Chapter 3

Chloe had just cleared the metal detector, the relief of having her ID back washing over her like a weak painkiller. It took the edge off, but the ache was still there. She was walking toward the terminal, her rolling bag clicking on the terrazzo floor, when she heard it.

"Chloe! Wait!"

Her spine stiffened. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She could smell his cologne-that cheap, musky spray he liked to drown himself in. She kept walking, faster.

A hand grabbed her arm, spinning her around. Brennen stood there, his hair a mess, dark circles under his eyes. He was holding a manila envelope.

"Chloe, please," he said, his voice ragged. "Just listen to me. What you saw yesterday... it was a mistake. I was drunk. Kate came on to me, and I just... I wasn't thinking."

Chloe looked at his hand on her arm, then up at his face. "Take your hand off me."

He let go, but stepped closer, blocking her path. "I love you, Chloe. Not her. It was a one-time thing. I swear."

"You have a funny way of showing love," Chloe said, her voice flat. "Screwing my best friend in your car."

Brennen's face twisted, trying to look earnest. "I know you're mad. I know I messed up. But I still care about you." He held up the manila envelope. "I was waiting for you near check-in and saw you arguing with security. I figured you were in trouble, so I pulled some strings with the union rep. Got you a temp pass so you can make your flight."

He held it out to her like a peace offering. He expected her to be grateful. He expected her to melt, to see him as the knight in shining armor who was always looking out for her, even when she was being "hysterical."

Chloe stared at the temporary badge. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out her real ID, the plastic one the mysterious stranger had returned. She held it up, letting the light catch the Aura Airlines logo.

"I don't need your pity pass, Brennen," she said, her voice cold. "I found my own way home."

Brennen's smile froze. He stared at the ID, his jaw slack. "How did you... who gave you that?"

"That's none of your business," Chloe said. She stepped around him, her shoulder brushing his. "Nothing is your business anymore."

She walked away, her head high. She didn't look back. She could feel his eyes burning into her back, but she didn't care. The satisfaction was brief, a tiny spark in the dark. It didn't fix the hole in her chest, but it was a start.

She found a quiet corner near her gate and slumped into a plastic chair. The adrenaline faded, leaving her exhausted and hollow. She pulled out her phone and dialed Aisling. It rang and rang, then went to voicemail.

She hung up without leaving a message. She was alone. The only person who had helped her in the last twelve hours was a stranger she had paid for sex. It was pathetic.

"Attention, Aura Airlines staff," the intercom crackled. "Flight 104 to Paris, please report to gate B4."

Chloe took a deep breath. She stood up, smoothed her uniform, and pasted on her professional smile. The show had to go on.

Across the terminal, Brennen watched her walk away. His face was red, his pride stinging. He pulled out his phone and hit the first contact.

"She got her ID back," he snapped the moment the call connected. "Someone gave it to her. She blew me off."

There was a pause on the other end, then Kate's voice, smooth and calculating. "Don't worry about it, Bren. If she wants to play hard to get, fine. We'll just have to find another way to make her life difficult."