CHAPTER|18
723 Words
Amarrah's POV
The words entered me quietly. Boarding the plane became harder than I expected. The moment I stepped inside, my heart started beating too fast.
The closed space, the unfamiliar sound, the feeling that soon nothing would be under my feet.
I sat beside Ava because she insisted Liam sat across with Marcus. Vanessa stayed near Aiden before takeoff. My palms were already wet.
Ava noticed first. "You are holding the seat too hard."
"I know."
When the plane began moving faster, fear hit fully. I closed my eyes immediately and the lift made my stomach twist.
Without meaning to, I grabbed the armrest too hard.
Vanessa looked back and gave a short laugh. "People still fear simple flights?"
I opened my eyes briefly but said nothing.
"It is like she thinks the plane will break."
Liam frowned at her. "Aunt Vanessa."
She ignored him. Aiden sat by the window, saying nothing, not helping, not mocking, just distant.
That somehow felt worse because I did not know which was easier to bear. When the plane shook slightly mid,air, I almost gasped.
Ava quietly pushed a bottle of water toward me. "Drink."
I took it. "Thank you."
"You can hold my hand if you want," she said simply.
That almost made me emotional, so I put a small child's hand to help me breathe through something I could barely control.
The flight ended eventually, but by the time we landed, I already felt drained at arrival, the heat outside felt easier than the air inside the plane.
The hotel stood near the water, large and bright. Ocean Crest Resort had people moving everywhere: tourists, staff, carts, luggage.
The children became excited again immediately. Vanessa recovered her good mood because public places always seemed to suit her.
Rooms were assigned quickly mine was smaller and farther down the hallway, which I expected.
Once inside, I finally sat on the edge of the bed. The silence there hit hard. No children talking, no kitchen noise, no staff moving around.
Just me.
And suddenly all the tiredness from the day fully dressed the fear on the plane.
Vanessa's words.
The way Aiden had stayed silent through all of it and deeper than all that, the old fear that never fully left.
What if Casper somehow found where I was? What if someone from home had spoken? What if using another name one day stopped protecting me?
I covered my face and cried quietly because there was nobody to hear, not loud tears, just tired ones.
The kind that comes when too much sits inside and nowhere feels fully safe. A knock came sooner than I expected.
I quickly wiped my face and stood. When I opened the door, Aiden stood there. He looked freshly changed, serious as always.
His eyes briefly noticed my face, probably the redness, but he said nothing about it. "We need to get things for the children."
I stepped aside slightly. "Now?"
"Yes. Some things were not packed."
I nodded immediately. "I will come."
We walked downstairs without much conversation. Vanessa had chosen to stay with the children. Marcus remained too so it became just the two of us and the driver heading to a nearby supermarket.
Island Fresh Market was busy inside and tourists filled most rows. Aiden pushed the cart while checking a short list.
I followed quietly, picking items he mentioned.
"Juice."
I placed it inside.
"Cereal."
I reached for it.
The silence between us stayed heavy but manageable. Then it happened near the far end of one row, a man turned.
Tall.
Dark shirt, side face first, then profile for one second, my blood ran cold the shape of the face, the jaw, the walk.
Casper.
My hand dropped the cereal box. The sound made Aiden turn slightly, but I no longer saw him.
I only saw that face again. The man looked closer now. Not fully him but enough like him that fear erased reason.
I stepped backward too fast.
My breathing broke immediately. "No..."
The cart edge hit my leg. I moved again, but my shoulder struck a full display beside me rows of stacked bottled items crashed loudly onto the floor.
The sound spread across the supermarket.
And before I could steady myself, I stumbled fully into the fallen display, panic already swallowing my breath.
- Writer
