Chapter 38

38

MERRITT

T he clock seemed to slow down as I waited, my anxiety growing with every passing second. What the hell was taking so long? Kannon had been pulled aside for “additional screening” nearly two hours ago, and there was no sign of him.

I had flown plenty and had never been treated the way he was. I wondered if there was something on his record that was triggering all these extra security measures.

I paced for twenty minutes and then even got myself coffee. That was a mistake. The last thing I needed was caffeine. I was already amped up. I tried to ask one of the agents what was going on but that was futile. They weren’t willing to tell me anything.

I walked around the airport aimlessly, feeling lost. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I flopped into a chair and ended up sitting next to a woman who was reading a book. I thought she would be a safe bet. She was too busy to want to make small talk.

I was wrong.

She glanced up from her book, a friendly smile on her lips. “You look like you could use some company,” she said.

I was unsure if I was ready to dive into conversation with a stranger, but my desperate need for distraction won out. “It’s just been one of those days,” I admitted, forcing a tight laugh.

“Travel can do that to you,” she replied sympathetically, marking her place in the book with a finger. “I love traveling, but I hate the getting there.”

I laughed. “Yes, if only we could all own our own little airplanes.”

“It would make life easier.”

“My boyfriend was pulled aside for a random screening, and it’s been hours. I’m worried about him,” I confessed, the weight of the situation settling back on my shoulders as the brief distraction faded.

The woman’s expression softened further. “Oh dear, that sounds stressful. You know, sometimes these things take a while but usually work out fine. Has this happened before?”

I nodded, resting my chin in my hand, feeling the cool surface of the table beneath my elbow. “Yeah, it’s not the first time. It feels like he gets flagged every time we fly.”

“That must be frustrating,” she said, closing her book completely now, giving me her full attention.

I realized she must think he was a criminal. “He’s innocent,” I blurted out. “He doesn’t have a record. He doesn’t even fly all that often. I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Are you sure, honey? How long have you known this man? Do you need help?”

I almost laughed. She was a sweet lady looking out for me. She was the grandmother I didn’t have. “I’ve known him most of my life. Since we were kids. He’s a good guy. I don’t know if this is mistaken identity or what is going on.”

“I’m sure it’s just one of those unfortunate situations,” she said. “I’ve heard of it happening to others. I’ve spent plenty of time in airports and heard plenty of horror stories.”

I sighed. “Great. Just what I needed to hear.”

She reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Hang in there. They’ll let him go soon, you’ll see.”

Each minute that ticked by stretched into an eternity of waiting. Our flight was set to board in less than twenty-five minutes. If they didn’t release him soon, we were going to miss it. I kept glancing at my phone, hoping for some kind of update, but there was nothing.

I didn’t know what to do. I was a grown-ass woman but I felt like a kid that needed an adult. Years ago, I would’ve called my dad. He would have known what to do. But that wasn’t an option anymore. It was just me, stranded in this airport, with no idea who to call or how to help. I chewed on my thumbnail, watching the minutes tick by.

“I’m going to check on the situation,” I said. “Thanks for talking to me. Enjoy your flight.”

“Good luck,” she said.

I walked back to the last place I had seen Kannon disappear. I didn’t want to land myself in trouble, but I felt like I should do something. Kannon was being held and needed someone to stand up for him.

Finally, the door to the security office opened, and Kannon strode out. Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived. His face was like thunder, jaw tight and eyes dark with fury. He moved with a coiled energy, like he was barely holding himself together.

“Let’s go,” he snapped, not even looking at me as he brushed past.

“Kannon, what?—”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he bit out, his voice low and grating. “Let’s just get to the gate or we’ll miss our flight.”

I swallowed my questions and nodded, falling in step behind him. Or trying to, anyway. His long strides forced me to hurry, doubling my steps just to keep up. My chest ached as I tried to match his pace, huffing and puffing by the time we reached the gate.

We made it with minutes to spare. They were already calling our boarding group.

Once we were seated on the plane, I glanced at Kannon, trying to gauge his mood. He was slouched in his seat, arms crossed and jaw still tight. His energy radiated frustration. I could feel it like a storm cloud hovering over us.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, breaking the silence.

He didn’t look at me. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

That was the last thing he said to me for the rest of the flight.

I sat back in my seat, my mind spinning. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. We’d taken a huge leap deciding to be together—putting all our baggage and fears aside to make it work. And now, after one disagreement, he was shutting me out completely? Giving me the silent treatment?

That wasn’t something I could just brush off. I understood that he was upset—hell, I was upset too—but this wasn’t the way to handle it. We were supposed to be a team.

There was so much tension between us. The slightest noise from the plane seemed amplified. I didn’t want things to be this way, but every effort I made seemed only to reinforce the walls Kannon had put around himself.

As the flight dragged on, my mind played over and over the scenes of the day. It was unlike him. Something must have happened in that security office—something more than just a routine check.

“Kannon, is there something I should know?” I asked.

He shot me a dirty look. “Are you asking if I’m on some terrorist watch list or a fucking criminal?”

“I’m just wondering what happened in there,” I said. “Were they questioning you? Do they have you mixed up with someone else?”

“I’m not a criminal. I don’t have a record. As to why they keep pulling me to the side, you would have to ask them.”

It was clear he wasn’t interested in discussing it with me. I decided to leave it alone. He was pissed. Once he cooled down, he would tell me what happened.

The plane landed not long after and we made our way through the terminal in the same tense silence. I tried a couple of times to catch his eye, but he avoided my gaze.

“Kannon, stop stonewalling me. We need to talk about this.”

He didn’t look at me, staring straight ahead. “I’m not in the mood, Merritt.”

“Too bad,” I shot back, my frustration bubbling over. “It’s not my fault you got flagged for extra security checks. And even if it was, it’s over now. We made the flight. No harm done. What’s the big deal?”

He turned to me. His eyes flashed with anger and hurt. “The big deal? The big deal is that the first thing you want to do now that we’re together is try to change me.”

I blinked, taken aback. “That’s not what I’m doing?—”

“Sure feels like it,” he interrupted, his voice rising. “You’re coming after the biggest part of me, Merritt. The one thing that brings me joy, that saved me from the nightmare of the last three years. And you want me to just give it up?”

“The riding?” I asked with confusion.

“Yes. My bike. You don’t get to tell me to stop riding. You can’t ask me to do that.”

“I never said that!” I protested, my voice shaking. “I’m not asking you to stop riding. I’m asking you to be a little safer. To think about me, about us. I don’t want to lose you, Kannon.”

He shook his head, looking away again. “You don’t get it.”

“I do get it,” I insisted. My voice softened as I tried to explain. “You know how precious life is, how quickly everything can change. I’m just asking you not to take foolish risks that could take you away from me forever. That’s all.”

We walked out of the airport. I spotted a waiting taxi and started toward it. He opened the door and gestured for me to get in. I scooted over, expecting him to get in beside me. Instead, he closed the door.

“Kannon?” I called out, panic rising in my chest. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. He just turned and walked away. I watched him walking down the sidewalk, his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“Wait!” I pushed the door open and leaned out, my voice trembling. “Kannon, come back!”

But he didn’t turn around. He didn’t even glance back.

I watched him walk away, my heart breaking a little more with each step he took. Finally, I sank back into my seat, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Take me home,” I told the driver, my voice barely above a whisper. I gave him the address and closed my eyes.

As the car pulled away, we passed Kannon on the sidewalk. He never looked up.

I stared out the window, the weight of the day settling over me like a heavy blanket. I thought we were finally on the same page, finally moving forward together. But now? I didn’t know what we were anymore.

All I knew was that it hurt. And I wasn’t sure how to fix it.

The taxi ride home was painfully long. By the time I reached the house, I felt drained.

Everywhere I looked reminded me of Kannon. I had no idea if he was going to show up to finish the job or if he was going to leave me hanging. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to show up.

I was pretty hurt and seeing him would only make the hurt worse.