. Eyes half-closed, and a slight headache between his ears, he breathed as steadily as he could with the noise of the terminal in the background.

Next to him sat a lady in an obnoxiously colored shirt talking on the phone so loudly he could hear her from halfway down the terminal. Behind him was a dad traveling with his three toddlers, all of whom were enjoying running wild among the travelers.

He shut his eyes tighter as one of the kids screamed next to him. The woman excused herself from the phone call long enough to lean over him and scold the child. He drew in a slow breath and took a swig of coffee.

The voice on the PA called for priority boarding. Beckett opened his eyes in spite of the blinding light and looked around. He still didn't see Sawyer anywhere in the vicinity. They were supposed to be on the same flight. There was a knot of worry in his stomach that he tried to ignore. The toddlers screamed again and Beckett downed the last of his coffee along with a dose of painkillers.

They called for Beckett's group to board the flight. He looked around nervously. Sawyer still wasn't there. He swallowed the lump in his throat and dragged his bag into line, wondering if he ought to stay behind and wait.

The line moved forward at a snail's pace. He scooted inches at a time towards the gate, all the while keeping an eye on the terminal. He passed his crumpled boarding pass to the flight attendant and boarded, not hearing what she told him as he passed. His attention was still on the terminal. The sinking feeling in his stomach was growing.

Now that I think about it, he thought to the rhythm of his thumping feet, I haven't heard from him since I dropped him off at Sophie's apartment. I hope he's alright. He felt his muscles tense and slowed his walk. The obnoxious woman passed him and so did the uniformed soldier who'd been staring at him from across the aisle while they waited to board. Beckett watched the faces of the people who passed, but not one of them was Sawyer.

Come to think of it, he might be even more weirded out by me if he knew that I was so worried, Beckett thought. He cleared his head and made his way toward the plane with the nervous knot still in his stomach.

He took his seat, the window in the exit row, and swung his bag under the seat. Beckett pulled his phone from his pocket and texted to tell his family that he was on the plane. He kept his phone in his hand, secretly hoping for a text that would tell him Sawyer was almost there. He checked his phone. Someone took the seat next to him. He checked it again.

"Hi," Beckett said to the person next to him. "Is England your final destination?"

"What's it to ya?" the person spat. Beckett swallowed and awkwardly looked away. He checked his phone.

Beckett wiped his hands on his shirt, leaving small sweat marks behind. He felt his phone go off. It was Murray wishing him a safe flight. He felt a pang of disappointment deep down and told himself that he hadn't expected any other message.

He was watching the front of the plane and his phone at the same time when a familiar head of hair walked in. The head came closer. Beckett could see Sawyer's chest heaving as he came closer. He struggled to lift his bag into the only open space in the overhead compartment before taking a seat on the other side of the stranger.

"You made it," Beckett said against his better judgment. Sawyer was so out of breath he couldn't respond immediately.

"Yeah," he said between gasps for air. "Had to sprint."