Chapter 7 Lyons | Takeoff To Hawaii.

Nervous and excited about travelling again after months, I woke almost every hour to glance at the antique clock hanging on the wall across the room and when daylight finally arrived, and my alarm went off by five thirty, my eyes were droopy and bloodshot - devoid of sleep. We didn't need to get to the airport to check in till ten, but Sasha was paranoid about missing the flight especially as she had to pay because of me despite it being free, and I was eager to have her unclench and let loose all the negative energy Alex's breakup left her with.

Plus, there was no way I wanted to risk missing the flight, fun and models awaiting me at the resort either.

When I padded into the living room, the sofa bed was put away and I found Sasha pottering about in the kitchen, already dressed and looking good in a light pink flimsy dress, as she laid out breakfast of bacon, toast and scrambled eggs for us both on a tray.

"Good morning, " She greeted, sliding a steaming mug across. "Drink up."

"Morning," I groused, inhaling the much needed steam before taking a cautious sip. "Thanks. You're the best."

She smiled. "I knew how you'd feel without caffeine. I couldn't sleep too."

I huffed in agreement, sipping some more.

We tucked into our platefuls each, and did our last bit of cleaning and morning packing before we left for the Airport by nine.

The morning commute was quiet and the only passengers aside us were a few tourists beating the rush, hungover teenagers returning after a banging night and night workers coming off night shifts.

We sat next to each other, leaning closer to rest our heads against each other's, and as she read out Sherlock Holmes to me as the train rumbled along, I took the chance to admire her for a long moment. Her blonde curls were wispy and whipped around her neck with the wind. She'd always complained about it, preferring to put it up in a tight bun until she got a severe case of dandruffs a while back which exploded into a fight with Alex. The fucker berated her because of it and she had to sleep in my flat for weeks before it healed.

At Focados Airport, there were hardly any queue in the luggage drop, but it took us some time to get through security. While we were waiting in line, we busied ourselves by watching the other people, wondering if they were headed to the same resort or country as us.

"That couple at two o'clock, " I leaned close to mutter in Sasha's ear. "The guy who looks like an Italian and the brunette with him. I bet they're going where we're going. "

Sasha glanced at the direction I'd pointed out. The couple in question were sucking their faces off, seeming to be forgetting that they weren't in their bedroom but in an airport, as the guy looped a hand on the girl's heinie, bringing her thigh up to his waist and deepening the kiss by arching her back lower. Sasha wrinkled her nose and scowled. "Well, they have no shame."

"I know right? Also, take a look at that group over there. I think they're a band or something, " I nodded towards four guys and a girl who looked our age, or a little younger. One of the guys who appeared to be the leader had a buzzcut and a beanie over it, while the one beside him wore tight shorts, showing off long, tanned slender legs. They were all clutching musical instruments.

"Yup." Sasha chuckled. "I'm not arguing about them being in a band. Damn, Beanie guy is hot even though he's not my usual type."

Blue-haired girl - who seemed to be the only girl in the group and obviously the youngest currently had her arms around Beanie guy's neck as she whispered something - a joke which made Beanie guy throw his head back in a deep, breathy laugh that added to the intrigue gleaming in Sasha's eyes. I couldn't deny why - Beanie guy was hot and had dimples on either side of his face whenever he smiled. He also had an athletic physique and a tall frame for credits. As if he could feel us watching him, he looked up, caught Sasha's eyes and grinned. Then his gaze slipped sideways to me and he looked away quickly. Too late, I realised I'd been glaring.

"Yeah, he is." I masked my scowl with an uncomfortable chuckle, trying not to be a protective scumbag. Sasha was my best friend, not my girlfriend and I was supposed to help her get laid, not scare the guys away.

Once we were through the security checkpoint, we got some muffins and soda, and then found some seats in the lounge. The airport brimmed with different nationalities and cultures and I loved watching the passengers milling about. When we were done eating, we took a little tour around and got some bottles of water to replace the one we forgot back home. I also purchased a new book to keep me distracted during the flight.

"It's almost time." Sasha consulted her watch worriedly. "We'll be boarding in about half an hour. Maybe we should go to the gate now."

"Relax." I patted her reassuringly. "We can still make it in fifteen minutes from now. I see no one going to the tarmac right now."

A quick glance around confirmed my words. She sighed, leaning further back onto the leather lounge seats. "I suppose you're right. "

"Stop stressing. We won't miss the plane and the flight's gonna be smooth. We can talk a walk around before heading to that direction."

Anything to make her happy. Sasha had an aversion for heights. When we flew over to Connecticut for a friend's wedding, I'd had to give her sleeping pills to get her to chill while the plane was miles up in the air. At least now she seemed a bit better, but I knew she was displacing her anxiety onto lateness.

We hung around a bit before heading towards the gate to wait. I noticed Sasha's legs trembling and she didn't seem to be aware of the movement. Touching her arm softly, I asked. "Hey, you okay there?"

"Yeah." She furrowed her brows together. "I just get unnerved with all the waiting. But I'm fine."

Getting out the book I bought, I handed it over. "Why don't we read together, then afterwards we can test our understanding with questions."

She leaned closer to me and we read two chapters of Little Women by Louisiana Alcott. By the time they called out seat numbers to board, she was visibly more relaxed.

As soon as we were in our seats and our hand luggage stowed, I whipped out the book again. "Wanna continue?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She smiled gratefully.

We carried on reading right through the plane taxiing along the runway. Sasha's legs began trembling again, prompting me to place a palm on her thighs in encouragement as the engine roared and we picked up speed. At that point she leaned back in her seat, gripped the hand rests so hard her knuckles turned white and squeezed her eyes shut. But once we felt the swoop and lift as the plane took flight, she opened her eyes and sighed. "Finally."

"Yup." I said. "I find it funny a thing this big can fly."

"Me too. It feels like a miracle each time I experience it." She leaned across to peer out the window past the rushing clouds. "Wow."

I could smell the slight druggy spice in her cologne and the warmth of her skin beneath. "Not a miracle. Just science. Now get out of my face. You said you didn't want the window seat."

"Oh shut up, you goof!" She rolled her eyes, settling back. "God, being in the air's not as bad as experiencing a takeoff. Landing isn't a headache too. Now I can finally focus on enjoying the holiday. "

"Yeah?" I smiled, spirits rising with her change in demeanor.

"Yeah. You're always fun to hang around with. I'm positive we're both going to have a great time together." She looked genuinely happy for the first time this week and that made me happy.

"I've got no doubt about that too."