Harley

"That girl is a real contender," Luca props his elbows upon the table, leaning towards me, "She could probably win the whole damn thing." I look over to where Autumn sits at the window seat across from us, back straight, skirt arranged elegantly over her knees. Her eyes are closed and she's fast asleep, neck turned away from us.

"She is good," I say, surprised. A little too good. Her hands come into my mind now, pale and elegant. They danced across the keys, knowing where to go before they were even placed down. She didn't need sheet music. She was exhausted, about to fall over, and yet she was as good as Mozart.

Harley, you didn't volunteer to do this so you could win.

"When do we land?" I distract myself by asking Luca. In response, he pulls out his phone, loading his screen.

"Exactly three hours. Do you need me to go over the protocols once you land?" I roll my eyes, wanting nothing more than to close them. I'd been up since one in the morning, unable to fall asleep. I didn't want to see his face.

I still don't.

Adrian had cried out to me as he died, pleading for me to save him. I didn't. I saved my skin, and a family lost a son, a brother, and a grandchild that day.

I remember his mom's face the most. She had collapsed onto her knees, sobbing, beautiful face turned towards the sky. Adrian's siblings, Jasper, Paisley, Remy, Erin, and Lucy looked at their mom, not understanding what was happening.

The last thing I remembered was Mrs. Smith slamming the door in my face. Remy, Adrian's brother looked at me through the window, tears running down his eyes. Adrian was his hero. I had killed him.

The Smith family ended up moving back to Seattle, Adrian's hometown. They took their son with them, never to be heard from by anyone in Gullwitch Cove again.

"Do you want some water, sir?" A brown eyed flight attendant asks. I nod, jolting upright. Grabbing the cup from her hands, I take a sip, trying to calm my pounding heart.

"Are you alright?" I turn. Shit.

Autumn sits across from me, looking radiant and refreshed, green eyes alert. Luca is gone, but I can hear a high pitched voice in the cockpit, yelling at one of the pilots. I blink, cursing myself for falling asleep. You know what will happen...

"I'm fine." I say, but Autumn shakes her head, leaning towards me.

She's so close, I can see a small, heart-shaped, freckle underneath her eye.

"You're not the only one who has demons," she mutters, green flames staring into my eyes, voice throaty and low, "They haunt you, Harley, I can sense it."

"So what if they do?" I ask, leaning slightly away from her.

"You need to open up," she says, leaning back into the chair and sighing, "Trust me, you'll feel better."

"And what if I don't want to open up?"

"Then you'll be torn apart."

The plane bumps and jolts as we land. I feel the wheels touch the ground and the plane rolls to a stop. Luca ushers us out of the plane to paparazzi.

"Miss. Henningsen! What can you tell us about the state of your relationship with Daniel?" A cameraman shoves a camera in Autumn's face, and she blinks once, eyes wide. The entire hangar awaits her response with bated breath, but it doesn't last for very long. Luca walks up behind us and herds us like sheep towards the black limo at the very edge of the hangar.

"I'll have somebody bring your things." Luca says as Autumn protests.

The cameras keep clicking and I shift my body over to protect her from them. We keep walking, Autumn lost in her own little world, until one question stops her dead in her tracks.

"Autumn! Have you heard from your mother?"

Everything slows down. I don't see Autumn's face as she gets into the car but I can hear her breath catch. The door slams behind me and I hide my face from the paparazzi, my hand flat on the seat in between Autumn and I.

This time, it's my breath that catches when she puts her hand on top of mine. 

We ride back to the hotel like that, in silence, hands still clasped together like it's our lifeline.

And maybe it is.

It's late.

We didn't have much of a day after the disaster of a car ride. Luca escorted us to the hotel but left us alone, telling us to meet him early the next day so we can meet everybody else. Autumn goes up to her room before I can talk to her and I decide to explore for a little bit. 

The hotel is gorgeous. I would never be able to stay here if I went by myself. The entire lobby is decorated in shades of white, red and gold. Flowers in matching shades are in gold vases scattered throughout the lobby, and the entire ceiling is a mirror that I could see myself in if I looked up.

I don't look up. I don't know what I'll see if I look up. 

"Sir?" A perky blonde receptionist calls my name, flashing rows of perfect white teeth and smiling at me with her eyes. "Are you checking in?" 

I don't say anything.

Instead, I go and find Autumn.