"So you've been sleeping with her for years, and you were going on a date with her after I left tonight, and it didn't mean anything?" she questioned.
"I know it sounds bad, but it's not like that. I've known her since high school, and our families have ties that go far back. Her brother, Parker, is a close friend of mine. And she is only a friend to me. I swear it."
"But you obviously f**k your friends." Her voice had gone flat, and I knew she was shutting him out. At this point, she was just building up her case against him.
"Not anymore. Anything I had with her means nothing. It never did."
"And you've only known me for a week," she shot back. "What does that say about us?"
She was done with him, I could tell. I only worried what it had cost her to write him off so quickly.
He wasn't done trying to change her mind. He didn't know her like I did. It was a lost cause now.
"Please don't do that," he implored. "It's different. We're different."
She turned her back on him. "Please go. I'll talk to you on Monday. And please don't be on any of my flights. If you are, I'll work in coach to get away from you."
He stared at her for the longest time, looking so desolate that I almost felt bad for him.
When he finally left, I went to her. I bent down and cradled her into my arms, carrying her to bed. I held her tight, feeling helpless.
When she started crying again, I couldn't stand it, I broke down with her.
But as she sobbed, I realized something. She hadn't completely frozen him out yet. She wouldn't be crying like her heart was breaking, if that were the case.
I didn't know what to think, what to hope for. I couldn't tell from the conversation just how far James's betrayal had gone, and how much of it was a misunderstanding.
I felt disloyal for even questioning it, but I'd had such high hopes for them, for her, that it was hard to just let it go.
She didn't want to talk about it, and I didn't press the issue.
In fact, we barely spoke at all, but on the edge of sleep, when all of the energy had been sobbed out of both of us, I heard her quietly chanting, "You're okay, I'm okay, we're okay."
It broke my heart all over again. I hadn't heard her fall back on that in years.
She was better the next morning, though still not talking about it. I didn't pry, and I had to run interference several times on the smitten Captain Damien.
He was a good friend, and he knew Bianca well enough to see something was wrong as soon as he set eyes on her the next morning.
He shot me a look. I shook my head at him.
"I can tell she's upset. Did she break up with that guy?" he asked me, first chance he caught me without her.
I sighed. "It's not a good time, man. I'd just let it go, if I were you."
I knew he sought her out anyway, tried to offer comfort. I hoped he succeeded, but doubted it was possible.
James had already texted me several times before we even took off that morning.
JAMES: I'm so sorry.
JAMES: Is she okay this morning? Has she said anything?
JAMES: Thank you for taking care of her. For being there for her.
JAMES: Words can't express how much I regret how things went last night.
JAMES: Please believe me when I say that I care for her deeply, and I understand why you'd be upset with me. Things look much different than they are, and I don't blame you for wanting to protect her. I'm sorry it came to that.
JAMES: I'd like to talk to you, when you get a chance.
JAMES: Can I call you?
JAMES: My men tell me she looks pale and drawn. Is she all right? Is she eating? Please make sure she takes care of herself.
When I checked my phone again, after we landed, I saw that he'd tried to call me several times during the flight. I wasn't at all surprised.
I felt torn. I believed him, believed he cared for her deeply, believed he had her best interests at heart.
It felt disloyal, and I debated even speaking to him, but Bianca told me that I should handle him however I saw fit.
She went and crashed for hours after the trip, but I stayed up, looking at my phone and agonizing about what was the right thing to do.
"Will you let me explain my side of what happened last night?" was the first thing he said when I finally took his call.
This was just the thing I'd been worried about. "I'll hear you out, but you need to understand that I won't take anything you say to her. She doesn't want to hear it, not even from me, if that is your angle."
"It's not. I know what you are to her, and I need you to understand what I'm trying to be to her. I respect your role in her life, and I'd like to begin to earn my own place there, as well, because I'm not planning to go anywhere. You and I should not be at odds."
I let out an agitated sigh. He sounded so sincere. Either he was an exceptional actor, or he meant what he said, meant it earnestly. And what reason did he have to lie? Why would he bother?
"Tell me who that other woman was last night," I said grudgingly. "The one Bianca seems to think you're with."
"I'm not! She's an old acquaintance, and that is all. We had a long-standing social engagement for a charity event that happened to fall on last night. I—Stephan you have to understand that I have a past, a sordid one, but it is my past. I've promised Bianca exclusivity, and I will stay faithful to that. She's . . . very special to me. I want to create something lasting with her. That's all that I want."
Fuck. I believed him, and that only made everything more complicated.
"I don't know what to tell you," I said, feeling torn.
"There's no conflict here, Stephan. Talking to me is not disloyal to her. We want the same things for her, you and me."
"You have to know I can't just take you on your word on that."
"I understand. All I want is a chance. An opportunity to earn your trust back, and hers." There was a long sigh on the other end, and then, "I'm in love with her. Completely. Absolutely. I mean to marry her."
My eyes tried to bug out of my head. "She'll run the other way if she hears you talking like that, you know."
"I know. She's skittish. I understand that. Things have happened too fast for her, when I should have taken it slow, but my feelings are real. They aren't going anywhere, and neither am I."