There's so much blood.

It's everywhere.

I'm scrambling on my hands and knees on the tiled floor, desperate to make it to the other side of the room. I don't even remember falling. How did I slip? How did I end up here with this sticky and warm substance coating my palms?

All I can hear is crying and screaming, but I don't know if it's coming from my mouth or not. My body is numb. No matter how much I seem to crawl, the room continues to get longer. I'll never make it. I'll never make it in time.

God, why didn't I check?

Why didn't I fucking—

Waking with a gasp, a hand flies to my racing heart as I'm surrounded by darkness. My heart is hammering away, a cold sweat sticking to my skin. It takes me a few seconds to recognize I'm not crawling on tile anymore in a cramped bathroom. I'm here. In my bedroom. Safe, while she is—

No. I won't let myself go there—not today. The minute I start thinking about her, I'll be forced into a downward spiral that I'll never recover from, and today is an important day. It's my first time traveling by myself, and I can't let my past haunt me.

Rolling my head to the side, the alarm clock reads three in the morning. I have a long day ahead of me, and something tells me I won't get any more sleep. Just great.

***

Five hours later, I'm wheeling my suitcase towards the private plane, my tiny legs racing to pick up the pace. I would have made it on time if it hadn't been for my constant need to check on everything. Was the stove on? Checked three times. Was my door locked? Checked three times. Everything had to be checked, and even when I left the house, I still wasn't confident.

A man grabs my suitcase to stow with the others, and I send him a tight smile before I ascend the steps leading into the plane. I've ridden only once on a plane, which also happened to be private, and that was when I accompanied Esme on their family vacation to the Maldives. Although, I don't remember much about that trip aside from...

Ugh. I will not think about Connor fucking Holden! Not again.

I brought a pillow and a blanket with me, clutched tightly in the crook of my elbow as I quickly glance around the plane for an empty seat. Most are taken, given the sheer size of the hockey players and how many are flying. This plane ride should be short, only an hour or two. We're flying to Arizona to play against the Phoenix Cardinals, a team I've heard can be challenging to beat.

Connor clears his throat when I reach the aisle he's sitting in, shoving his duffel bag off the now-empty chair beside him. "Aria," he drawls in a voice sexier than it should be, but the smile fades from his face when his eyes reach mine. "Are you alright?"

"Hi, Aria," Levi says with a warm smile, giving me a slight wave. I'm thankful for the reprieve of answering Connor's question. He's in the row across from Connor, with Mattie sitting beside him.

"Nice to see ya, darlin'," Mattie adds, shoving a headphone above his ear to hear my response.

"You too," I reply with a smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes. "Are you guys ready for the game later?"

Levi shrugs. "The opposing team is filled with a bunch of assholes. Things tend to escalate when we play against them, especially at one of their home games, but nothing we shouldn't be able to handle."

Matti snickers. "As long as Connie can stay out of the penalty box this time."

I arch a brow. "This time?"

Before they can respond, a flight attendant taps me on the arm, her eyes widening upon my scar when I glance over my shoulder to look at her. "U-Um, I'm sorry," she apologizes, a warmth creeping into her cheeks. "But we're about to take off, so if you could find your seat..."

Connor pats the seat next to him. "No problem. She was just about to sit."

"Absolutely not," I refuse. "Levi, switch seats with me."

"You'd rather sit next to Matti?" Connor asks. "Seriously?"

Matti smirks, still listening in on our conversation. "I'll treat you with all the southern charm, Aria. Come take a seat."

Connor leans over, reaching to whack him upside the head. Mattie ducks out of his reach, wincing.

"I would switch," Levi begins, "but I don't feel like being on the receiving end of another one of those hits."

"Coward," I mutter.

"You really need to take a seat," the attendant urges.

Huffing out another sigh, I plop beside Connor, hating the arrogant smile on his face, regardless of how attractive it is. The proximity between us is dangerous. A thrumming energy pulsates in the tiny feet of space separating our thighs, but I fight it tooth and nail as the attendant points out the emergency exits.

Connor glances over at me now that Levi is busy scrolling on his phone, and Matti bops his head to whatever music he's listening to. Without warning, he brings his hand to my face, running a thumb beneath my eyes over the bags I know are evident. "You're tired," he states. It's not a question, a statement.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," I whisper. My body is coiled tightly as he runs his thumb beneath the bags, a tiny v creasing between his brows. Connor seems concerned about me.

"You didn't sleep?"

He shouldn't be touching me like this. If someone were to see us... If Mattie or Levi glanced over... Pulling away from his grasp, I fight the urge to lean back into his touch. The loss of contact is excruciating. "I'm fine."

"You're lying."

"And how would you know?"

"Because I can see it, Aria. It's written all over your face."

"So? It's not your business, Connor."

He works his jaw, clearly annoyed, and the emotion doesn't help the desire swarming low in my stomach for him. I'm used to seeing his charming, flirtatious side. I've never seen him irritated, but...fuck, he's hot. He rakes a hand through his hair before slapping it down onto a thick, powerful thigh draped in those godforsaken grey sweats. "Fine," he concedes. "Whatever."

I settle into the seat, pleased that he's leaving me alone, and watch him open his duffle bag to rummage through it and pull out a...book? I expect him to use it as a stand to prop his phone up on, but my eyes grow wide as saucers when the man removes a bookmark and reads. I have no idea what genre it is since I didn't catch the title, but none of that matters. Not when he crosses one leg over the other, relaxes into his chair, and becomes entranced by the words on the page.

And oh god. I shouldn't be, but I'm wet. I'm practically raining a fucking waterfall between my thighs, forming a damp imprint on my leggings.

"You read," I observe, attempting to hide how breathless I am.

His lips form a thin line before he replies, "I was until you interrupted."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just didn't know that was a...hobby of yours."

"Why?" He muses. "Because I'm a doofus?"

He has every right to be rude to me. I haven't been the nicest to him since I stepped foot on this plane, and it isn't his fault. I'm cranky because I'm tired, and my mind has been constantly repeating since three this morning of the one night I'll never forgive myself for.

"I'm sorry," I tell him, meaning it.

"For interrupting or for calling me a doofus?"

"Both."

His stare lingers on mine until he eventually nods, accepting my apology. We fall into a natural silence as he goes back to reading his book, but after another minute, he adds, "My mom likes to read. I think I got my love of books from her."

My heart flutters. "Really?"

"Yeah," he admits. "Growing up, she had this huge library with all different genres. I'd spend hours in there as a kid reading things that interested me and things I probably shouldn't have been."

"Such as?"

He wiggles his eyebrows, and dammit, I end up smiling. "Things kept on the top shelf for a reason."

"That would explain a lot," I tease.

A different kind of smile settles onto his lips—a softer, genuine one. It's the kind of smile I'd want to capture on film. A smile that, even though doubtful, I hope is reserved just for me.

Regardless of the night Connor and I shared, we work together now, and I'd rather be amicable than be at each other's throats day in and day out. It's tiring. Although this doesn't mean we'll be friends, I hope this conversation brings forth a new beginning for us to work together seamlessly.

We're swept up in the comfortable silence once more as Connor returns to reading, but our smiles remain.

***

"Aria," a deep, husky voice whispers.

I groan, blinking my eyes into the bright lights through the tiny plane window. My body is warm, so warm, and I decide to bask in the warmth, burrowing my head down in the soft cotton fabric. I'm trying to go back to sleep, but then I hear the rapid heartbeat beneath my ear. It's a heartbeat beneath my ear, and the cotton fabric isn't my pillow. It's...

Oh, god.

Connor's arm is wrapped around my shoulder, holding me against his chest while my hand is stretched across his abdomen. His book is splayed across one of his knees, wholly forgotten about as he snores softly, his head resting on the back of his chair. My blanket is over my lap, covering my arm, but I didn't do that. At least, I don't think I did.

And the deep, husky voice can't belong to Connor because he's sleeping.

Twisting my head to the side, Levi towers above both of us with a look of disbelief. Yeah, I could see why he'd think that. I'm in disbelief myself, if I'm being honest. "He's cuddling with you," he says more to himself than me.

I ease out from underneath Connor's arm. "I don't think he realized he was doing it. We both fell asleep."

"Sure," Levi replies dryly. "You're lucky it was me who caught you guys, not Coach."

"It didn't mean anything. I... God, I'm never falling asleep again."

Matti chuckles, rising beside Levi. "Don't worry yourself too much, darlin'. It's hard not to be drawn to us during sleep." He pats his muscular, toned stomach. "We carry a lot of body heat."

"Right." I try to convince myself of that as I focus back on Connor, who is still sound asleep. He seems utterly relaxed, his mouth slightly parted. He's beautiful even when he doesn't try.

Levi clears his throat, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "We just landed. Can you wake him up?"

"No worries, I got it," Mattie intervenes. He grabs the pillow from my hands and whacks it into his face, startling Connor awake. "That's for hitting me earlier, jackass. Rise and shine."

"Fuck you," Connor mutters groggily, and holy hell. If I thought his voice was sexy before? When he first wakes up, his voice takes on a whole new meaning. He stretches his long legs out in front of him before sending me a lazy grin. "Sleep well?"

"No idea what you're talking about," I mutter.

He points to his sweatshirt, where an embarrassing tiny puddle of drool stains the fabric. "You're adorable when you sleep, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

He shrugs. "I'm letting you know regardless. Feel free to use me as your pillow anytime, Aria. I enjoyed every second of it."

Author's Note:

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

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I've been nice the past two chapters with low expectations!!! Going to try another challenge: 230 votes, 300 comments for next chapter immediately! If we don't get it in two days, I'll update regardless :)

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