12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stella

“Isn’t BC the other way?”

Cody’s genuine confusion is the only reason I chose the civil route and resist rolling my eyes. Instead, I let Mo take this one and continue relishing in the fact Cody’s legs are significantly more cramped than they were half an hour ago.

I do love petty revenge.

“Sure is!” Mo shoots me a wink, providing absolutely no explanation for why we’re heading towards Lethbridge instead of Crownest Pass.

I smirk, glancing out my window at the snow-covered corn fields lining either side of Mo’s tinted windows. The clouds are hanging low today, making it difficult to see the white-peaked mountains standing guard in the distance.

If I’m being honest, besides those white-peaked beauties, the flat spans of prairie don’t leave a lot to admire.

“Right, okay.” Cody falls silent once more, letting my spectacular 2000s playlist fill the void in the car. We cruise for about twenty more minutes before slowing down to pass through another small town. My humming pauses as I take in the rickety houses and faded business buildings lining the main road.

“Hey, isn’t this where that club is…” I trail off, squinting at the passing signs in hope something will spark my memory.

“You’re thinking of Lifestyle. That’s in the next town over.” Mo adjusts his grip on the steering wheel, his gaze focused on the road ahead.

Cody laughs from the backseat, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that one. Wes and Nico always have a good time there.” He chuckles some more, “Last I heard, it’s the rowdiest gay club in Southern Alberta. And if that’s coming from those two, it must be true.”

Through the side mirror, I watch Cody shake his head and smile. He mustn’t have shaved this morning because stubble is starting to grow in, the dark blonde hair pulling unnecessary attention to that jawline.

Unnecessary because it draws enough attention on its own.

Cody catches me staring and I quickly avert my gaze to the frost-bitten tumbleweed blowing down the sidewalk. After a few minutes of sightseeing, I risk another glance only to find him staring right back at me. I freeze as our eyes lock, the reflection tethering us together while keeping us a safe distance apart.

Sums up our non-existent relationship well.

He leans forward, disappearing from my vantage point, and suddenly I feel warm air brush against the side of my neck. The whisper of contact triggers goosebumps to rise along my skin despite the heat Mo is blasting through the vents.

I feel Cody shift closer, his legs pressing hard into the back of my seat and into the base of my spine.

“Would you mind skipping this song? I’m not a fan.”

His mouth is right next to my ear, the vibrations of his voice flowing through my body and mingling with my other senses. One inch to the left and my cheek would be pressed against his and I’d finally see what that scruff feels like.

Shame he had to ruin the moment with last night’s conversation.

Ignoring the close proximity, I calmly reach for the audio controls, bypassing the skip option and making a beeline for the volume.

And I proceed to crank it.

Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA blasts through the speakers and I take it as my cue to start singing at the top of my lungs.

Off-key, of course.

My older brother, God bless him, either didn’t hear Cody’s comment or chose to take my side, because he turns the dial even higher and pretty soon, we are rocking a duet down the snow-covered roads.

Cody grunts and folds himself back into his seat, choosing to accept defeat in sullen silence.

The last bar of the song rings out, but Mo and I don’t take a breath before launching into the next party anthem streaming from my phone. We keep the sibling car karaoke going all the way to Lethbridge, finally calling it quits when we arrive at our intermediate destination.

“Man, I’ve missed this.” Mo gives me a smile that says more than I can explain, “It’s good to have you back, Stel.”

“It’s good to be back.” We grin at each other, but the bonding moment is cut short when a throat clears behind me.

“Did I miss something? Why are we at the Lethbridge airport?”

Mo turns to face our backseat passenger, “You didn’t miss anything, we’re just cutting our drive short. Stella isn’t one for road trips.”

I shudder in agreement. Motion medicine works to keep my nausea down, but it knocks me out harder than a horse tranquilizer.

Popping the trunk, Mo grabs two of my suitcases and I climb out to grab the last one, shooting Cody a glare when he tries to grab it for me. We head towards the check-in desk, bypassing the small terminals until we arrive at the private sector.

Mo pulls out his security clearance and a quick check of our IDs has the receptionist greeting us like long lost friends, “Mr. and Miss O’Brien, it is so nice to have you flying with us again.”

“It’s our pleasure, Stephanie.”

Stephanie beams as if Mo’s name tag reading was worthy of a Grammy. Cody snorts and I hold back a gag. I can’t take this dog anywhere.

“If there’s anything I can be of assistance with, please let me know.” Giving Mo an obvious once-over, Stephanie hands each of us a clearance pass and waves us through.

I shoot my brother a look as we head to our designated hanger.

He smirks, "It’s called exchanging pleasantries, Stella. You should look into it sometime.”

“More like exchanging numbers. Tell me she slipped something with your clearance pass.”

Mo doesn’t even bother glancing at the piece of paper in his hand, “As if lovely Stephanie was going to be the one to break my streak. We’re practically the same age.”

I roll my eyes, “One octogenarian, Mo. One. That does not make you irresistible to women of all ages.”

“Did or didn’t I get that sweet little old timer’s number?”

Cody’s eyes go wide, “No way. You hit on a grandma?”

“Bethany was closer to my great grandma’s age, but yes, we got along well.”

Mo lifts his shoulder casually as if this was an everyday occurrence, “She was taking her first international cruise and wanted a way for me to keep in touch afterwards.”

I laugh, “He got the number to some old folk’s home down in New Jersey.”

“Hey, Beth was thrilled to hear from me once they finally patched me through. Good thing she’d left me her room number as well.”

I cackle at the memory, Cody’s shock swiftly turning into suspicion.

“You’re playing with me, aren’t you?”

Mo grins, “If you don’t believe me, just ask Stella.”

Cody’s eyes narrow as I wipe away tears, “Hey, don’t look at me. I wasn’t Bethany’s shuffleboard partner for six weeks straight.”

Cody opens his mouth to respond, but no words leave his lips as we step into the hanger.

Cody

Holy shit. I feel like Tom Cruise.

Small planes of every colour blind me as we enter the wing saved purposefully for people with enough money to avoid commercial flying altogether.

People like Mo and Stella, apparently.

“Do you always travel this way?” Awe seeps into my voice as I take in the shiny aircrafts, my aerospace and aviation knowledge desperately lacking as I gaze, dazed, upon all the different styles of entry-level jets.

“This is my first time flying out of Lethbridge, but yes, father is a majority shareholder in a couple of airline companies.”

There’s a slight grimace with Stella’s response, as if discussing the degree of her family’s wealth isn’t something she’s comfortable with.

“Oh.”

A tow bar passes us by with a bright orange plane attached to the end. The spoiler hanging off the plane is easily the same size as my car.

Stella bites her lip, momentarily distracting me from the displays of wealth wheeling by.

“Did Mo never tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That we’re…”

“Stella!” The man stationed in front of a beautiful blue and white stripped plane steps forward with a huge smile and a bushy grey moustache.

“Uncle Johnson!”

An equally bright smile takes over Stella’s face as they meet in an embrace. “It’s been way too long. How are the pups holding up?”

“Oh, the old girls are doing just fine. Still getting spoilt like there’s no tomorrow.”

“Aunt Jose?”

“Even more spoilt than the dogs.”

Stella throws her head back and laughs, looking more carefree than I’ve ever seen her.

Johnson shakes his head, watching his niece with blatant adoration, “I’ve missed you, my dear. How is university treating you?”

“It’s been a really great experience. My roommate is the loveliest girl, I think she might even be my soul sister.”

Johnson chuckles, his crisp uniform crinkling as he bends down to collect Stella’s suitcase.

“That is something your mother would say. I am so pleased to hear…”

“It’s nice to watch, isn’t it?” Mo’s voice drags my attention from the family reunion. The look on his face is one I’ve never seen before. It’s not jealous exactly, it’s almost… wistful.

“You two aren’t close?” I ask the question, watching for a reaction.

“Oh, we are but we got the chance to catch up on the way here.”

Mo nods his head towards his sister who is still chatting away without a care in the world, “She’s not like that with everyone. It takes a lot for her to open up.”

I glance back at Stella, her long braid falling past mid-back as she happily helps Johnson store the luggage in the plane’s undercarriage. Her puffy winter jacket hides any trace of the fitness model underneath but suddenly my mind is back at the gym when I accidentally spotted her tattoo.

A tattoo she never once mentioned.

I wouldn’t flatter myself by saying Stella and I are close, but I’ve never considered Stella and me to be… well, not not close.

We’re friends, definitely, but besides being regular gym buddies, how well do I really know her?

I shut my eyes and try to conjure the facts I do know about Stella.

She’s close to her brother, that much is obvious, she loves dancing, attending terrible residence events, hanging out with her roommate, singing along to terrible music, bickering with me at the gym every morning… but those all feel surface level. Things that even Wes would know about her. Maybe even Nico.

They don’t know what her lips taste like.

But even that doesn’t feel like enough.

Watching Stella climb the stairs, her small frame bounding up them with an endless supply of energy, I’m hit with a sudden urge to fill the gaps. To find a way to bridge the distance Stella puts between herself and the outside world and finally see what lays inside.

“Welcome aboard Cirrus Vision SF50, Ellsworth. We call her CV for short.” Throwing me a wink, my mentor turns and follows his sister up the stairs.

Shifting my duffel back to my other shoulder, I take one last glance at the shiny exterior of the aircraft.

Wish me luck, CV.

I have a feeling I’m going to need it.