Breaking the Grid

Bella

"Kyra! Hurry up! Our flight's in three hours!" Blair's voice cut through the quiet like a whip. She wasn't known for her patience, especially not when we were on a schedule.

"Coming!" I called back, stuffing my last hoodie—an Arsenal one, obviously—into my suitcase. I zipped it up, wrestled it off the bed, and made my way to the door, where Blair was waiting with her arms crossed.

She raised an eyebrow as I joined her in the hallway. "Took you long enough, Cooney Cross."

I rolled my eyes. "It's three hours, Becks. The plane isn't going to leave without us."

Blair snorted as she grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. "You'd be surprised how often I've heard people say that... right before they missed their flight." She shot me a smirk, then added, "Come on, the taxi's waiting."

We lugged our bags downstairs and out the door, where a sleek black taxi was idling by the curb. Blair opened the trunk with her usual efficiency, loading her bag first before helping with mine. I slid into the backseat, letting out a breath of relief as I settled into the worn leather. Blair climbed in next to me, her movements sharp and deliberate as always.

"Where to?" the driver asked, his accent thick with Manchester roots.

"Airport," Blair said, her voice calm but firm. She leaned back, pulling her phone from her pocket and scrolling through something while the taxi pulled away.

The ride was quiet at first, the hum of the engine and the faint buzz of the city filling the space between us. I glanced out the window at the waking streets, my mind drifting to what awaited us in Italy.

"Excited?" Blair asked suddenly, her voice cutting through my thoughts.

I glanced at her. She wasn't looking at me, her focus still on her phone, but the question felt genuine.

"Yeah," I said, though the word came out softer than I intended. "It's been a while since I've been to Italy."

Blair looked up then, her blue-grey eyes catching mine. "Well, don't get too comfortable. Kimi's family loves to spoil their guests, and trust me, they'll be all over you."

The mention of Kimi brought a small smile to my face. His Italian charm was impossible to resist, and if his family was anything like him, I had a feeling it would be a memorable trip.

"What about you?" I asked. "Looking forward to seeing them?"

Blair's lips quirked into a half-smile, her expression softening in a way I didn't see often. "Yeah. It's been a while since I've had proper Italian food. Kimi's mom makes this lasagna that's better than anything I've ever had."

The conversation flowed easily after that, Blair teasing me about my excitement. By the time we pulled up to the airport, the air between us felt lighter, like the start of a good trip.

We made it through the airport surprisingly quickly, thanks to Blair's efficiency. It felt like she had everything planned down to the second. She had just a small duffel bag slung over her shoulder, while I—true to form—had packed my entire life into a suitcase. Somehow, it was Blair who ended up wheeling it, barely hiding her smirk as I struggled to keep up with her long strides.

"Remind me why I agreed to carry this again?" she teased, glancing over her shoulder.

"Because you offered," I shot back, grinning.

She shook her head, but there was no real irritation in her expression. After we'd finished checking in, her free hand slid into mine casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I blinked at the gesture, a little surprised by how easily it happened, but I didn't pull away.