Chapter Sixteen
Charlotte
I hated flying with a passion. I hated the feeling of not being in control and trusting a person I didn't know to fly the plane safely. It made me intensely uneasy.
As the flight attendant passed my aisle, I asked, "Can I see the pilot's certificate?"
The flight attendant paused, momentarily taken aback by my request. "I understand your concerns," she said with a reassuring smile. "Unfortunately, I am unable to show you the certificates, but rest assured, our pilots undergo rigorous training and are highly trained professionals."
"Why can't you show it to me?" I pressed, anxiety building in my chest.
"It's mounted to the wall in the cockpit," she explained. "It's not removable."
"Can I at least go see it?" I blurted out in frustration.
"We can't allow passengers back there for safety," she said simply, leaving no room for negotiation. She walked away from me down the aisle, leaving me even more unsettled.
"It's okay, love," Ben whispered in my ear from next to me. He placed his hand on my restless leg, trying to ease my anxiety with his touch.
"I don't understand why we couldn't drive," I muttered anxiously.
"Flying was cheaper than driving, sweetie," Mom explained from across the aisle. "Just take some deep breaths. Lizzie and Henry were next to her, and Ollie, Layla, and Declan were in the seats next to Ben.
I listened intently as the flight attendants went over the safety precautions and informed us to buckle up to prepare for takeoff. I took a deep breath and fastened my seatbelt that I likely would not remove for the entirety of the almost three hour flight.
Taxiing down the runway, my heart raced but I gripped Ben's hand tightly, focusing on his steadying touch.
"Breathe for me, love," Ben whispered softly in my ear. "I've got you." I didn't even realize I was holding my breath, and I took a slow, deep breath, willing myself to relax.
Closing my eyes, I drew in a long, slow breath as Ben, once again, soothed my frayed nerves. My white-knuckle grip on the armrest gradually loosened as my breathing deepened.
"That's it, you've got this," Ben encouraged with a soft smile, his support slowly unwinding my knots of anxiety.
We were headed to Florida for spring break. Mom insisted that Declan needed to go to Disney, but I wasn't sure why it was so important when he was only eleven months old.
As turbulence shook the plane, Ben gently squeezed my hand in reassurance before I said, "Sorry for being a mess."
"You never need to apologize," Ben soothed. "Turbulence makes you feel out of control, right? Like the plane might crash?"
I nodded, comforted he understood without judgment. Ben had a way of seeing straight to my fears.
Brushing my hair back, he said, "Well, I've got you. Try focusing on my voice instead, okay?"
His touch and tone relaxed me. "Do you wanna watch a movie to take your mind off it?" he asked, wrapping an arm around me.
"You pick this time, Ben," I insisted gently.
He raised his dark eyebrows, and his blue eyes widened in surprise. "Char, you don't have to do that. I want you to be comfortable."
"Benjamin Tate Thomas, the third," I said, rolling my eyes, and he laughed, amused at me using his full name. "You're picking the movie."
YOU ARE READING
breathe
Teen Fiction[BOOK 2 OF FEARLESS] *mature content* "Why are you sugaring me up?" he asked with a raised brow. "I'm your sugar mommy," she teased. "Minus giving you money. I'm broke as hell." "Do you need money? I can give you some," he offered. She shook her hea...
