“How’s it going?” I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. Between my best friend finally getting the help that he desperately needed and Kate, I was so happy that I thought I might burst.
“Fine,” Connor said. He lowered his voice. “The food here is shite, though. I had no idea I’d be eating such rubbish!”
I laughed heartily. “You’ll be fine, mate. You could stand to lose a few stone!”
“A few stone?” Connor pretended to be outraged. “Anyway, you didn’t call to ask me about the food. What’s really on your mind?”
My mouth went dry. “I met a woman,” I said. “A few weeks ago. Her sister dragged her to one of my matches. She’s bloody beautiful, and we’ve been spending all this time together, and—”
“I can hear the wedding bells already,” Connor said in a dreamy voice. We both snickered. “So when do I get to meet this beauty of yours?”
“As soon as you’re all sorted,” I said. “I can’t wait to introduce you to her. She’s amazing.”
“I bet,” Connor said. Then he snickered. “So, are you asking my permission, or what?”
I laughed. “Hardly, mate,” I replied. “I’ve already got the ring in my hand.”
Connor laughed out loud. “That’s my Jay, you don’t waste a freaking second.”
“I should have thought of this before she left,” I said. “I should have asked her this morning.”
“Wait, she’s not British? Good job,” Connor said. He was laughing again. “These British girls are too uptight for you, mate. Where’s she from?”
“New York,” I said. “She’s a TV host, she has her own show and everything. She had to fly home this morning to take care of some things—I actually just dropped her at the airport an hour or so ago—but I’m flying over there once the season is over.”
“So, are you going to become a Yank?”
I snorted. “Hardly,” I said. “But I don’t care where we live, as long as I get to stay with her.”
“Well, that sounds great. You got lucky, mate.”
I grinned. I was in such a good mood, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this amazing. “So, what’s life like at Promising Light so far?” I asked.
Connor pretended to snore. “Not exactly fun,” he admitted. “Wake up at six, breakfast, therapy, more therapy, lunch, play time, therapy, dinner, bed.”
I laughed. “Are there any cute birds?”
Connor snorted. “No,” he replied. “I wish. That would make the whole thing more bearable. But they keep us split up. I don’t think they want us pairing off with any fellow addicts, which is fair enough.”
We were silent for a moment. “Connor, I’m glad you’re there,” I said after a pause. “I’m glad you’re getting help. I know you really needed it, and thank you for not turning me down.”
There was a commotion in the background and Connor told me to hold on for a moment.
“Hold on,” he repeated when he got back to the phone. “Some bloke turned up the telly and it’s on loud! Oh….shit.”
I frowned. “What’s going on?”
Connor didn’t reply. A bad feeling wormed its way into my stomach and up my throat. “Connor, what’s going on?” I repeated.
“Turn on the news, mate,” Connor said in a clipped voice. “I’ll wait right here.”
With my heart pounding in my chest, I strode over to the TV and flipped it on. The news was on, and I turned up the volume to ‘high.’
“Reporters are standing by at Manchester Airport, only moments after Lufthansa Flight 2670 experienced a mid-air collision with a landing plane, Air France 207, shortly after take-off. Officials are already attributing the incident to a communications misunderstanding, and also to the poor weather conditions over the last few days—conditions that have left several flights grounded for the last two days.”
I gaped at the screen.
“Flight 2670 was bound for New York City, and it was a full flight. The plane it collided with was arriving from Paris, and currently, the number of survivors from either aircraft is unknown.”
Icy terror shot up my spine, and the little green box went rolling from my hand.
I was so numb that I didn’t even hear it hit the ground.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jay
“Mate? Are you there?” Connor’s voice sounded distant and far-away from my ear and I realized I was holding the mobile a good meter away from my head.
“I have to go,” I said quickly as I hung up the phone. My brain was instantly ablaze with horrible thoughts—Kate on the plane, terrified for her life as the engine gave out. Kate shrieking, pushing past other passengers, trying to get to an exit. Kate unconscious, lulled into a dull, uneasy sleep by the plane’s rapid descent.