Chapter 29: The Pull (Leo POV)
Chapter 29: The Pull (Leo POV)
I stand in the security line at the airport, my boots heavy on the shiny floor. The place is loud, full of people talking, announcements crackling over speakers, and wheels rolling on suitcases. Jake’s ahead of me, his broad back blocking the view, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He’s moving fast, pulling me along, like he’s afraid I’ll stop if he slows down. My arm’s still bandaged, the white cloth tight under my sleeve, and it itches a little. I don’t scratch it. I don’t do much of anything. My head’s foggy, my body slow, like I’m walking through water. I don’t want to be here, but I don’t fight it. Jake says New York will fix me. I don’t believe him, but I’m too tired to argue.
The line moves, slow and jerky, people shuffling forward with their bags. I hold my ticket in one hand, crumpled from my grip, and my other hand hangs limp at my side. Jake turns, checking on me, his eyes sharp. “Keep up,” he says, his voice low but firm. I nod, small and automatic, and take a step. My chest feels heavy, like something’s sitting on it, and every breath hurts a little. Daniel’s gone. That’s all I can think about. His face when he left, his voice saying it’s over. I see it over and over, stuck in my head like a painting I can’t erase. Jake thinks leaving will change that. It won’t.
Mia’s behind me, close enough I can hear her breathing. She came with us, said she’d see me off, wouldn’t let me go without a goodbye. Her shoes squeak on the floor, soft and quick, and I feel her eyes on me. She’s been quiet since the cab, her hands twisting together, her face tight. “Leo,” she says now, soft, stepping closer. I don’t turn, just keep staring at Jake’s back, at the security belts ahead. She touches my arm, light, and I flinch a little. “I fixed it,” she says, her voice shaky. “Your phone. It works now.” I blink, slow, and look at her. She’s holding it out, the cracked screen still rough but glowing, alive again.
I take it, my fingers brushing hers, and hold it loose in my hand. “Thanks,” I mutter, my voice raspy, barely there. She nods, fast, her eyes wet. “Check it,” she says. “Just in case.” I don’t want to. I don’t want to see anything, hear anything, but her look makes me do it. I unlock it, slow, my thumb clumsy on the buttons. The screen lights up, bright in the dim line, and it buzzes right then, sharp against my palm. A text. My heart jumps, hard and fast, and I open it. It’s a number I don’t know, but the words stop me cold. “I can’t do this without you,” it says. Simple, small, but it’s him. Daniel. I know it’s him.
My breath catches, stuck in my throat, and my eyes sting, wet and hot. I read it again, slow, the words blurring a little. “I can’t do this without you.” My hand shakes, the phone trembling, and I grip it tighter. He sent this. He’s out there, somewhere, needing me. My chest hurts, sharp and deep, and I freeze, my feet glued to the floor. The line moves, Jake stepping forward, but I don’t. I can’t. Mia’s watching me, her eyes wide. “Leo?” she says, quiet, her hand on my arm again. I don’t answer. I see Daniel’s face, his eyes when he kissed me last, not when he left. He can’t do this without me.
I look up, slow, at the security gate. Jake’s almost there, pulling his bag off his shoulder, ready to go through. Beyond that’s the plane, New York, a new start Jake swears I need. But Daniel’s here, somewhere, texting me from a new number, pulling me back. My breath shakes, and tears spill over, hot on my cheeks. I wipe them fast, my sleeve rough, but more come. “Leo,” Mia says again, louder now, stepping in front of me. “What is it?” I don’t look at her. I look at the phone, at his words, and my legs feel weak. I could run back, find him, fix this. Or I could board, leave it all, like Jake wants.
The line moves again, people grumbling behind me, pushing past. I don’t budge. My heart’s pounding, loud in my ears, and I clutch the phone, my knuckles white. Daniel needs me. I need him. But Jake’s voice cuts through, sharp and close. “Leo, come on,” he says, turning back, his bag in his hand. “We’re next.” I shake my head, small, my voice gone. Mia’s hand tightens on my arm, steadying me, and I look at her, then at Jake. He steps closer, frowning, his eyes hard. “What’s wrong?” he says, loud over the airport noise, his grip back on my shoulder. I don’t answer, just stand there, torn, the phone burning in my hand.