HONOR ME

ELEVEN

SKYLER

He chuckled.

“Let me guess... six? Seven?”

“Which do you prefer?”

His voice sounded closer this time.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose instantly.

“It’s your word against mine, Larsen.”

His body heat reached me before he did, making me painfully aware of how close he was.

“Let’s find out.”

The low rumble of his voice sent a shiver through me.

“None,” I answered honestly.

“So you don't like the idea of me being with another woman?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Why?”

The loose bun I'd thrown my hair into finally came undone, strands spilling over my shoulders.

He gathered my hair into his fist, not pulling—just holding it.

“Because... I—”

He tugged sharply, cutting me off.

“But you choose to be with other men. Does the name Louis mean anything to you?”

I swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath.

“Stop.”

My voice came out quiet, almost pleading.

A long silence stretched between us.

Then, slowly, he released my hair and took a step back.

The sudden absence of his warmth sent an unexpected chill through me.

Without another word, he turned, walked out, and quietly shut the door behind him.

“Crap.”

**ANDRÉ**

Dustin came by very early the next morning to pick me up.

Skyler was still asleep, but I needed to say goodbye.

I entered her room quietly and closed the door behind me.

Dustin was waiting in the garage, so I had to make it quick.

I walked to her bedside and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hey,” I whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open.

“André? Why... what's—”

“I’m leaving for Venice. Dustin is waiting for me.”

“Oh shi—”

She threw the duvet off and attempted to get out of bed.

“Let me escort you—”

I grabbed her shoulders gently and guided her back down.

“Sleep. I just came to say goodbye.”

She sat up anyway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“How long will you be gone?”

“A week.”

“That long?”

I reached into my pocket and brought out the small gift I had for her.

“Yes. That long.”

I placed the box on the table beside her.

“Where’s the bracelet I got you?”

She laid back down, turning to face me.

Our lips were barely inches apart.

“I never opened it,” she whispered.

“Why?”

“Maybe I’m scared.”

“Scared of?”

I asked softly.

“Scared to cherish it.”

Her expression softened slightly.

“You’re scared to fall in love.”

She nodded, letting out a small chuckle.

“It’s probably just my sleep talking. Don’t take me seriously.”

She rubbed her eye and yawned.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently stroked her arm.

“Maybe it’s just you being honest, hmm?”

“Hmm.”

I gathered whatever ounce of courage I had left and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

We weren’t at the kissing stage.

We hadn’t even really gone there.

And yet, somehow, my mind still had a habit of wanting only one thing from her.

Her body.

“Safe flight, André,” she smiled.

“Stay safe, Skyler,” I replied.

I got back to my feet.

She tucked herself under the covers again and smiled.

A smile I knew I would remember.

There were so many things I wanted to say.

So many sharp words sitting on the tip of my tongue.

But I swallowed them.

And walked out of her room.

Dustin eyed me suspiciously the moment I stepped into the garage.

“You look cheesy. Did she give you head?”

I punched his shoulder.

“Shut up, pervert.”

I spat before getting into my car.

━━━━━━ ✧ ━━━━━━

The plane had taken off an hour ago, and I was stuck beside a snoring old lady.

The first thirty minutes had been enjoyable.

We talked a little, exchanged stories, and got to know each other.

Then she fell asleep.

And she had been snoring ever since.

The earbuds did absolutely nothing.

I couldn’t switch seats, so I had no choice but to endure it.

“Dear passengers, please fasten your seat belts,” the pilot announced.

I frowned.

Was something wrong?

I was never a fan of seat belts. They made me look like some ridiculous bird with a strap around its neck.

Before I could complain further, the plane suddenly jolted.

The turbulence caught me off guard, making me jump slightly.

“Oh my... God!”

The old woman beside me had finally stopped snoring.

Instead, she was clutching her chest, eyes wide with fear.

“Son—fasten your seat—”

Another violent shake interrupted her.

This time, the entire plane trembled.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...”

The woman immediately began praying.

Around us, passengers started panicking.

Some grabbed onto their seats. Others whispered prayers under their breath.

Meanwhile, I remained surprisingly calm.

At least dying in business class wasn’t the worst way to go.

My legacy would live on.

Then—

“WE’RE GOING DOWN!”

A man’s voice cut through the cabin.

The next second, I was thrown forward, crashing against the seat in front of me.

“Fuck.”

The impact left me stunned.

“Hail Mary, full of grace...”

The old woman’s voice shook as she continued praying.

The plane kept shaking.

This was it.

The plane was going down.

I was going to die.

No s**t.

The shaking didn’t stop.

If anything, it got worse.

The screams around me became louder as the plane continued to fight against the sky.

The lights above us flickered.

The oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.

For the first time in my life, I had nothing to say.

No clever remark.

No sarcastic comment.

Nothing.

The old woman beside me gripped my arm tightly, her lips moving as she whispered prayers under her breath.

“Our Father, who art in heaven...”

I looked around the cabin.

A few hours ago, everyone on this plane had been living their ordinary lives.

Going on vacations.

Attending meetings.

Returning home.

And now...

Everyone was silently wondering the same thing.

Would we make it?

The pilot’s voice suddenly came through the speakers.

It was calm.

Too calm.

“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for an emergency landing.”

My heart sank.

Emergency landing.

The words repeated in my head.

I tightened my grip around the armrest as the plane dropped again.

Harder this time.

The world outside the window disappeared into clouds.

My mind went blank.

Then, somehow, one person came to mind.

Skyler.

Her annoyed face.

Her sarcastic comments.

The way she looked at me like she couldn’t stand me.

The way she whispered that she was scared to cherish something I gave her.

I swallowed.

Funny.

The one person I spent so much time provoking was the one person I suddenly wanted to see again.

The plane tilted.

A scream erupted from somewhere behind me.

The old woman’s prayers became louder.

“Please—”

A deafening sound filled the cabin.

The impact came before I could finish my thought.

Everything went dark.

━━━━━━ ✧ ━━━━━━

“Is everyone alive?”

A voice.

Distant.

Unclear.

I tried to move.

Nothing.

My eyes struggled to open, but everything was blurry.

There was noise everywhere.

Voices.

Movement.

Panic.

I tried to remember what happened.

The flight.

The turbulence.

The crash.

My breath caught.

My hand moved slightly, searching for something.

Anything.

Then I heard someone say—

“Someone’s still alive.”

And after that...

Nothing.