Chapter 1

I brace myself, gripping Jesse with everything in me.

Don't want to die.

Don't want to die.

Don't want to die.

Please, God.

Please…

Why didn't we just take the train underneath the English Channel? We had to fly this little puddle-jumper to Paris because God forbid the Steels not travel in style.

Except it was Emerald Phoenix who chartered the plane…

And now, it's all over. We're going to crash somewhere in the English Channel, our bodies irretrievable. Our families won't even be allowed to properly grieve us. Our grave markers will stand over empty soil.

And just when things got into a good groove with Jesse.

Tears fall down my face and hit the cold plastic of the oxygen mask.

There's one more bump, and I know this is it. I squeeze my eyes so hard, I fear that my eyelids will rip off.

I hold my breath and yield my soul to the universe?—

And nothing happens.

Did it happen? Is this what death feels like? The same as life?

I open my eyes slightly. I'm still on the plane. Everyone else is still clinging to their seats for dear life.

But the plane is no longer shaking.

I look through the window. It's dark outside, so I can't tell if we're still over the Channel. But we've stabilized and are sailing through a smooth stream of air.

Then a beep from the captain's speaker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. First and foremost, I want to assure you that our aircraft is now stable and under control. I apologize for the unexpected turbulence we just experienced, which resulted in a significant and sudden loss of altitude. I understand that this was a very alarming experience. What occurred was a rare but very normal event that my first officer and I are trained to handle."

What?I poke Jesse's shoulder. He opens his eyes.

"Holy shit." He slowly releases his grip from me and meets my gaze. "We're okay."

The captain continues his announcement. "The oxygen masks were deployed as a precaution due to the rapid altitude change, and I want to thank everyone for following the safety procedures correctly. Please wait a few minutes before retrieving any fallen suitcases to ensure that our aircraft is stable and it is safe to remove your seatbelt. If you need to access an overhead compartment that has not opened, please be careful, as items likely have shifted during the turbulence.

"Bethany will be moving through the cabin to assist you, check for any injuries, and ensure everyone's safety and comfort. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened for the time being, as we may experience more unexpected turbulence.

"Your safety and well-being is our top priority. My co-pilot and I are currently assessing our situation and will keep you informed about our flight status. We might need to adjust our flight plan accordingly, and I will update you as soon as we have more information.

"Please do not hesitate to call Bethany if you need any assistance or have any concerns. Thank you again, and know that we are committed to making the rest of your journey as comfortable and safe as possible."

I look down at my hands. They're still shaking.

I stare ahead, not believing what we just went through. The sounds of the plane became a blur in my brain.

From the void, I hear Jesse's voice.

"Brianna?"

But I can't respond to him. I can only fix my gaze on the back of the seat in front of me.

"Brianna!" Jesse tugs on my arm, pulling me out of my trance. "Are you okay?"

I blink several times, allowing a few more tears to fall.

My God.

I was positive my life was over.

Nothing flashed before my eyes.

Nothing.

It was just…over.

Except it's not.

And I should be jubilant.

But I'm…numb.

"Brianna…"

I turn to Jesse, look into his dark eyes. He gently removes the yellow oxygen mask from my face.

"I was so scared." My tone is robotic.

"So was I, baby."

The flight attendant, Bethany, who seems not nearly as shaken as we passengers are, walks down the aisle. The stench of vomit drifts toward me, and I swallow back my own nausea.

My left hand is in Jesse's, while my right hand clutches the armrest of my window seat with white knuckles.

Outside, the sky is still pitch black with no lights from below. Either we're above clouds, or there are no boats on the English Channel.

Or blackness has just descended…

No.

I breathe in.

We're okay.

I didn't lose my dinner, and neither did Jesse, but someone did.

As reality sinks back in, I realize the entire episode lasted less than a minute. It felt longer, and yet it also seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

I swallow.

Bethany stops and smiles at Jesse. "Do you two need anything?"

"I'd love to have the ten years that turbulence just took off my life back," he says.

I can't tell if he's trying to be jovial or if he's covering for how nerve-racked he is.

She nods. "The captain and co-captain are so sorry. There was irregular atmospheric motion, and the wings lost some lift in the process. Everything is fine now, and the captain has the aircraft under control. These things happen sometimes, and the pilot is almost always able to regain control."

I swallow. "Almost?"

Bethany's eyes widen. "Forgive me for my poor word choice." She gives a weak smile. "I promise you, I've been doing this flight back and forth every day for the last eight years. As the captain said, the kind of turbulence we just experienced is rare but not unheard of. A plane is always the safest place you can be."

Jesse looks around, eyeing the fallen suitcases and the sheet-white faces of our fellow passengers. "It sure as hell doesn't feel like it."

Bethany nods. "I know. But trust me on this one. Is there anything I can get you?"

"A stiff drink?" he says.

She smiles. "Right away. What would you like?"

He blinks. "Nothing. I couldn't possibly drink. I'm not sure why that came out of my mouth."

"Water then?" she asks.

"Sure." He looks at me. "Brianna?"

I simply shake my head. Anything that goes down is likely to come right back up. I still need to get my bearings.

Once Bethany is gone, Jesse turns back to me and plants a vigorous kiss on my lips. "Fuck, Brianna. I love you so much. If I wasn't sure before, I sure as hell am now."

I nod, gulping. "Me too. Jesse, I don't want to die."

He places his hands over my cheeks. "You won't. You didn't. We're here. I don't think we were ever in any real danger. At least according to that flight attendant."

"It sure felt like it."

"I know it did." He runs his hands through his hair. "Man, I'm glad we don't have a concert tomorrow. The band will need some recuperation time."

"We all will," I agree.

Jesse looks into the aisle. "Our carry-ons are still up in the bin." He nods to Dave, who's across the aisle from him with Maddie in the window seat. "You guys okay?"

Dave nods, but I can't hear what he's saying.

I hope Maddie's all right.

I hope everyone's all right.

What if…

My God…

This would have been like that plane crash decades ago that took out Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. I remember Mom and Dad talking about that once, how their parents loved all those musicians. The Day the Music Died, they called it.

All of Emerald Phoenix is on this plane.

And all of Dragonlock, except of course for Dragon himself, who's still in London and will be traveling back to the States soon to begin an intense drug rehab program in Denver.

I nudge Jesse when he's done talking to Dave. "Are they okay?"

"Maddie's shook up. I hope Rory's okay."

"I'm sure Brock has her covered."

He nods and turns back to me. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm grateful that Dave is here. What if Maddie were sitting alone? Had to go through this alone?"

"I don't want to think about it," I say. "I don't want to think about any of it."

He nods, inhaling. "For such a short flight, we sure had a big scare."

I take a deep breath in and sigh. "And I'm the one who told you not to worry. That we were flying over turbulent waters so we should expect air turbulence."

"You were right, baby."

"I didn't want to be that right." I rub my forehead. "Did Maddie get sick?"

Jesse shakes his head. "Dave says she didn't. Someone did, though. I saw puke fly through the air when we dropped."

"I know. I can smell it. I'm glad it wasn't me."

"I'm glad it wasn't you, too." He squeezes my hand again. "Do you remember what I said to you when we thought it was the end?"

Most of it's a blur, but I nod. Because that's the one thing I do remember. "You said, ‘Wherever we're going, we'll be together.'"

He nods and grabs my hands. "I meant it. From now on, Bree, wherever we're going, we'll be together. We'll find a way to make this work with both our careers." He squeezes my hands tight. "Because the one thing I know for sure after looking mortality in the eye? I don't ever want to be without you." He cups my cheek. "Will you be my wife, Brianna?"

And just for a moment, all the fear and trauma from the last few minutes drifts away. Jesse and I aren't even on the plane. We're floating above it, on our own little pink cloud.

I wrap my arms around his neck. "Yes, Jesse! A thousand times yes."