One Long Flight 💙

Hour Two

She found herself gazing out of the window for a good twenty minutes, the rhythm of Chris flipping through his script audible in the background. Whenever she caught his eye, he quickly averted his gaze. Talking about her reasons for going to London was out of the question. She wasn't about to break down in front of a stranger, no matter how kind he seemed. Her gaze returned to him, only to be met with the sound of his sigh as he removed his earbuds.

"You're one of those people who needs constant attention, aren't you?" he teased.

She chuckled, "Not usually. It's just during flights. I need a distraction. All I can think about is the plane crashing. Like that show Lost. I wouldn't last on a deserted island, Christopher."

His laughter filled the air. "Somehow I can imagine that." He sighed, his expression growing more serious. "You don't want to talk about your reason for going to London? Why?"

With a nonchalant shrug, she responded, "Because I don't want to. Please, don't press me."

He sighed again, conceding with a nod. "Alright, I won't push it. But if you change your mind, know that I'm here."

She acknowledged his offer with a nod. "Thanks. So, you mentioned you have siblings?"

"Yes. Two sisters and a brother."

She groaned playfully, "I grew up as an only child. Sometimes I wished I had a brother."

Chris grinned, "Well, my brother would probably adore you. You're both equally annoying, after all."

A genuine laugh escaped her lips. "Thanks. I'm not that annoying, am I?"

He shrugged, a playful glint in his eye. "I haven't decided yet if you're annoying or charming. But I have to say, it's leaning toward annoying at the moment." He smiled, pleased by her laughter. She seemed like she needed a good laugh.

"Fair enough. At least you're honest. Maybe you're the annoying one—keeping everything mysterious and bottled up."

He scoffed, playful defiance in his tone. "I'm not keeping anything in. You're the one who's reluctant to open up. Feel free to ask me anything you want, Aisling."

She returned his smile with a warm one of her own. "You know, people don't usually catch on to my name as quickly as you did."

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't want to get it wrong. It felt impolite not to at least try."

"Thank you. You're not so bad," she admitted, the words carrying a hint of sincerity.

He laughed. "Did you think I would be?"

She shrugged, the playful twinkle returning to her eyes. "Who knows? You hear things about actors. Plus, you did bump into me and spill your drink."

Chris feigned surprise, leaning toward her in mock offense. "Hey now, you ran into me. And I apologized, remember? You were the rude one."

She looked out the window, letting out a frustrated groan. "Ugh, I know. I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's been a rough day."

He nodded in understanding. "I gathered that."

Their eyes met once again, his blue eyes reflecting nothing but empathy. Part of her wanted to resent him, but it was difficult when all she saw was kindness. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged casually, gesturing toward her. "I don't know exactly. You just give off that vibe. You had been crying earlier."

Surprised that he had noticed, she asked, "You could tell that I had been crying?"