Relief floods me when we all manage to get through security without any trouble. I stop at the ATM and withdraw a large amount of cash while Jake and Javier head to the convenience store to stock up on drinks and snacks. We have two hours before our plane departs for a ten-hour flight with layovers in Kuala Lumpur and Manila before we land in Caticlan, Philippines so Jake and I purchase some clothes and a duffle bag each before getting lunch. We even have time to use the computer station area to do some research on the area and I send an email to Mom telling her I'm doing fantastic and plan on being away for a few more days since we are hot on Dad's trail.
I wonder if she can read through my over-exuberance.
As we board the airplane, it feels weird to not be with the others, and I keep checking my luggage and pockets, feeling as if I'm forgetting something.
"You can take the window seat," Jake offers as we come up to the aisle where our seats are located.
Worn out, I lift my newly purchased carry-on into the compartment above, which holds all the Dreamscape supplies in it and a bunch of Sun's clothes that she gave me. Then I slip into the seat. Jake settles in beside me while Javier sits in the seat across the aisle from us.
"Feels weird to not be carrying anything," Jake says, slapping his legs and giving me a wane smile.
"I'm sorry about your computer. That was like your baby, wasn't it?"
"It's fine. Well, it's not fine, but there's nothing I can do about it. Last night as soon as I realized it was taken, I launched my self-destruct code to have it do a remote wipe."
"What's that?"
"Basically it's a sleeping virus I always load on my laptops. I can wake it up using a code and it will wipe out everything on that computer's hard drive."
"Seriously?"
"Originally I had put it there in case anyone tried to steal my computer to get access to my video games." He snaps on his seatbelt and then begins to review the movie selections available for the flight. "I never thought I'd be protecting your Dreamscape or my research from bank robbers or hiding the research locations that I visited online. I don't want them to know we know about Surfside Resort and Spa."
"I'm sorry you lost everything."
He shrugs. "I've got it all on the Cloud, but I was attached to that laptop. I'm planning on putting one in the Dreamscape laptop so no one can steal your dad's work. It's safer that way."
I rest my hand on his before I realize what I'm doing. When our hands touch it is almost like sparks skitter over my palm. Quickly, I pull back my hand, tucking it into my lap. I had reached out to him out of a natural instinct, but is that what I want?
"Thanks." I peek over at him. "I'm glad you're here."
His eyes drop to my hand. "So you thought I'd given you that rose."
"Either you or Sun," I mumble. Embarrassment over the whole thing forces me to focus my gaze away from him and out the window to the runway where small trucks are making the last-minute preparations for us to depart.
"I wish I had given it to you."
This pulls my attention back to him. "Really? That's um... sweet. Our kiss last night. I don't know what that was. Or what I'm even feeling. Like maybe I have all these feelings inside because you're here helping me out. I don't want you to think..."
Ugh. I am completely ruining everything!
But he laughs. "Are you saying you have sick patient syndrome? You know, when a patient falls in love with the person that's caring for them."
"Maybe." I giggle at the thought. A flight attendant strolls by, reminding us to keep our seats upright during take-off. When she leaves, I say, "It's just that I want to stay focused on doing what we came to do. Get my dad and make sure your dad isn't being blamed for the crime."
"Right." He nods, pursing his lips. "Me, too."
The plane begins taxiing down the runway. I can't help but feel tension from Jake. I did say the wrong thing. I am an idiot.
The plane shudders around us and then slowly rises into the sky. Outside, the ground falls away. Wisps of clouds swirl around the plane as if dragging us away from the chaos that we experienced. Sitting beside Jake and pretending there's nothing between the two of us becomes harder than I expected. I'm reminded of how I clung to him, my head resting against his chest after the bomb. His strong arms wrapped around me. The warm kiss that sent shivers racing through my body.
More than anything, I want to sink back into those arms and just forget everything that happened in the last few days.
"Glad we got out of there safely," Javier says from the other side of the aisle. "Better get some rest you two while you can. Once we arrive in the Philippines, we'll be hitting the ground running to make our connection flight to Caticlan. We'll also need to make up an alibi of why we're there."
I nod, but a sinking dread in my stomach worries me that trouble will somehow find us.