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“We can take our time,” he said, running his hand up and down my back. “I don’t want you to be hung up on this. We don’t ever have to announce it if we don’t want to. It’s not like we owe anyone an explanation about our lives.”
We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms in the kitchen. That is, until the grease in the pan started smoking and Alex had to rush over and deal with it.
Later that day I got a text from Casey.
Casey
I just got back from Ryan’s place.
He’s really cool, Em. I really hope he texts me. I gave him my number.
And as for the best friend test, I have decided that Alex is BFF-approved.
Is that because you have a crush on his best friend?
Casey
Nope, but that's a bonus hehe.
Chapter 19
Alex
Emma hadn’t founda new apartment by the time the convention came around two weeks later. I was also partially to blame for her troubles, because I kept convincing her to only look at apartments that were in our neighborhood and nowhere else.
She fidgeted nervously in the backseat as Lauren drove us to the airport. I noticed her hands trembling slightly as she tapped away on her phone so I reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, but she barely seemed to register it.
“You okay?” I asked softly.
Emma nodded. “Just excited,” she mumbled unconvincingly.
When we arrived, we said goodbye to Lauren and rolled our two suitcases into the airport. In the red one were all of our clothes for the weekend and in the black one were our cosplay costumes. I guided Emma through security. I could see her get more and more jumpy, but I chalked it up to the overwhelming amount of people around us.
It wasn't until we boarded the plane and settled into our seats that the full reality of the situation hit me. Emma's long brownhair fell in a curtain around her face as she hunched forward, her breathing becoming more rapid and shallower.
“Emma,” I said gently, realization dawning. “Fuck, are you alright?”
She shook her head no.
“Em, is this your first time flying?”
That's when the plane started to taxi on the runway.
She nodded jerkily as her eyes, wide with panic, met mine. “I—I can't do this, Alex. I need to get off.”
“Hey, hey,” I cooed, placing my hand on her shoulder. “It's okay to be scared. But nothing scary is going to happen I promise.”
Emma took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady herself. I was starting to get seriously worried because I could see the pulse in her neck racing, she was going to work herself into a full-on panic attack if she kept spiraling like this.
“How about we try something?” I suggested softly, grabbing both of her hands in mine and turning her around to face me. “Let's close our eyes and take some slow, deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
I demonstrated, closing my eyes and taking an exaggerated breath. After a moment, I felt Emma's shoulder rise and fall as she mirrored me.
I cracked one eye open to watch her. “That's it,” I murmured. “I promise you we will be fine. You trust me, don't you?”
She nodded, her eyes still closed, her breaths becoming slower and more even.
As the engines revved and we started to accelerate, Emma's eyes flew open, her hands gripping mine as if she thought she was going to be ripped away. I could see the whites of her knuckles, but her breathing remained steady. I leaned in closer, my voice almosta whisper. “It's okay, Emma. It's just like a car, only faster and statistically a lot safer.”
