It wasn’t until now that he put together all of the pieces to figure out why he was the way he was.But what was he supposed to do with this information?
His wait to board the plane was brief.The flight was completely booked.And to make matters worse, he was given a window seat.He didn’t like those seats, because there wasn’t room to stretch his legs.
Even worse was that they’d been held at the gate for forty-five minutes.The pilot apologized not once but twice.Each time the pilot assured them they would soon be on their way.
The longer they sat at the gate, the more Brad wondered if it was some sort of sign that leaving was the biggest mistake of his life.The thought of how he left things with Abby weighed heavy on him.
He knew what she wanted him to tell her.Three little words.But those three words came with commitments and expectations.Was he up to keeping them?
The plane jerked, and they were at last in motion.It meant he didn’t have to contemplate what he did or didn’t do concerning Abby.It was too late.
As the plane rolled out onto the runway, he leaned back in his seat and stared out the window.If he was going to be crammed into a window seat, he might as well take in the view.
The next thing he knew, he was thrust back in his seat as the plane rushed down the tarmac and then the wheels lifted from the ground.He stared out the window as sunny Vermont slowly faded.Instead of feeling better, he felt like he’d lost something very special.
Thud!
The plane shuddered.
His fingers held the armrests in a death grip as his body tensed.When he looked out the window, he was horrified to find fire coming out of the engine.Fire!
“We’re on fire,” the woman behind him shrieked.“We’re gonna die.”
It was followed by a lot of people with fear in their voices as the flight attendants attempted to calm everyone down.His stomach knotted up.
Brad’s gaze was glued to the bright orange flames shooting out of the engine.His breathing came in rapid gasps as his heart raced.This was not how he imagined dying.His palms were damp as he clutched the armrests.
And what did he have to show for his life?He had a successful business, but in that moment, he realized he didn’t have anything that was really important:a wife and kids.The things that he’d spent most of his life running from.
And he’d met the perfect woman.Not only had he met her, but he’d fallen head over heels in love with her.Why hadn’t he told her that he loved her?
But with the way the plane was vibrating, he wasn’t convinced they were going to stay in the air much longer.Just then the plane dipped hard to the right.Brad’s fingernails bit into the plastic of the armrests.
In what he imagined were his last moments alive, he was filled with regrets.He should have never left things the way they were with Abby.He should have put down his shield and laid his raw feelings out there for her to see.
The plane shuddered.Screams echoed through the cabin.Fear sliced through him in a way he’d never felt before.If this were his last moment, he had to make it count.
He reached for his phone.He pulled up Abby’s name.He quickly wrote out:I love you.
“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for an emergency landing,” the flight attendant shouted to be heard over the panicked voices.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket as he listened to the attendant’s commands.
The plane suddenly lost altitude.A new wave of bloodcurdling screams roared through the cabin.He gritted his back teeth, holding in his own horror.
He bent over as instructed.The breath caught in his lungs as time stood still.
If he lived through this—if he got a second chance, he promised himself he wouldn’t play it safe.He would take a leap into the unknown.He would throw himself on Abby’s mercy and tell her that he loved her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hewasgone.
Abby kept herself busy, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about Brad.Monday business usually tapered off after lunch.It was so slow at the moment that she was considering closing early.
She didn’t really want to go home.It would just leave her to pace around the apartment because her living room and kitchen did not need to be cleaned again.In fact, her apartment had never been this spotless.
Every time her phone went off, she found herself grabbing for it and hoping Brad’s name would show up.It never did.
