I can already picture it. Wind tugging at my coat. Engines whirring. Zach waiting with his signature controlled, unreadable posture.
“This is going to be a catastrophic mistake,” I whine, stopping in front of the mirror to check myself out.
“It could be,” she agrees. “Or it could be the start of something amazing. Either way, you’ve both avoided this for years. At least you’ll have—”
“If this goes badly,“ I interrupt, “I lose him.”
“Sky. You don’thavehim,” she replies gently.
Ouch.
“At least I havesomething,” I press my palm flat on the dresser.
“No,” she responds. “You don’t have what you want.”
Silence stretches for an uncomfortably long period of time.
“You don’t want safety,” she finally speaks. “You wanthim.”
The truth bristles under my skin.
“True, but I don’t want to make a fool of myself,” I whisper.
“You won’t,” she replies without hesitation. “I promise.”
My eyes fill with tears and I’m grateful we’re not on a video call. “You can’t know that.”
“I know both of you, and you’ll survive,” she assures.
Her certainty steadies me more than it should.
“If he steps forward,” she continues, “are you sure you’re not gonna step back?”
I picture his face at dinner. The way his voice softened when he told me he wanted me there.
“I am. I want to explore this if he does,” I answer finally.
“Good.”
We transition back into logistics. Dress steaming. Timeline adjustments. How many tissues she’ll need before walking down the aisle to Julian.
When we hang up, the apartment is noticeably quieter.
I open Zach’s message again.
Meet you at the jet.
My pulse rises.
Me: I’ll be there.
The three dots appear almost instantly.
Zach: I know.
I stare at the words longer than necessary.
Is he really so certain? Does he have any doubts?
It’s late. I need to get some sleep, so I plug my phone into the charger, climb into bed, and turn off the lamp. The suitcase stands by the door as proof I’m not backing out.
Tomorrow, after work, I’ll meet him at his jet and we’ll fly to Prague together. With nothing left to buffer us.
By the time we land, I’ll have my answer.
