He was on a plane back to Chicago—back to his life, which had nothing to do with her.She knew this was all her fault.She, of all people, knew that long-distance relationships don’t work.
The door opened behind her.She forced a smile to her lips as she turned.When she saw it was Sadie and Reed, she let the fake smile slip from her lips.She didn’t have to put a show on for them.She’d already told Sadie how badly things had ended with Brad.
“Hey, guys,” Abby said.“What can I get you?A latte?Something else?”
When they came to a stop in front of her, she saw the worried looks on their faces.“Guys, don’t look at me like that.I’m going to be fine.”
It sure didn’t feel like it.She felt as though her heart had been ripped in half.She didn’t know if it were possible to piece the jagged edges back together.
“She doesn’t know,” Reed said.
Sadie worried her bottom lip as she nodded.
Abby’s gaze moved between them.The worry lines bracketing their eyes were about something more serious than her broken heart.“What happened?Is it my mother?”
“No,” Sadie rushed to say.“It’s Brad.”
“Oh.”At least it’s nothing dire—even if it felt like it at the moment.“Did he say he never wants to talk to me again?”
Sadie shook her head as her eyes filled with tears.
Abby’s heart rate jumped.“What?”When Sadie shook her head as though she were struggling to keep her composure, Abby turned to Reed.“What’s going on?What happened to Brad?”
“We don’t know.All we know is that his plane had problems.”
“Problems?”Her brain searched for answers.
She reached for the simplest answer, like there was a mechanical issue, and it never took off.It was definitely the safest of the scary scenarios running through her mind.She desperately wanted to cling to the mechanical issue; however, that wouldn’t explain the tears and worried stares they were giving her.
“What problems?”They were really scaring her now.Brad has to be all right.
Reed walked over to where she kept the television remotes behind the counter.He turned on the television.There was some sort of breaking news on.
“If you have just joined us”—the blonde news reporter sent the camera a somber expression—“flight five-two-three out of Burlington took off, and within seconds radioed the tower, requesting an emergency landing.”
Abby stared at the television.This couldn’t be Brad’s flight.Please, say it wasn’t so.
Her gaze swung to her friends with their devastated expressions.“Tell me he’s not on this flight.”
“I’m sorry, Abby.”Reed’s voice was soft, as though it pained him to make the admission.“I’ve tried to call him multiple times, but it keeps going to voicemail.”
Her gaze swung back to the television.Please, let him be all right.
“Initial reports said the plane crash-landed.But we are getting some updated information that says the plane successfully landed before it lost control.”The news person got quiet, as though she were listening to a voice in her ear.“We have the first images of the plane in the air.This was sent in by one of our viewers.”
Abby heard the door of the coffeeshop open and close behind her, but she was so engrossed with the horrific scene on the television it didn’t even register that she was supposed to turn around and wait on them.
The amateur video came up on the screen.It looked as though it were taken on someone’s cell phone.The plane wasn’t very big in the video.It looked like it was ascending when one of the engines caught fire.Abby gasped.This was bad.Very bad.
And then the plane plunged downward, disappearing behind a building.The video stopped.But what happened next?
The camera cut back to the reporter.“The plane was able to limp back to the airport, but we’re told the landing was less than smooth.”
The screen switched to show the back of the plane on the ground.There was smoke coming from it while it was surrounded by emergency vehicles.Red lights flashed as tears stung Abby’s eyes.
She turned to Sadie and Reed.“I have to go.”
“Get your stuff,” Reed said in a calm voice.“We’ll drive you.”
