Fates Forgotten Promise

I had been sitting in the airport for hours, waiting for my plane to board. The gate was completely packed; people were sitting in the aisles with their luggage wedged between their legs, while others leaned exhaustedly against the walls. Between the crying babies, the frustrated parents, and the business people shouting into their cell phones, the chaotic noise was making me feel claustrophobic.

Needing a moment of peace, I grabbed my carry-on and slipped into the nearest restroom.

I set my bag down and turned on the faucet, cupping my hands to splash some cold water onto my face. But as the water pooled in my palms, my chest suddenly seized.

Flash.

Pitch-black, freezing water. The deafening roar of crashing waves. The burning, suffocating sensation of saltwater filling my lungs, pulling me down into the dark.

I gasped, dropping my hands and gripping the edges of the porcelain sink so hard my knuckles turned white. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to take slow, deep breaths until the terrifying phantom sensation faded, leaving me trembling under the harsh fluorescent lights.

It had been twenty-four years since my parents packed our lives into a car and fled Bayshore in the middle of the night. I was only six years old at the time. Ever since then, my parents refused to talk about our hometown, and I never pushed it. But every time I got near the water, the crippling panic attacks returned.

Today was the anniversary of my parents’ passing. I had finally decided it was time to go back to the small coastal town and find out why we left in such a hurry. I needed to know why my own mind was torturing me.

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was my roommate and best friend, Mandy.

“Hey, Soph. Have you made it to Bayshore yet?”

“No,” I sighed, leaning against the bathroom counter. “The plane hasn’t even left yet. I’m still waiting at the gate.”

“Man, that sucks. Have you at least eaten? I know you got up super early.”

“I grabbed a burger earlier. I’ll text you once I finally land, okay?”

“Alright, bestie. Safe travels!”

I hung up and headed back out into the crowded terminal. I had taken two weeks off from my job as an accounting assistant in Los Angeles to make this trip. Money was tight, and the delay was eating into the precious little time I had to find the answers I was looking for.

Taking a seat near the boarding desk, I pulled out my phone and typed Bayshore into the search bar, filtering by archived news articles. I wanted to get a feel for the town before I arrived.

As I scrolled through the old local news, a missing person report from sixteen years ago caught my eye. Heir to Local Empire Vanishes. The attached photo showed a young man with dark brown hair, light skin, and intense brown eyes. The article stated he was 6′4" and had disappeared without a trace. There was something oddly familiar about his face, but I couldn’t quite place it. I locked my phone and slid it back into my pocket just as the overhead speaker crackled to life.

“Good evening, passengers. We are now beginning the boarding process for First Class.”

I stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked over to the check-in counter to ask the receptionist a question about my connecting flight. I ended up standing right behind a tall, well-built man in a dark, perfectly tailored suit.

The way he held himself immediately made me nervous. There was an undeniable power radiating from him, a quiet authority that demanded attention. He was easily a whole head taller than me, and I couldn’t help but notice the broad shift of his shoulders beneath the expensive fabric.

“Good evening, sir. Boarding pass?” the gate agent asked.

The tall gentleman handed her his pass. As he stepped forward to head down the bridge, he paused and glanced over his shoulder, his gaze locking directly onto mine.

My breath hitched. He had the deepest, most captivating brown eyes I had ever seen. For a split second, it felt like the noisy airport completely faded away. He stared at me with a strange, unreadable intensity, as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. After a moment, a slow, devastating smirk spread across his lips, and he turned away, disappearing down the walkway.

“Miss? Are you boarding?” the agent asked, pulling me out of my daze.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I’m in economy, I just had a question about...”

“The flight is going to be delayed on the tarmac anyway,” the agent sighed, looking exhausted as she reached for my ticket. “Just go ahead and board now so we can clear the terminal.”

“Thank you,” I said, my cheeks burning as I hurried down the boarding bridge.

What was wrong with me? I was acting like a hormonal teenager over a complete stranger. I had more important things to worry about than a handsome guy in a suit.

I stepped onto the plane, and the stewardess welcomed me aboard. I was so busy looking down at my ticket to find my seat number that I didn’t watch where I was going. I walked right into a solid, muscular back.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” a deep, husky voice rumbled.

I stumbled back, looking up into those same intense brown eyes. It was the mystery man from the gate. Up close, he smelled like expensive cedar and spice, completely scrambling my brain.

“Uhm, sorry about that,” I stammered, my face flushing bright red as I tried to step around him.

“No worries,” he said, his lips curving into that sexy smirk again. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

I couldn’t speak. Did he really just say that? There was no way a man who looked like that had any interest in me. I ducked my head, too embarrassed to meet his gaze, and tried to squeeze past him toward the economy cabin.

“Hey,” he called out softly, stopping me in my tracks. “They just announced that we’re going to be sitting at the gate for at least another hour before takeoff. Would you like to sit next to me until then? I think we’re the only two lucky people who got to board this early.”

I looked up. He was standing in the aisle of the first-class cabin, gesturing to the empty window seat beside him. There was a warm, genuine spark in his eyes that made my heart race.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Thank you,” I managed to say.

He smiled, offering me his hand. “My name is Ethan, by the way.”

“Ethan. I’m Sophie. Nice to meet you.”

As I placed my hand in his, a sudden, electric jolt of warmth shot up my arm. It was so intense, so comforting, that I instinctively dropped his hand a second later, terrified by how much I liked the feeling.

I slid into the luxurious window seat, feeling completely out of my element. Ethan took the aisle seat next to me. The silence between us stretched for a moment, thick with a strange, unexplainable sense of ease. It felt like I knew him from somewhere, but my mind couldn’t supply the memory.

“So, Sophie,” Ethan said, turning his head to look at me, his deep voice breaking the silence and sending a fresh wave of butterflies into my stomach. “Why are you heading to Bayshore?”

“Oh, I’m going to check out where I grew up,” I replied, looking down at my lap so he wouldn’t see me blush. “I haven’t been back in twenty-four years. I thought it might be time to see what has changed. What about you?”

“I have business to attend to in Bayshore,” he said smoothly. “It’s been years since I’ve been there, too.”

This gave me the perfect opportunity to ask. “Business, huh? What do you do for a living?”

Ethan just stared at me with those deep brown eyes for a moment before completely dodging the question. “What do you like to do for fun?”

“Huh?” I asked, confused.

“I’m sorry, did I confuse you?” He was smirking at me again. He had this mischievous grin that was just so damn hot.

I shook the thought away. “No, it’s okay, it just caught me off guard. Uhm, well, I don’t have much time for anything these days, but I enjoy reading. And when I’m not doing that, I’m baking, which I can’t seem to do very well. What about you?”

He leaned in close, his breath brushing against my ear. “I like to have fun.”

His voice sent shivers straight down my spine. I needed to change the subject before I did something I’d regret with this sexy stranger.

“Well, I’m actually looking forward to the trip, but I’m worried about the delay,” I said ungracefully.

He didn’t respond, just looked out the window. The stewardess came by, and Ethan ordered a whiskey on ice while I asked for water. I didn’t want alcohol clouding my judgment around a guy like this.

“So, do you have any favorite movies?” I asked, trying to break the comfortable silence.

“No. I haven’t watched a movie since I was nine,” he responded flatly.

“Wait! What? Why?” I was shocked.

Ethan took a sip of his whiskey. “I’ve been too busy. And movies are just not interesting anymore.”

“But that’s insane! We have to watch a movie,” I insisted, excitedly turning on the plane’s mini TV screen. “The plane is a perfect place to get a movie in, especially since we don’t know how long this delay is going to be.”

I glanced over and saw Ethan watching me with a small smile on his face. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, and I couldn’t figure out why, but I decided to ignore it.

“I love Disney movies,” I rambled, scrolling through the options. “I think Frozen is such a cute movie, not to mention the music is amazing.”

Ethan laughed, a deep, rich sound. “You want to show me a kid’s movie for my first movie in years?”

I started to laugh too. “No, I was just giving you my opinion!”

“If we’re going to watch a movie, can we watch something a little more... adult?” he asked. He reached over, his large hand covering mine as he guided my finger to the action category. Sparks shot up my arm at the contact. “Let’s watch an action movie.”

“O-okay,” I breathed.

He smiled, dropped my hand, and selected Fast and Furious.

“Oh, I love this one!” I said.

But as the movie played, Ethan laughed through the entire thing. “You actually like this garbage?” he asked when the credits rolled.

“Garbage? You’re calling a good movie garbage?” I stuck my tongue out at him. “It’s a fun, action-packed movie! If you don’t like it, why did you pick it?”

Ethan just shook his head, chuckling.

“What are you laughing at?” I demanded.

“You’re cute when you’re angry,” he replied smoothly. “Your eyes glow when you’re mad.”

I couldn’t help but blush. What was with this man? I barely knew him, and he was effortlessly charming me. “You know, we should watch another movie. How about a romantic comedy?”

“As long as it’s not a kid’s movie, I’m good with anything,” he agreed.

I selected Chasing Liberty. But just as the opening scene started, the overhead speakers crackled.

“Good evening, passengers. General boarding will now begin.”

I felt a pang of disappointment. I had to get back to economy. “Well, it was really nice meeting you, Ethan. I enjoyed talking with you, but I should get to my seat. I don’t want to be in the way of whoever this seat is for.”

I started to stand up, but Ethan caught my gaze.

“No worries, you can stay,” he blurted out. “You won’t be taking anyone’s seat. Both of these seats are mine. I don’t like being around people.”

My mouth fell open. He had bought two first-class tickets just so he wouldn’t have to sit next to anyone, but for some odd reason, he wanted me to stay next to him.

“If you don’t mind, then I’ll stay,” I chuckled, settling back into the plush leather. “Because I really love this movie.”

I tried to watch the screen, but the early morning and the emotional exhaustion of the day finally caught up with me. My eyes grew heavy, and I drifted off to sleep before the movie even hit the halfway mark.

When I finally woke up, the plane had landed, and the seat next to me was empty. Ethan was gone. I couldn’t help the wave of disappointment that washed over me. I guess he didn’t want to wake me up. Maybe the connection I felt was all in my head after all.