Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 41

Elijah slept the entire flight.

Louisa couldn't tell if he was pretending to sleep out of embarrassment from his panic at takeoff, or if he genuinely feared flying. Either way, he looked remarkably comfortable.

His head was resting on her shoulder, and he was still holding her hand. He was leaning so far into her space that he was practically draped over her.

She was certain he was doing it intentionally.

She couldn't help but wonder about the night before. Had he slept like this when they shared the bed? She had fallen asleep too quickly to notice his sleeping habits.

As the plane began its descent, Elijah reacted exactly as he had during takeoff, but this time he took the initiative to lean into Louisa for support.

"Are you actually afraid of flying?" Louisa decided to skip the guessing games and ask him directly.

"Yeah," Elijah muttered, catching her off guard.

She wondered how he managed to fly all over the world, handling business negotiations.

"Do you usually avoid it?" she asked skeptically.

Elijah leaned into her, though it felt far more intimate than her previous embrace. He pressed into her, his face buried against her shoulder, closing every inch of space between them. His warm breath grazed her skin, sending a sharp, tingling heat racing through her nerves.

"This is my second time."

Louisa's hand on his shoulders trembled. If this was only his second flight, the first must have been traumatic enough to keep him grounded for years.

For a moment, she was speechless.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea. I—" Louisa quickly apologized.

If he weren't bringing her to see Letitia, he never would have subjected himself to the torture of this flight.

"Why are you apologizing for something you didn't know? Do you just give out apologies like they mean nothing?" The plane touched down, and with the danger gone, his sharp tongue returned.

They say some people are just a handful, but Elijah was a whole separate level of difficulty. He was exhausting to keep up with.

Sadena was a place Louisa had never even heard of, let alone visited, and the crisp air and the temperature were unexpectedly pleasant.

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