The captain’s voice came over the intercom one more time. “Brace. Brace. Brace.”
They bent forward, arms over their heads, the position awkward and terrifying and real.
But their hands stayed locked together.
Hers in his. His in hers.
Holding on as the plane fell to the earth.
They’d survived, the plane touching down hard, bouncing, but finally screeching to a halt.
No fires, no debris field, everyone still strapped into their seats, alive.
But Jayden’s free hand shook. Dakota still held the other one, his grip steady and warm.
And maybe that’s why she was able to lie when Dakota asked, “You okay?”
Jayden pressed her shaking hand flat against her thigh, willing it to stop. “Yeah. You?”
“Still here.”
Tropical rain hammered the airplane’s windows as the plane taxied in at Nadi International, and somewhere behind her, a child cried, and none of that mattered because she’d made it.
But her hand kept shaking. Sheesh, she’d turned into a pansy.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated.” A flight attendant’s voice rang out over the cabin noise. “We’ll be evacuating row by row. Please leave all carry-on items and proceed directly to the exits.”
Pull it together, Lynx.
“Can you stand?” Dakota asked quietly.
“Of course I can stand.” She glanced at him. “Can you?”
His mouth quirked. “Eventually.”
The aisle started to clear. Passengers stumbled forward, some crying, some silent. Vic pushed past them, face white.
“Row sixteen, please exit now,” the flight attendant called. “Leave your belongings. Move quickly but carefully.”
Dakota stood, still holding her hand, and pulled her up with him.
She didn’t fall apart. Not during the landing, when the plane had shuddered and groaned and every person in the cabin had been absolutely certain they were going to die. Not during the evacuation, when flight attendants shouted instructions and passengers stumbled over each other in the aisles.
“Watch your step,” a flight attendant said as they reached the exit. Her smile was professional, but her eyes were exhausted. “Welcome to Fiji.”
“Thanks for getting us down,” Dakota said.
“Thank the pilots.” She nodded toward the cockpit. “They’re the heroes today.”
And she didn’t fall apart now, standing in the chaos of the terminal with her hair plastered to her face and her heart still pounding too fast.
“I need to find out about connecting flights,” Jayden said, scanning the terminal. Gate agents huddled behind counters, already overwhelmed by two hundred passengers who’d just cheated death.
“Give yourself a minute first.”
“I’m fine.”
“Jayden.”
