Second Chances(51)

"Linda?"

"Yes, Cameron, I am here. What do you need me to do?"

There was a pause on the line and for a moment she wondered if she'd overstepped herself by addressing him in such a familiar manner.

"I need you to come here. I need you to catch the first flight to Rhode Island. Unfortunately you'll never make a flight tonight, but there is one leaving at six thirty tomorrow morning. Be on it. I will meet you when you land."

I need you. The words echoed in her head.

"Can you do that? Can I count on you, Linda?"

She found her mouth dry and suddenly thought the room felt extremely warm. She cleared her throat.

"Yes, I can do that. I'll see you tomorrow, Cameron."

The phone clicked off as Kassar hung up and she dropped it on the couch. Her entire body was tingling, her fear replaced by excitement.

The phone buzzed again and she snapped it up quickly, part of her hoping Cameron was calling back. Caller ID revealed it was her husband and she frowned.

She tossed the phone, she was feeling much too excited to be brought down now. She slipped back into the bathroom, reached in and turned on the shower. She slipped out of the rest of her clothes, a smile still on her face when she heard the phone buzzing in the other room.

"Aloha, Phillip," she murmured as she slipped into the warm spray of the shower.





CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT



She flipped the journal closed, her hands visibly shaking. She felt a flash of anger. What the hell was going on? She hated that she couldn't stop the shaking. She clenched her fists and realized it wasn't just her hands, her entire body was trembling.

"Hold it together."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held it for a ten count before slowly releasing it. The trembling did not stop, but it lessened a bit. She repeated the action again. She felt the wetness on her cheeks and knew she had started to cry. She cursed her weakness at first, but then quickly rationalized with herself. Why shouldn't she be upset? How could she not be? The last two days had been completely overwhelming. Anyone else would be acting the same way. Wouldn't they? Heck, she was likely holding up better then most people would.

She looked over at Nathan. He looked so peaceful. Her eyes flicked from him to the journals and back. A better question might be, how was he keeping it together? She reached out and took the glass of water from the middle seat tray table and managed to get most of it in her mouth. She closed her eyes once more and did another ten count, then opened her eyes and reopened the journal, determined to go on. The tremors in her hands continued as did the tears, but she read on.

The flight attendant had returned twenty minutes later and noticed her trembling and the tears. Her eyes went wide and Paige could tell she was about to do something. Just what that would have been she didn't know, but she was certain it would cause a commotion. She raised a finger to her lips and then lifted the journal. The woman gave her a questioning look, but relaxed a bit. Paige gave her a little smile.

The attendant leaned in close and spoke softly. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

Paige wasn't sure she trusted her voice, but decided to risk it. "Do you have any paper?"

"Of course."

"And can I get some more water?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't like something stronger?"

This elicited a genuine smile from Paige and she almost laughed.

"No, thank you. Water is fine."

The attendant hurried off and returned moments later with a small pad of paper with the airline's logo on the top of each page and a bottle of water. She gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder before leaving.

Paige dug in her purse for a pen before returning to the journal. She began rereading and stopped every so often to write on the pad the attendant had provided.

Hours later she wiped absently at the tears. She wasn't trying to stop them, had given up on that long ago. At this point she was merely trying to clear her vision. She reached the end of the third journal, closed it and then leaned back in her seat. She sat in silence, her entire body tingling. The range of emotions coursing through her was mind blowing.

She looked over at Nathan. She didn't know if she wanted to smile or frown. To laugh or cry. To embrace him or run screaming from him. Could all this be real? Had everything in the journals happened? Had any of it? How could that be possible? Could she be his Paige? If she was, then why didn't she remember any of this? If she wasn't, then how could he know so much about her? How could someone have imitated her so convincingly that she herself was doubting what she did and did not believe?

She reached out and tenderly brushed a few stray strands of hair from his forehead.

She picked up the last of the journals and fanned the pages. He hadn't written too much in this one she saw. She stopped on the last entry and noted the date was yesterday and guessed he had written out on the balcony while she had slept. My God, had that really only been yesterday? Her eyes went back and forth from that final entry to the page of notes and questions she had written on the notepad. She held her right hand up in front of her and was proud to note that the trembling was minute. Instead of being terrified, she found it oddly comforting that both the questions he had written in the journal and ones she had written on the pad closely matched up.