Chapter 32 Chapter 32

Chapter 32 Chapter 32
Ciara’s POV

I spun around. My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack my sternum. The man standing behind me was not the men in navy suits. He was younger, perhaps in his late twenties, with messy dark hair and a wide, friendly grin. He was holding my small black leather purse out toward me.

“Miss, you dropped this,” he said. His voice was steady and light.

I looked past him toward the entrance of the jet bridge. 

The two men in suits had stopped near the gate desk. They were talking to the agent, gesturing at the passenger list. They weren't looking at me anymore. 

I took the purse from the stranger’s hand. My fingers were ice cold.

“You jumped pretty high when I touched your shoulder,” he said. He still had that smile on his face, but his eyes were observant. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I forced a breath into my lungs. “I’m sorry,” I said. My voice sounded thin, but I made sure it was calm. “I was just deep in thought. I didn’t hear you coming up behind me.”

“It’s a busy airport,” he said. “It’s easy to get distracted.”

We walked down the narrow, enclosed walkway toward the plane. The walls felt like they were closing in, but he stayed a comfortable distance away. He didn't seem like a threat. He was wearing a casual sweater and jeans, and he carried a single backpack over one shoulder. But I mean, they never really have a tag on their foreheads.

The flight attendant greeted us at the door of the plane. We handed over our boarding passes. The agent looked at them, then pointed toward the center of the cabin.

“You are in row 14,” she said. “Seats C and D.”

I felt a sudden, sharp spike of annoyance. I had paid extra for a window seat, but here I was, trapped in the middle of the cabin with a stranger. We walked down the aisle, our shoulders brushing as we passed the other passengers.

I reached row 14 and looked at the seat numbers. 14C was the aisle. 14D was the middle.

“Looks like we’re neighbors for the next sixteen hours,” the man said. He waited for me to sit down first.

I slid into the middle seat, pulling my carry-on bag under the seat in front of me as fast as I could. I needed to hide the folder. I tucked it deep inside the bag, behind my laptop.

He sat down in the aisle seat and buckled his belt. “I’m Elijah,” he said, reaching out a hand.

I shook it briefly. “Ciara. Ciara Wilson.”

“Nice to meet you, Ciara,” he said.

The plane began to pull back from the gate. I watched the window, hoping to see the two men in suits one last time. If they were on the plane, I was dead. If they weren't, I had a chance.

The plane taxied for ten minutes and then shot down the runway. As we climbed into the dark sky, the tension in my chest started to loosen just a fraction. 

Elijah turned toward me when the seatbelt sign chimed off. “So, what brings you to Singapore?” he asked.

“Uhhh….I’m going to finish medical school. I took some time off for personal reasons, and I decided to start fresh overseas. I’m hoping to find a residency and stay there for good.”

He nodded. He seemed interested, but not in a way that made me feel like I was being interrogated. “That’s a big move. You have family out there?”

“No,” I said. “Just me.”

“Well, you’re brave,” he said. “I’m a software engineer. I work for a firm based in Singapore, but I spent the last three weeks in New York for some meetings. It was a long trip. I’m looking forward to getting home.”

The flight was long, but it was a relief, time passed without me looking over my shoulder. We talked for hours. He asked me about my favorite medical subjects, and I asked him about the software he wrote. 

He told jokes that actually made me laugh, a real, genuine sound that felt strange. He was easy to talk to. He didn't ask prying questions about my past or why I was traveling alone. He just wanted to know if I liked coffee and what kind of music I listened to.

By the time the cabin lights dimmed for the middle of the flight, I felt exhausted.

“You seem like you’ve been through a lot,” Elijah said quietly. We were both looking at the small television screens in front of us, but he wasn't really watching the movie.

I turned my head toward him. “What makes you say that?”

“Just the way you hold yourself,” he said. “Like you’re waiting for something to go wrong. You were looking around the airstrip when I tapped you. I know you heard me when I called you because you were walking with speed. I don’t know who you’re hiding from, and most importantly, I don’t expect you to share anything with me because we’ve barely known each other. But, It’s okay to relax sometimes, Ciara.”

I looked at him. He had a kind face and a soft smile that made me want to smile. “I guess I’m just not used to things going smoothly,” I said.

He leaned back in his seat and looked at me. “Well, you’re going to a new city now. It’s your first time there, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then you could use some friends. I could teach you how to do ‘normal’ again.” he said. “I also enjoy your company and I would be intrigued to get to know you better once we land.”

I pulled back a little. I wasn't used to people wanting to get to know me. Usually, people wanted to use me, or they wanted to kill me. “What are you saying?”

He didn't look offended. He just smiled. “I’m saying that you don't have to be a stranger in a new city. I have a lot of friends there. We like to do things on the weekends. My friend is actually a professional basketball player, and he has a game tomorrow night. I have an extra ticket. It would be a great way to see the city and meet some people.” He paused. “Would you like to come and see a game with me tomorrow?”

I stared at him. It was such a normal, simple invitation. It was a life I hadn't realized I was allowed to have.

One I was more than ready to explore.