Indignant tears welled up in my eyes. The insult stung far more than it should have. I knew I should have just stayed quiet. I should have just gone back to the plane and drowned my heartache in some of the rum the stewardess kept offering me.
“Shows what you know,” I hissed. I wanted to hit him. I needed to strike back at him somehow, so I said the first thing that popped into my mind. “I wouldn't go back to you if you were the last man on earth. I wouldn't go back to you to save the human species.”
I turned and stalked away, knowing that I wouldn't be able to stop the blush now raging across my cheeks. The words sounded so stupid and immature now that I had said them, but I had needed to say something. Anything. He had hurt me and I had wanted to hurt him back, even if it was stupid.
“Ava!” Chad called, but I was running to my plane. I couldn't take any more of Chad and his backhanded insults.
“Miss?” The stewardess looked concerned. “Are you all right?”
“There is a man out there. Don't let him on the plane,” I said. I considered telling her that he was a terrorist, but I wasn't that cruel. Or stupid. Besides, he had a job to do. Bastian wouldn't appreciate having his auction short an auctioneer because I decided to unleash Homeland Security on my ex. “It's my ex.”
The stewardess nodded, knowingly and shut the door. I collapsed back into my oversized leather chair and stared out the window as I waited for the engines to start. I wanted to go home, but I wasn't sure where that was at the moment.
“I don't believe someone like that would even look once at you.”
Chad's words echoed in my mind, slashing my thoughts to pieces. I tried to push them away, but it only meant they cut deeper.
Who did I think I was, anyway? Falling for a billionaire? I shook my head and sunk lower into the chair. What in the world did someone like Bastian see in me?
I didn't have an answer and that made it worse. It was easy to see why someone would want to be with Bastian. He was smart and sophisticated, and even without the money he was a catch, but me? I wasn't sure if I was a catch. That was why I had left him.
The fact that Chad had come even close to my reasoning was frightening.
I sighed and crossed my arms. It was all moot anyway. I wasn't going to see him again. Even if I could somehow take back the words from this morning, I had no way to see him again. Bastian was now back in his world of billionaire private locations and security. I couldn't breach that world if I tried.
The thought made my eyes burn with tears. I sniffled and grabbed a blanket, pulling it up over my head. I closed my eyes, willing myself to join with the darkness so I could sleep until I found my way home
***
Someone touched me and I nearly jumped out of my seat to punch them.
“We've landed, miss.”
It was just the flight attendant. I was glad I hadn't started swinging.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, wiping drool off my chin. I hated the time change already, more just because it was a change.
With bleary eyes, I collected my things and hurried off the plane. A cold wind ripped at my light jacket as I stepped onto the dark tarmac and hurried away from the last bits of life with Bastian. It smelled like snow here. Snow and airplane fuel. I felt sick to my stomach. And cold. So very, very cold and alone.
Someone was waving to me at the end of the tarmac. They were big and hidden within a winter coat, but I knew that coat. I knew the worn elbows and faded blue denim of that coat like it was home. I dropped my bags and took off running. It was exactly who I needed to see. My Dad.
“Hey there, kiddo,” he greeted me, wrapping his big arms around me as I nearly knocked him over with my hug. I held on to him like I did when I was child and he was still the strongest man alive. I had no idea what he was doing here, he needed a pacemaker after all, but for the moment, I didn't even care. I was still beyond glad to see him.
“What are you doing here, Dad?” I asked, not relaxing my hug an inch. The stiff fabric of his winter coat was scratchy against my cheek, but I didn't want to move. “You're supposed to be in the hospital.”
“About that...” He pulled back and I relaxed my grip on him slightly. He tapped his chest and grinned. “Good as new.”
“What?” I stared at him in disbelief, noticing that his cheeks had more pink in them than they had before and his eyes seemed brighter. He didn't look tired, even though it was late at night. It wasn't possible, though. I had only been separated from him for a week. Dr. Verner hadn't said anything. Jackie hadn't said anything. Dad hadn't said anything.
“They put the pacemaker in four days ago,” he announced. He smiled wide.
“AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!?” I shouted, smacking him on the arm. His winter coat easily absorbed the blow. No one had said anything. I should have been there. If I had known I would have flown home the instant he had the appointment. If I had known, I wouldn't have left his side the entire time.
“I didn't want you to worry,” he replied, looking sheepish. “You had a job to do.”
“What if something had happened?” I yelled at him. I was supposed to be there for him. It was him and me. And Jackie. I was okay with Jackie being there, too. But I certainly should have been there. It was surgery. “What if-”
“Honey, this is why I didn't tell you,” he interrupted. “Jackie was there the whole time. If anything would have happened, you would have been the first to know.”
“Dad...” My throat felt tight. What if I had lost him? I had looked up the risks. They were relatively minor and kept getting better every year. But that didn't take the fear of losing him away. It was the what-ifs that scared me more than the procedure.
“I didn't want you to worry and the doctor said it was practically a minor procedure,” he said softly. “You have enough on your plate without me there, too.”
“Daddy...” I sighed. I knew he thought he had done the right thing and there was nothing I could do to convince him otherwise. Besides, it was in the past. There was honestly nothing I could do about it now anyway.“I don't know if I want to hug you or strangle you now.”
“I'm going to vote for the hug,” he told me, trying to get me to smile. A gust of snow blew behind him, reminding me that we were standing out in the middle of a tarmac in freezing temperatures.
I leaned forward and held him close again. I was so tired that I wasn't able to tell how angry I was. I was really just glad that he was okay.
“What are you doing out of the hospital and driving?” I asked, pulling back. “They put a pacemaker in you, Dad.”