The Writer & The Player #Wattys2016

Chapter 15

My teeth grind anxiously. I'm back at the airport. My favourite place in the whole world. Not to mention with my favourite guy in the whole world. You'd think being here for the second time this week would make me feel a little less anxious, but no. Life doesn't work that way.

We're in the airport lounge. Zac has his feet up on a coffee table, pecking at a few grapes. I can tell he's staring at me every so often, but I try to ignore it. I know he's struggling with how to handle me, and that's fair, I'd struggle, too. 

Rafael stands near the big windows that face the airport on the phone, as per usual. I hear the bartender wash up a few glasses.  I hear a cleaner sweep the floor. And I swear to God I can hear the clock sitting high on the wall tick as seconds go by. It's like every noise is amplified times a thousand. 

I try to focus my thoughts on Isla. That kid has my heart, and I cannot wait to see her little face and spend the weekend with her. I am desperate to escape Zac for a few days and direct all my time and attention to Isla for two whole days. Two whole days Zac Bleu free. Except, of course, Olivia's party but who's to say that Isla won't come down sick over the next 24 hours?

My eyes meet Zac's for the umpteenth time today and I decide I'm over it. "What do you want?"

He swallows a grape, "Nothing. I just-" He face screws up, uneasy, "When should you one of your sleeping pills?"

Finishing a call, Rafael walks over to us and sits down on the lounge with Zac. I resist the urge to be sarcastic in front of Rafael. I smile. "Just before boarding, I think."

"So now?" Zac asks. I hear and recognise the announcement over the speakers. It's boarding time. My hands immediately begin to shake as I search my bag for my tablets.

I feel sweat gather at my lower back and on my forehead. I try to jiggle the zipper open but before I know it Zac has his hands placed on mine and opens the zipper with ease. I let Zac take over and try to focus on my breathing as I see passengers begin to load onto our plane.

In. And. Out. Zac unscrews the cap off my water and hands it to me. I place it in between my legs to keep it stable. He pops the pill into my hand and I throw it into my mouth, clutch my hands around the bottle and down the pill as quickly as I can. Then I feel his hand in mine. 

"You okay?" He asks, his voice soft and small.

I swallow, hard, "No."

"You don't have to be," He says and a small smile finds my lips. I feel my breathing slow and the tightness of my chest release a little.

My breathing slows. "Okay, let's do this." 

He lifts me up with his hand as I sling my bag over my shoulder. Before I know it we are out on the airstrip, walking towards the plane and I sharply inhale. 

"Hey, it's okay," Zac says, and I look up to him, a little confused, then I realise that I am squeezing his hand tightly. 

The shutter of a camera and a hard flash hits Zac and I. My heart takes a dive as my eyes see a few paparazzi snapping away behind airport security who are trying to get them off the tarmac. Do they have nothing better to do? Frustration fills me immediately and I find myself walking quicker to the plane. 

Zac allows me up the stairs first, our hands still together as we single file up into the plane. The cool air hits my skin and we are finally inside, away from the prying eyes of photographers.

"Holy-" I let out a breath of air as Zac puts his hand on my waist. My skin tingles where he touches. "I think the pills are kicking in, where are we sitting?"