“What do you think?” I ask, and he cups my jaw.
“I think you made it this far, angel. What’s a little higher?”
I lean into his hand, counting my breaths. “I’m scared.”
“I know, baby. And I swear, this wasn’t my plan all along, bringing you up here. But unexpected things have had a way of working out for you and me lately, wouldn’t you say?”
If we don’t count him being impaled by an axe, sure. But I suppose even that had its benefits. Nico and my dad reconnected, he and Shay are closer, and I got to meet everyone in Wintermore. We’re not a secret anymore. I let myself love him. I decided to stay. I quit my job, once and for all.
That axe started a domino effect that has only worked out in our favor, all because Nico was brave enough to let me help him.
I don’t feel all that brave right now. But I can try.
“I want to do it.”
I can hear the smile in Nico’s voice when he says, “That’s my girl.”
It doesn’t take long once I decide, which is just as well because the more time ticks by, the more my resolve disappears. I help Nico with his seatbelt, Ari gets everything ready up front, then our headsets are on, and we’re taxiing out of the hangar and toward the small runway.
I’m not sure I’ve ever squeezed my eyes closed so tightly.
With his seatbelt on, Nico is sitting too far back to wrap his arm around me entirely, but he holds on to the nape of my neck, gently massaging, keeping me as grounded as I can be.
“Do you want me to talk you through what’s happening or just tell you when we’re up?” Ari asks through the headset.
“When we’re up, please.”
Nico squeezes the back of my neck, reminding me he’s there as the plane speeds up. Ari doesn’t have to tell me when we take off; I feel the wheels lift. I hold my breath, waiting. Time could have stopped for all I know, but then I feel it.
The dip.
The brief moment when we’re falling, and then we’re soaring.
I hear Nico gasp through the headset, a soft, awed curse spilling from his lips.
“Open your eyes, angel,” he murmurs, his fingers like silk against my skin.
My lungs scream as I fill them with air before finally opening my eyes.
At first, all I see is sky. Warm blue with splotches of fluffy white cloud. It’s calm, serene. Ari wasn’t kidding when they said it was a beautiful day.
But then I look down, and I see what made Nico gasp.
“Oh.”
The mountains are… magic. I can see how some people might find them imposing, even scary. But these are the mountains that kept Nico safe for decades before I came along. The mountains that welcomed me when I needed a place to land. The mountains where I found him.
The jagged landscape feels like home. Being up here feels like home.
“Este.”
I drag my gaze to the only thing more beautiful than the view below. Nico is sitting forward, watching me, his gray eyes watery.
“You’re flying, baby.”
I’m flying. I’m fucking flying.
A sob wracks my body before I can stop it, tears spilling down my cheeks. Nico holds my face, wiping them away as they fall. “It’s incredible.”
