Matchpoint

Chapter 19:

And here it was. The week of Monte Carlos. The week that I have had many sleepless nights about. Why? Because it's a week I must spend watching Dom act as if I don't exist, and a week where Ladley treats me like I'm not her friend, just another pawn to assist in getting her and Dom the championship.

The plane ride is long, and when I say long, I mean a 25-hour long trip. As I stand at the entrance to the plane, I feel an unsettling feeling fall upon my skin. I've travelled before, but never this far and never without family.

My parents were generous enough to find us a ticket in business class. They spoke to me over dinner, stating that it was a necessity for Dom to arrive in the best and most comfortable way. Only the best for their prized pupil, not even their own daughter. If it weren't for Dom, I'd be sitting at the back of the plane in the cheapest seats possible.

I squirm across a row of seats and sit by the window. It wouldn't have been my first choice of positioning, but I guess I'll get a view.

On the opposite side of the plane sits Ladley, Stack, and Phillip, with Paul seated just in front of them, leaving the two seats beside me to the last people I wanted to find beside me. To my utter dismay, Dom stops at our row, his eyes scan over his ticket as he fiddles with the headphones around his neck. Jayce mutters something beside him, but Dom pushes him towards the seat.

"Bro, I'm four 'c' you're 'b',' Jayce states, eyes meeting mine briefly, but in that minor second, something in Jayce's eyes change. And then suddenly, he's plopped himself down beside me, a wide smirk flashing across his lips. "Hey, Darl."

"Jayce," I return a grim smile, and Jayce chuckles softly.

"Well, this is going to be a splendid flight," Jayce taps his knees like a giddy child. "They couldn't have chosen better seating. The seating gods are with us."

Both Dom and I turn and glare at Jayce, and looks of frustration flood our features. "Fuck off, Jayce." Dom mutters and his eyes briefly meeting mine before fluttering back to look at Jayce with disgust.

"I mean, if you guys want some alone time... sure." Jayce winks at me, and I shake my head furiously. Beside him, Dom rolls his eyes and brings his headphones over his head, and presses them against his ears.

Drowning out Jayce seems like something we can both agree on, so I quickly shove my airpods into my ears and stare wistfully out of the window. I'm glad I made a playlist for the long trip. Without it, I think I'd be in a world of pain.

With my headphones in, I can hardly hear a thing, but for some reason, I still manage to pick up one single sentence.

"You can't avoid her forever, mate. The tension is deadly." Jayce must say to Dom, but I quickly turn up my music, desperate to block our whatever response Dom has to say.

♤♤♤

I can't remember when I fell asleep, I just remember waking with the thought of his lips against mine. They were soft but full of will and determination, as if my lips were a wall he needed to break through. And I would let him, I'd let those lips break down my wall and melt me into a puddle of nothingness.

With the lightest touch of my finger against my lip, the memory disappears, and I quickly turn my head, reality settling in.

Jayce is watching a movie beside me, quite possibly Twighlight. Beside him, Dom is fast asleep, his chair is tilted back, and soft whispers relinquish from his lips.

"Don't ask me how he does it. That boy can sleep through anything." Jayce chuckles beside me, and his eyes look over at his mate. Then his eyes dart over to me, and he pauses the movie. "Tell me, Clove, what is the deal between you and my mate?"