“Rogue—”
“I figured,” he says quietly, watching my reaction, “we could bring a bit of your happy place with us.”
My throat tightens. The cabin lights dim, and the steady drone of the plane fades into the background as the world tilts again like it did on the bridge when everything felt too good to be real.
He leans back, glass still in hand, eyes on me. There’s no smugness, no show. Just that simple, quiet thoughtfulness that keeps undoing me one piece at a time.
I can’t even find the words. All I do is smile, shaky and overwhelmed, before whispering, “Thank you for doing all of this for me.”
He tips his glass toward me, that faint, crooked grin tugging at his mouth.
“Anything for you, kitten.”
The flight felt like a dream.
Hot dogs, champagne, and laughter that came too easily. David, the most-perfect flight attendant, showed up again halfway through with another tray, this one carrying pastel macarons and two more mini bottles of champagne. Somewhere between the sugar and the bubbles, I forgot what it felt like to guard my heart.
Now we’re back on the ground, the spell breaking as the team spills into the private terminal. Everyone’s heading in different directions. Waving, calling goodbyes, dragging carry-ons.
I spot June near one of the pillars, phone pressed to her ear.
“You driving home?” I ask when she hangs up.
She shakes her head. “No. May’s picking me up.”
“Arrivals?”
“Yep.”
Before I can say anything else, a familiar voice cuts through the noise.
“Martínez!”
Thiago turns from where he’s walking with Malik, jogging a few steps back toward us.
“You’re going toward arrivals, right?” Rogue asks.
“Yeah.”
“Could you walk June? She’s heading that way too.”
June and I exchange a look, and before she can respond, Thiago grins. “For sure, man. Come on, June.”
June gives me a quick hug. “See you tomorrow.” Then she nods to Rogue. “Thanks, Rogue.”
He dips his head. “Aye, lass.”
They speed up, catching up to the rest of the group.
“Martínez,” Rogue calls again.
Thiago turns. “Yeah?”
“Make sure she’s with her sister before you leave.”
Thiago salutes with a laugh, throwing an arm around June’s shoulders in that easy, friendly way only he can pull off.
Just like that, everyone’s gone. The noise fades, and the electricity between us suddenly feels stronger.
