Bainbridge Bride

Chapter 12

"You left the note on the counter for your parents, right?" Kent asks when we enter the helicopter. I push out my lips.

"Kent. I told you that I did everything you asked me to, okay?" I tell him, shaking nervously as the wind from the propellers blows my hair.

"Okay, thank you. Buckle up." Kent says, placing on his headset. Once we're in the air it feels like my lungs have been stripped of their abilities and my heart races faster than my brain.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." Kent says, his voice blasting through my headset. He grabs my hand affectionately, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. The view is better when the helicopter is stable and soon I can see where the edge of the dry sand meets the softly crashing, blue water.

"I think we're about to land." Kent rests his hand on my thigh. The pilot seems so relaxed and calm while I sit in comfort, having a small anxiety attack.

"Praise the lord." I say as we start to hover over a concrete area and finally land. I remember going to the beach with my family when I was very young, but I can't remember the last vacation we took together.

"Ah! You made it safely!" Olivia walks out of the heliport wearing a tennis skirt, pink blouse, and a sun visor. She squeezes me tightly, cutting off most of my circulation. Arthur comes out shortly after, wearing his usual scowl.

"Mummy, please let her breathe." Kent stands beside me, holding my bag and his. I smile when he calls him mom "Mummy" because it sounds so sweet and much too innocent for Kent.

"While she breathes, you suffocate." Olivia lets go of me and brings Kent into an even tighter hug. Arthur rolls his eyes, losing his patience.

"Alright, alright the yacht is waiting." Arthur turns his back to us. Behind the heliport is a series of docks, one which me walk onto. A glorious white yacht floats on the end of the concrete dock. The side of the boat reads: S.S Lucille.

"Who's Lucille?" I ask Kent when we're on the boat. He exhales.

"My grandmother, she was my grandmother. Any other fucking questions?" Kent asks, whispering deeply in my ear. I snatch away from him, pissed off by him attitude.

"Okay, fine. Be like that." I respond, walking faster to catch up with Olivia. We walk past a small living area and into a hallway with shiny wooden floors.

"Paige, you and Kent can have this room." Olivia opens a door next to a bathroom. I look at Kent and then at the single queen sized bed. He smirks, thinking that he'll be sleeping in the bed with me.

"Is there an extra blanket in here?" I whisper to Olivia. She looks at Kent and then back at me.

"Of course, in the closet when you're ready." she turns around and goes into the kitchen, leaving me alone in the room with Kent. He sets my bag down on the bed. I feel his presence behind me as I unzip it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" Kent brushes his lips against my neck softly. I tense up, not knowing how to react.

"Shhh." I turn around and press a finger to his lips. I continue digging through my bag to find a pair of flip flops. After yanking off my dirty white converse, I slip on my flip flops and walk into the bathroom. When the door is locked, I find my back pressed against it. I struggle to breathe, fighting for air. A visitation of my teenage anxiety attacks. I forgot what it felt like to choke on your own oxygen. After five years, you forget what anxiety feel like.

My chest feels like it's caving in and my eyes burn with the salty tears that are slipping down my bare cheeks. I open my mouth in an attempt to allow oxygen into my lungs. I feel a crash against the door and I know that Kent is on the other side.