Surviving the Storm

Chapter 9

Storm

Once we’d finished breakfast, I followed Logan’s instructions and uploaded all my photos and videos to the new iCloud account he’d created for me.

It was strange seeing my memories sitting under a completely new identity.

A new name.

A new account.

A new life.

I inserted the SD card into my new phone and watched as my files appeared.

Then I opened my backpack, pulled out the charger for my old phone and placed it on the floor in the back of the SUV.

The old charger.

The old phone.

The old me.

I replaced it with my new charger and tucked it safely into my backpack.

I couldn’t help smiling as I picked up my new phone again.

I’d never had a phone quite like this.

It was mine.

And more importantly, it belonged to the person I was about to become.

I was still playing around with it when Logan chuckled.

“You’ll have plenty of time to finish setting everything up once we’re on the plane.”

I looked at him.

“I’m already halfway addicted.”

“I know.”

He shook his head, amused.

“It’ll give you something to do during the flight. I’ve also set up a new PayPal account for you and linked it to the App Store.”

My eyebrows shot up.

“You did?”

“Of course I did.”

He paused.

“And because you’re impossible and never listen to me when I tell you to download useful things, I’ve also set up a Spotify account.”

I grinned.

“Okay, now you’re officially my favourite person.”

“I’ve been your favourite person for years.”

“Don’t push your luck.”

He laughed.

“You’ll be able to download your music during the flight. But first, grab your old phone and make a list of every app you currently have. You don’t want to land in Ireland and suddenly realise you’ve forgotten something important.”

I nodded and pulled out my notebook.

“Make sure all your photos and videos are saved to the SD card,” he continued. “Once you’ve checked everything, factory-reset the old phone. Wipe it completely.”

I looked down at the device in my hand.

For a moment, I hesitated.

That phone had been with me through years of my life.

Bad years.

Good years.

Memories I wanted to keep.

Memories I desperately wanted to forget.

But keeping the phone wasn’t an option.

Mason couldn’t have anything that could lead him to me.

So I opened my notebook and began making my list.

One app at a time.

When I finished, I tucked the notebook back into my backpack and stared at the screen.

Then I pressed the button.

Factory reset.

Are you sure?

I swallowed.

Yes.

The screen went black.

Just like that, everything I’d ever put on that phone was gone.

I switched it off and tossed it into the back seat beside the old charger.

I didn’t look at it again.

Logan finished his breakfast, climbed out and disposed of our rubbish before getting back behind the wheel.

Then we were moving.

The airport was waiting.

And so was my new life.

⸻

When we arrived at the airport, we wasted no time.

We unloaded our luggage and made our way towards our private Gulfstream G650.

I stared at the aircraft for a moment.

This plane had been a Christmas present to Logan and me from our grandparents the previous year.

My mother’s parents.

They had adored both of us.

I wondered what they would think if they knew what we were doing today.

The thought made my chest ache.

I pushed it away.

There was no turning back now.

Our three-person flight crew were already preparing the aircraft.

They were loyal to Logan.

Loyal to us.

And, thankfully, they weren’t returning to the States.

I’d been worried about that.

The fewer people who knew where I was going, the better.

Logan had already thought of everything.

He’d purchased a secluded property in the French countryside, complete with a cabin, private runway and hangar.

The flight crew would live there.

Even better, the property had been purchased under our grandmother’s maiden name.

Another layer of protection.

Another secret keeping me safe.

I glanced at Logan.

“You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

He shrugged.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about keeping you alive.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So I simply reached for his hand.

He squeezed mine.

Then came the moment I’d been both dreaming about and dreading.

The engines started.

The low rumble vibrated through the aircraft.

My heart began pounding.

This was it.

I looked out the window as the runway stretched before us.

America.

My pack.

My family.

Kat.

Everything I’d ever known was down there.

And soon it would all be thousands of miles away.

I should have been terrified.

Maybe I was.

But underneath the fear was something else.

Excitement.

For the first time, I was going somewhere because I had chosen to.

No Mason.

No pack.

No rules designed to keep me trapped.

No one telling me who I was supposed to be.

Ireland was waiting.

University was waiting.

Music was waiting.

My future was waiting.

The aircraft began moving.

Faster.

Faster.

My stomach fluttered as the wheels left the runway.

I looked down at the world disappearing beneath us.

And then I smiled.

I was leaving.

I was really leaving.

I had spent years dreaming about this moment.

Now that it was finally happening, I could hardly believe it.

I leaned back against my seat and closed my eyes.

For the first time in my life, I was going to get the chance to discover who I really was.

No one else’s daughter.

No one’s sister.

No one’s possession.

Just me.

Storm.

And this time, my life was going to belong to me.