One of the flight attendants, the bottle-blonde, made her way over to Nathan.
"Sir? Is there an emergency?"
Nathan didn't respond, wasn't quite sure what to say. Was it an emergency? It certainly felt like one to him.
"Sir, you really need to return to your seat," she said forcefully.
He locked eyes with her, the intensity of his gaze causing her to back up a step.
"I am not leaving this spot."
"Then I am going to have..."
"Please." It was all Nathan could manage for the moment. His eyes pleaded with the woman.
"But..."
"Please. She needs me. I need to be here right now. Please."
She looked at him for a long time, seeing the raging emotions in his eyes. Finally she nodded. She looked back up towards the front of the cabin and shook her head at someone and then turned and walked away, a mixture of sadness and jealousy upon her face.
Nathan knew how he'd normally handle a situation like this. Well not exactly like this, but a situation in which Paige was emotionally distraught. But now he was unsure of himself. Given the circumstances, he feared that the words he might use to calm Paige would now only serve to cause her further distress.
He leaned his head against the door and gently knocked.
"Paige," he said softly. "I hope you can hear me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or upset you like that. I guess I wasn't thinking. I know how this is for me, but I can only imagine how all this must seem to you. I don't know exactly what is going on. Actually, I don't have a damn clue about what is going on. However, what I do know is that I am not crazy. I know you. I know who you are and all about you. And the reason I know all that is because it was you who told me. Even if you don't remember telling me. I know you likely have as many questions about what is going on as I do, maybe even more. Maybe if we sit down and talk about it, we can figure some of this out together."
He stopped for a moment, his eyes locked on the occupied sign on the door. He could still hear her behind the door, but her crying was softer, more controlled now.
"Please. Please don't think I am some crazy stalker type. I'm not. I am not crazy at all."
"Then what?" she sobbed through the door. "I am the crazy one?"
"No. I don't believe that. Not for a minute," he said, doing his best to keep his voice level and calm. He wiped at the tears running down his face.
"Then what?"
"I don't think either of us is crazy. I think...I honestly don't know what I think. I don't have a clue what is happening. What I do know is that you are indeed Paige Elizabeth Kendall. The woman I met, fell in love with and married years ago. The only woman I ever have or ever will love. I don't know how it is possible, but I can't deny the proof my own eyes are showing me. I am just as confused as you are. I am just as frightened as you are, maybe more so. I'm sorry I pressed so hard before, but I just didn't know what else to do. All I know is that I love you and I'm so terrified that this plane is going to land and you are going to disappear from my life. I honestly don't know if I can survive that again."
His voice cracked. Nathan leaned against the door, burying his head in his elbow. His entire body shuddered as he forced back the anguish that threatened to completely overwhelm him.
The flight attendant began to come down the aisle towards him again, but was stopped by an elderly woman a few rows from Nathan, who held out her arm to prevent her passage. She shook her head and waved her back. The attendant looked from the woman to Nathan and then back before retreating again.
"I can wait," he whispered. "I can wait until you are ready, Paige. Just please, please don't disappear from my life again."
Nathan looked up and blinked. He wasn't sure how long he'd been leaning against the door, time had lost meaning for him. He was vaguely aware that the captain had made another announcement, but what he'd said Nathan couldn't recall. He noticed that the flight attendants were now in the process of serving drinks and that other people were moving around him, using the other bathroom next to him. He was also aware that Paige's crying had stopped or she was now crying so softly he couldn't hear her. He also realized what the sound was that had finally brought him back to reality. It had been a loud metal click, it echoed in his ears. He blinked, his eyes now dry and wiped at the saltiness that still clung to his eyelashes. The red occupied sign had flipped to now read vacant.
CHAPTER TEN
Nathan stepped back from the door. His lips were dry and his breathing shallow.
Paige's eyes were puffy and downcast. He began to reach out to her but she held up her hand and shook her head, silently begging for him to back away. Nathan retreated a step and Paige moved past him heading back towards her seat. The elderly woman, who'd held the flight attendant at bay, offered her a sympathetic smile as she went by and patted Nathan on the arm as he followed.