No More Pretending
Chapter One
Sinclair's POV
The arrivals board confirmed that Aira's flight had landed exactly seven minutes ago, though I hadn't needed the confirmation. I already knew the departure time from New Hampshire, the scheduled landing time and roughly how long it usually took passengers to clear the terminal. It was all perfectly reasonable information to know. Mia, however, disagreed.
"You look ridiculous."
She leaned casually against the barrier beside me, an iced coffee in one hand and far too much amusement in her expression.
"I've said nothing."
"You don't have to."
I turned my attention back to the arrivals doors. Mia followed my gaze before letting out a theatrical sigh.
"Oh, this is actually concerning."
I ignored her.
"You do realise she left this afternoon, right? You're behaving as though she's been away for months instead of a few hours."
I finally looked at her.
"Are you finished?"
"No."
Unfortunately. A smile spread across her face.
"I was honestly hoping you'd recovered a little."
"What exactly am I need to recover from?"
She looked almost offended.
"Aira."
Silence. She pointed at me triumphantly.
"See?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Exactly. You never do when the conversation is about her."
That wasn't entirely true. I had plenty to say about Aira. Most of it simply wasn't intended for anyone else's ears. Mia seemed to reach the same conclusion because she laughed quietly before shaking her head.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"You actually miss her."
"I know."
The answer escaped before I had any reason to reconsider it. Her smile widened.
"Which somehow makes this even worse."
I said nothing.
"You could have made her take the private jet."
"I tried."
That surprised her.
"You did?"
"Alexander suggested it first."
"And?"
I looked back towards the arrivals doors.
"She said no."
Mia laughed.
"Of course she did."
"I offered too."
She stared at me for a long moment.
"You offered your private jet?"
"Yes."
"Oh..."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"Wow."
I frowned slightly.
"What?"
"Nothing."
A brief pause.
"Everything."
I ignored her. Mia laughed again.
"She chose a normal flight?"
"Yes."
"With people?"
I looked at her.
"Obviously."
She placed a hand dramatically against her chest.
"That's actually adorable."
I narrowed my eyes.
"How exactly is that adorable?"
"Because she's still Aira."
Silence settled between us again.
"And because you're clearly offended by economy class."
I wasn't offended. I simply preferred knowing she was safe. Mia looked at me for another moment, reading the answer without me saying a word. Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
I looked at her.
"You were worried."
"No."
"Sinclair."
I said nothing. She laughed quietly.
"You really are completely gone for her."
Before I could answer, the automatic doors slid open and another wave of passengers spilled into the terminal. Families embraced. Business travellers hurried past with rolling suitcases. Children raced between exhausted parents. I barely noticed any of them. Then I saw her. Everything else quietly disappeared. Aira. Long blonde hair resting over her shoulders, blue eyes searching the terminal with quiet anticipation. She looked around for barely a second before finding me, and the moment she smiled, it felt absurdly similar to taking a breath after holding it for too long. Beside me, Mia sighed dramatically.
"Oh no."
I ignored her.
"You're staring again."
Still ignored.
"I was right. You didn't recover at all."
Not even slightly. Then, without the slightest warning, Mia practically launched herself across the terminal.
"Aira!"
I watched Aira's face brighten instantly.
"Mia!"
They met somewhere in the middle, hugging tightly as though weeks had passed instead of only a few. Aira laughed, and I felt myself smiling before I even realised it. I hadn't heard that laugh for a few hours. That had been entirely too long. Mia finally let her go, although only far enough to study her with exaggerated seriousness.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
"You look exactly the same."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
"I think it was."
Mia rolled her eyes dramatically before pointing in my direction.
"Oh, honestly..."
Aira followed her gaze, even though she already knew exactly where I was.
"What?"
"He hasn't stopped staring at you since your flight landed."
A smile appeared before she could stop it.
"I'm serious. I genuinely thought he might have recovered while you were gone."
"Recovered?" Aira asked, trying not to laugh.
"Become a functioning member of society again."
"I'm standing right here," I said.
"I know."
She didn't sound remotely apologetic.
"I'm deliberately ignoring that."
Then she lowered her voice just enough to make it obvious she still intended me to hear every word.
"Look at him. I've never seen anyone look at another person the way he looks at you."
Colour rose gently into Aira's cheeks.
"Mia..."
"What? I'm only telling the truth."
With one last theatrical sigh, Mia stepped neatly aside, leaving the space between us completely clear. Neither of us hesitated. Aira closed the remaining distance without another thought, leaving her suitcase behind as though it had suddenly become the least important thing in the terminal. I was already reaching for her before she stopped in front of me, my hand finding her cheek almost instinctively. Warm. Real. Here. She looked up at me with that familiar softness in her eyes, and every hour we'd spent apart suddenly felt entirely unreasonable.
"Hi," she said quietly.
A smile found its way onto my face before I could stop it.
"Hi."
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. Then she kissed me. It was soft, spontaneous and completely unplanned—the kind of kiss that needed no explanation because it said everything for us. My hand slipped gently to the back of her neck as I kissed her back, forgetting the terminal, the people walking around us and every unnecessary thought that had occupied my mind while I'd been waiting. When we finally drew apart, I didn't move away. Neither did she. My thumb brushed lightly across her cheek as I held her gaze.
"I missed you."
The words came quietly, almost without permission. A smile touched her lips.
"I know."
The corner of my mouth lifted.
"No."
My voice was softer now.
"I don't think you do."
Her smile only deepened.
"I missed you too."
Behind us, Mia let out an exaggerated groan.
"Oh, that's disgusting."
Neither of us looked away from each other. She folded her arms dramatically.
"This is exactly what I've been talking about."
A laugh escaped Aira. Mia pointed between us, looking personally offended.
"Honestly, Blackwood, you could at least pretend to be normal."
"No."
The answer came without thought. Mia threw both hands into the air.
"Perfect."
Aira laughed again. There it was. My favourite sound.
A few minutes later, we were back in the Aston Martin. Mia settled into the back seat while Aira sat beside me, exactly where I had wanted her all week. As I pulled away from the airport, Manhattan unfolded beyond the windscreen, its streets glowing beneath the evening lights as skyscrapers stretched into the night sky. Mia, unsurprisingly, filled the silence almost at once. She moved effortlessly from one subject to another, talking about tomorrow's birthday plans, her parents, the restaurant she'd booked, a café she'd recently discovered and several other things that apparently deserved our immediate attention. I listened just enough to respond if absolutely necessary, but my attention kept returning elsewhere. Aira. Her hand rested comfortably in mine on the centre console, her fingers intertwined with mine so naturally that neither of us had thought about it. Somewhere over the past few weeks, simple gestures like this had stopped feeling unfamiliar and had quietly become part of us. For a while, I simply watched the city pass by through the windscreen, occasionally glancing towards her. She looked different here. More relaxed. The tension she'd carried throughout the week had eased the moment we landed, and the small smile that kept finding its way onto her face made the journey infinitely more enjoyable than it had any right to be.
"I still can't believe you're both here."
Aira turned towards Mia with an amused smile.
"We're here."
Mia sighed contentedly and leaned back in her seat.
"This weekend is going to be amazing."
For a few moments, only the quiet sound of the engine filled the car as Manhattan carried on around us. Then Mia spoke again.
"Aira can stay with me tonight."
"No."
The answer left my mouth before I had any reason to consider it. Mia blinked. Aira burst into laughter beside me. I kept my eyes on the road.
"I wasn't talking to you."
"No."
"Aira?"
She tried to answer, but another laugh escaped before she managed a single word. Mia folded her arms dramatically.
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about."
She pointed at me from the back seat.
"He's going to become impossible."
Aira laughed harder, shaking her head. I glanced at her briefly. She looked genuinely happy. Good. I'd spent enough time wondering whether Manhattan would feel different after everything that had happened over the past month. Watching her smile like this answered the question before I'd finished asking it. Eventually we turned onto Mia's street, and I slowed the Aston Martin before pulling up outside her apartment building. Compared with the surrounding towers, it looked modest, lived-in and familiar. The moment Aira looked up at it, I saw the change in her expression.
"You've missed this place."
She smiled without taking her eyes off the building.
"Yeah."
That single word carried more warmth than anything else she'd said since leaving the airport. From behind us came a dramatically exaggerated sigh.
"I've just discovered something."
Neither of us looked back.
"The back seats in an Aston Martin were clearly designed by someone who hates people."
Aira laughed.
"I did warn you."
"No, you absolutely didn't."
"I assumed you could see the car."
"I assumed billionaires believed passengers had legs."
Another laugh escaped Aira. I climbed out and walked around the front of the Aston Martin while Aira opened the passenger door. Once she had stepped onto the pavement, I folded the front seat forward, finally giving Mia enough room to climb out from the back. She emerged with considerably more drama than the situation required, straightened her clothes and looked back at the Aston Martin with open disapproval.
"Next time, we're taking something designed for actual human beings."
I closed the passenger seat without answering, while Aira tried unsuccessfully to hide another laugh. Mia was already heading towards the entrance before either of us had properly moved away from the car.
"Come on!"
Aira followed her, then paused and turned back towards me with a small smile.
"You don't have to come in if you don't want to."
I looked at her, genuinely uncertain why she thought I might choose to remain outside.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Her smile deepened for reasons she did not explain, and before I could ask, she turned and followed Mia into the building. I went after her without hesitation, because there was nowhere else I intended to be while she was here. Their apartment was on the third floor, and Mia was already hurrying up the stairs as though her parents might disappear if she took too long to reach them. Aira laughed again, the sound carrying softly through the stairwell as Mia vanished around the next landing. It echoed against the walls, warm and entirely unrestrained, and following her upstairs would have been worthwhile for that sound alone. By the time we reached the third floor, Mia had already unlocked the apartment door and rushed inside.
"Mum! Dad! She's here!"
Her voice travelled through the apartment, followed almost at once by approaching footsteps. Mia's mother appeared first, her face brightening the moment she saw Aira.
"Aira!"
She crossed the room and pulled her into a warm embrace, which Aira returned just as tightly.
"It's so good to see you."
"I've missed you," Aira said, smiling as they separated.
Mia's father appeared behind them a moment later.
"There she is."
Aira laughed softly before stepping into his waiting arms as well, and I remained near the doorway, quietly watching her reunite with people who had clearly been an important part of her life in Manhattan. She looked completely happy, her affection for them evident in the ease of her smile and the warmth with which they welcomed her. Then both of Mia's parents turned towards me. Aira blinked, appearing to remember only then that I was still standing behind her.
"Oh."
She stepped aside slightly and gestured towards me.
"This is Sinclair."
"It's lovely to meet you, Sinclair," Mia's mother said warmly.
I shook the hand she offered.
"You too."
"And thank you for bringing Aira."
"Of course."
Mia's father greeted me with the same easy politeness before his wife looked back towards Aira.
"And how is your mum? We haven't seen Vilma in ages."
Aira smiled.
"She's really happy."
The answer came easily, but something in her expression altered almost at once. Her eyes lowered for barely a second, and the warmth in her smile faded just enough that most people would never have noticed it. I did. Vilma's happiness meant the wedding, and the wedding meant everything Aira and I were trying not to consider while standing together in Manhattan.
"She's busy planning everything," Aira added, her voice remaining steady even though her eyes revealed the thought she had not spoken.
I reached for her hand without drawing attention to the movement, slipping my fingers through hers as naturally as though they had always belonged there. Her gaze shifted towards me, and the tension in her expression eased when I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. A small smile returned. Mia's mother smiled warmly at her.
"I'm glad she's happy."
"So am I," Aira replied softly.
Her eyes found mine again, and this time the smile remained. Mia's mother looked between us before her attention returned to Aira.
"So, are you staying here tonight?"
Aira had barely drawn breath to answer when Mia threw both hands into the air.
"Absolutely not."
Silence settled over the room. Every pair of eyes turned towards her. She looked genuinely scandalised.
"She has become rich and important and is abandoning me."
A laugh escaped Aira almost instantly. I looked at Mia.
"You are ridiculous."
"I know."
She pointed dramatically at Aira.
"She has another apartment now."
Another brief silence followed before I answered.
"She's staying with me."
Every head turned in my direction. I frowned slightly, uncertain why that statement had attracted so much attention. It seemed perfectly obvious. Mia, on the other hand, looked delighted.
"There."
She pointed straight at me.
"Exactly that."
I glanced towards Aira. She was laughing again. I still wasn't entirely sure what I had done. Mia's parents appeared considerably more amused than they were attempting to hide, exchanging a brief look before smiling to themselves. My attention returned to Aira. She looked beautiful when she laughed. That observation had stopped surprising me some time ago. Eventually, she managed to compose herself enough to breathe properly.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Mia hugged her again without hesitation.
"You'd better."
"I promise."
Mia narrowed her eyes with exaggerated suspicion.
"And answer your phone."
"I always answer my phone."
"That," Mia replied, "is a complete lie."
Aira laughed again before wrapping her arms around her one last time. She hugged Mia's parents as well, thanking them for the warm welcome before we finally made our way back towards the door. Aira paused on the threshold to wave one last time before following me downstairs, still smiling to herself. The cool Manhattan air greeted us as we stepped outside, the streets glowing beneath the lights of the city. We had barely reached the Aston Martin when hurried footsteps sounded behind us.
"Aira!"
She turned in surprise.
"Mia?"
"What?"
"You forgot something?"
"No."
Aira looked at her expectantly.
"Then why are you here?"
Mia looked even more offended than before.
"It's my birthday weekend."
Neither of us spoke. She folded her arms dramatically.
"We're going out."
Aira laughed.
"Right now?"
"Obviously."
"It's nearly ten."
"And?"
Aira looked at me, still smiling. I already suspected where this conversation was heading. Mia pointed accusingly between us.
"Oh, don't even think about it."
"We haven't said anything," Aira replied.
"You were about to."
"No, we weren't."
"You absolutely were."
I looked at Aira. She was still smiling. I had no intention of arguing with either of them while she looked like that. Mia pointed at us again, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
"I refuse to spend my own birthday weekend being abandoned."
Aira laughed, folding her arms lightly as she looked at her.
"And what exactly did you have planned?"
Mia's face lit up.
"Everything."
I frowned.
"That isn't a plan."
"It is in Manhattan."
Aira laughed again, shaking her head.
"I suppose that's true."
"We'll stop by the apartment first," I said.
Mia's grin widened instantly.
"And then we're going out?"
"Apparently."
"I knew you'd agree."
"I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
I decided not to waste time arguing with her, partly because there was no point and partly because Aira was still smiling, which made almost every alternative considerably less appealing. I opened the passenger door and folded the seat forward, giving Mia enough room to climb into the back.
"I still think this car was designed as a personal attack," she muttered as she squeezed herself behind the front seat.
"It wasn't," I replied.
"You can't prove that."
Aira laughed quietly before settling into the passenger seat beside me. I closed the door behind her, walked around the Aston Martin and slid into the driver's seat. The engine came to life beneath my hand, its familiar growl filling the cabin as Manhattan unfolded beyond the windscreen, glowing beneath thousands of lights stretching between the buildings. I glanced towards Aira. She was looking out of the window, taking in the city with an expression I hadn't seen since we arrived. There was warmth in it, familiarity and something quieter that belonged only to this place. Home. Her best friend. An entire weekend without the Academy, without pretending, without carefully measuring every glance or every conversation. I reached across the centre console and quietly took her hand. She turned towards me at once, her blue eyes meeting mine before her fingers slipped naturally between my own, giving my hand a gentle squeeze that felt so effortless it was difficult to remember a time when it hadn't happened. There it was again. That look she reserved only for me. I held her gaze for another moment before returning my attention to the road, still feeling the warmth of her hand resting in mine. Three days. Three uninterrupted days with Aira beside me. For the first time in weeks there would be no Academy corridors, no curious eyes, no Eliot Hayes, no pretending we were anything other than what we had quietly become. Just Manhattan. Just Aira. And for the first time in my life, home no longer felt like a place waiting somewhere ahead of me. It was sitting beside me, smiling as the lights of Manhattan reflected across the window.
