Chapter 9

NINE

Ben

The doorto the boss"s office swings open like the gates to my personal hell. Here it is—the moment that could ground me for good.

"Ben Caldwell," my boss, a man of too few smiles and too many frowns, motions me in without even looking up from his desk. "Take a seat."

I perch on the edge of the faux-leather chair, my palms sweaty, my heart thumping against my ribs like it"s trying to break free.

"Ben," he starts, finally locking eyes with me, "you"re suspended, effective immediately."

"Wait, what?" I blurt out, a punch to my gut would"ve hurt less. They"re grounding me? My wings are clipped? "Is this because?—"

"Because of the scandal, yes," he cuts me off. My career, my identity as Captain Ben, up in smoke, but I don't even give a fuck about that.

All I care about is Kate.

Losing my job stings like a bitch, but losing Kate? That"d be a freefall without a parachute.

Kate

"Damn you, internet," I mutter under my breath, scrolling through the endless sea of hatred on my phone. Every swipe feels like a new cut, each comment another slice into my already battered heart.

They sting more than I ever thought words could. I"m tough. I"ve taken hits before, but this? It"s relentless.

Why does the public think I belong to them? That I'm not allowed to have a life of my own?

"Fuck them," I say to no one, wishing I felt as brave as the words sound. I toss the phone onto the bed, watching it bounce—too much energy, like my racing thoughts. My thoughts that keep circling back to one question.

How is Ben taking this?

Me? I'm used to this bullshit, but poor Ben. He has to deal with all this just because of me.

I stand, pacing the room restlessly, feeling his name like a mantra in my mind. Ben. My pilot. My...what? What does this mess make us?

He"s always been the steady hand on the throttle, the calm in any storm we flew through. But now? Now we"re both stuck in a nosedive with no clear way out.

"Ben," I repeat, closing my eyes, imagining his strong arms, the way they felt wrapped around me. Safe. Secure. Home.

I need him. More than I"ve ever admitted, more than I"ve ever needed anyone. And the thought of him out there regretting getting involved with me is enough to shatter my already fractured spirit.

The pristine white table feels like a cold slab of marble underneath my tapping fingers. Across from me, the publicist—a man with a perpetually furrowed brow—shuffles through papers while my agent, her lips pursed in concentration, scrolls on her tablet. The air between us is charged with electricity, each spark a word unsaid, a strategy unformed.

"Kate, darling, we need to consider a charity event," my publicist says, his tone as rehearsed as his every other sentence. "Something for...I don't know, stray animals or...sick children. People eat that stuff up."

"Stray animals or sick children?" I snap back, my patience fraying at the edges. "They"re not PR tools, they"re living beings with actual needs!"

"Of course, you"re right," my agent interjects smoothly, ever the diplomat. "What Thomas means is we should align with a cause close to your heart, something genuine."

"Everything feels so far from genuine right now," I mutter, raking a hand through my hair. My heart"s cause is currently being blocked by every conceivable digital wall and personal boundary.

"Look," Thomas continues, oblivious to my inner turmoil, "we ride out this storm by steering into it. Own the narrative. Maybe even a sit-down with a sympathetic interviewer?"

"Sympathetic?" I scoff. "The media sharks are circling, Thomas. They smell blood."

"Then we"ll give them chum instead," he retorts, but I can hear the uncertainty in his voice.

I"m about to argue when my phone buzzes. Hope surges, but it"s quickly dashed as the screen shows nothing. No messages from Ben. Just the glaring emptiness of a silent digital void.

"Excuse me," I say abruptly, pushing away from the table. The walls feel like they"re closing in, the strategies and words like invisible chains tightening around me.

Ben

I'm outside Kate"s hotel suite. Desperation claws at me with steel talons. My phone, once a lifeline to her, now just a useless piece of tech in my hand. I"ve called, texted, hell, I"d send a carrier pigeon if I thought it would reach her.

"Sir, you can"t go up there," one of the guards warns, stepping into my path. His uniform is crisp, his face set in an expression meant to intimidate.

"Watch me," I growl, my own determination a force to be reckoned with.

"Sir, please—" he starts, but I"m already past him, taking the stairs two at a time. My heart is hammering, pounding with the same rhythm as her name in my head.

Kate, Kate, Kate.

Her door looms before me, imposing and unyielding. I ball my fist and knock—no, bang—on the wood with all the strength of my fear and longing.

"Kate! Open up! It"s me! Ben!" I shout, my voice echoing down the opulent hallway.

"Dammit, Kate," I mutter under my breath, "please be there." The silence on the other side of the door is a chasm, widening with every second she doesn"t answer.

"Kate!" My call is a mix of plea and command, my knuckles reddening against the polished surface. If love has a sound, it"s the thud of a desperate heart against the barriers we build. And right now, my love is the loudest damn thing in this entire hotel.

I ram my fist against the door again, ignoring the sting, and then?—

"Ben?" The door swings open. Kate stands there, her honey-colored hair a halo of disarray around her angelic face. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to reach you," I pant, chest heaving from the sprint up the stairs, gaze devouring her in her silk robe that hugs her curves just right. "I"ve been trying for days, Kate."

"Days?" Her green eyes widen with confusion. She steps back, allowing me entry into her private sanctuary. "But I thought...I didn"t get any calls. No texts. Nothing."

"Exactly." I storm in, spinning on my heel to face her. Her vulnerability hits me in the gut, but it"s her next words that knock the wind out of me.

"Ben, I thought you changed your mind...about us."

"Changed my—" My hands ball into fists, a growl rumbling deep within my chest. "Never."

Her eyes drop to the floor, and she wraps her arms around herself as if bracing against a chill only she can feel. "Then why didn't you call," she murmurs, almost to herself.

"I did!" I tell her adamently.

Just then, Marilyn walks in, her face falling when she sees me. "Ben? What are you doing here?"

Kate and I turn toward her, and then it all clicks into place. The surprise to see me…the guilt is written on her face plain as day.

"Are you the one who's been keeping my calls and texts from Kate?" My voice is a sharp edge, slicing through the thick tension.

Kate turns to her agent with wide eyes. "Marilyn?" she asks her, the betrayal already creeping into her voice.

Marilyn looks down before she says adamently. "I was only trying to protect you, Kate. I thought if you thought he'd moved on, you would too…"

"So you just watched me crying? Knowing all along that Ben was trying to contact me?"

"Kate," Marily begins, but Kate slices her hand through the air.

"Save it, Marilyn. You're fired. You're just like everyone else. You think I'm too dumb to make my own decisions."

"But," Marilyn begins, but I step in front of Kate.

"You heard her," my voice is a low growl. "You're done here."

Marilyn turns and leaves, and I turn back to Kate.

There are tears in her eyes, and I hate that our relationship has wrecked such havoc in her life.

I tilt her chin up so our eyes lock. "Kate, listen to me. I love you. There"s no protection needed from that."

"You love me?" Her voice trembles like a leaf caught in a storm, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"Yes." I pull her close, savoring the feel of her against me. "I've always loved you."

"Ben, I"m so tired of it all," she whispers against my chest.

"Me too, baby. But we"ll navigate these waters side by side." I tilt her face up to mine, urgency laced with every word. "You and me, Kate. We"re stronger than the storms."

"Strong enough to handle...everything?" Doubt shadows her face, a flicker of the fame that clings to her like a second skin.

"Everything," I confirm, sealing my promise with a kiss that brands us together.

"Even if it means sacrifices?" Her voice is small but fierce.

"Even then." My thumb caresses her cheek. "I"d give up flying high to walk on solid ground with you."

"Ben..."

"Shh." I press a finger to her lips. "We"re going to face this head-on, remember? Just you and me."

"Us against the world?" she asks, the hint of a challenge sparking in her gaze.

"Always," I assure her, and we seal it with a kiss that"s more than just lips meeting—it"s hearts syncing, fates entwining, and souls whispering silent vows that nothing, not even scandal, can break.

The hotel suite morphs into our makeshift war room, the setting sun casting long shadows over us. "We need to control the narrative," I say, my voice steady despite the nerves jangling like live wires under my skin.

"Agreed," Kate nods, her fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on the glass table. "Let"s call a press conference."

"Are you sure?" The weight of her decision hangs between us, thick and palpable.

"Absolutely." She lifts her chin, the determination in her luminous green eyes more dazzling than any camera flash. "I won"t hide, Ben. Not anymore."

"Then we face this head-on, together." My hand finds hers, our fingers interlocking with silent strength.

"Us against the rumor mill." A wry smile dances on her ruby lips, but it doesn"t quite reach her eyes. "Sounds like a twisted rom-com plot."

"Without the canned laughter," I quip, tension easing just a fraction.

"Or the predictable happy ending." Her grip tightens. "But with lots of explicit scenes."

"Hey now, those are just for us," I tease, leaning in closer, breathing in the scent that is purely Kate—sweet and heady, like courage mixed with fear and a dash of Chanel No. 5.

Her laugh is a melody that momentarily drowns out the chaos. "I"ll have my publicist set it up for tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow then." I pull her close, savoring the feel of her body pressed against mine. "Whatever happens, I"m not going anywhere. You"ve got me, Kate. All in."

"Same here." She tips her head up, and I meet her halfway, sealing our pact with a kiss that promises a thousand tomorrows.

And tomorrow, the whole world will be watching.