Page 81 of Aviatrix

“We’ve always made a good team,” I murmur.

“Leaving you…” It comes out rough. “Breaking up with you… it wasn’t easy, Quay.”

I hold his gaze, waiting with bated breath for whatever he says next.

“I knew you were stuck in limbo with your dad’s disappearance. Did he walk away from his life? Was he dead?” His breathing hitches. “I didn’t want to add to that. I thought if I left cleanly, it’d hurt less.”

“It wasn’t your choice to make for me,” I say quietly, unwavering. “You didn’t give me a say. You just… disappeared.”

“I was young,” he says, almost pleading. “That’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth. And maybe I was afraid of how much I loved you.”

Lightning splits the sky, the flash reflected in his eyes. For a moment, we just stand there, the storm swelling around us, the silence between us louder than the thunder.

I don’t know what to say. Maybe there’s nothing.

All I know is that the storm isn’t just outside anymore.

“Why are you telling me all of this now?” I ask, barely above a whisper.

His lips part. “Because I don’t know how many chances I have left to tell you how I—”

“Time for supper!” Willa’s announcement jolts through the barn, bubbly and oblivious, as thunder cracks violently overhead.

I flinch, heart slamming against my ribs, but I’m not sure if it’s from being startled… or from the weight of what he almost said.

“We’ll be there in just a moment,” Eli calls to Willa, keeping his fingers locked with mine.

“You two gonna make out or something?” she calls back.

Eli exhales, clearly exasperated. “No. It’s work.”

Her gaze drops pointedly to our joined hands. “Uh-huh. Sure.” She stomps off, theatrical as ever. Eli’s shoulders tense.

“There are four major ships parked over the country,” I say quickly, snapping us back to reality. “What are we going to do about it?”

He bites his lower lip. His tell. He’s either unsure or conflicted. “We have to find a weakness in their defenses.”

“Or,” I counter, “we find the Legion. That’s what they were looking for when they leveled Langdon.”

His thumb strokes the back of my hand. Too gentle. Too intimate.

“I’m more worried about your mom right now,” he says softly, his eyes flickering to my lips.

“She’s resourceful,” I say, willing it to be true.

“The Colonel could help,” he offers, clearing his throat. “You should ask him.”

I sigh. “I’ll think about it.” Asking Lark is the last thing I want to do.

Eli squeezes my fingers, our fingertips pressing together before slipping apart. “We should head in.”

I want to tell him no. I want to stay right here, where the air is still and the ache between us feels almost manageable. But I know Willa, and she will come back.

Goosebumps suddenly rise on my skin.

Then, it happens. A sound. Eerie. Foreign. Like metal dragging through static.

“What is that?” I ask.