Fly With Me | ✓

00.3.1 | bonus chapter

[december 2023]

"I just don't see why I couldn't have organized the tickets."

    "I don't see why you can't fucking relax," Everleigh said. "You've already reemed him out about it."

    "Because we missed two days—" Roman threw his hands up in exasperation. Like he wasn't overreacting. Like it wasn't even less intimidating because he was holding his daughter's Windsor racing teddy bear and had been since Florence had picked them up at the house—he'd claimed that he'd taken it to send photos to Navi. As if that was something she thought about as a child who wasn't even two.  "You don't get it."

    "You're absolutely right, I don't," Everleigh said. "I don't understand the car sport."

    "I'll talk to Stevie about this."

    "Fill your fuckin' boots, mate," Everleigh said. "But we're at the airport. Now. I don't know why you're bringing it up again."

    "Because we should've been there two days ago." Roman crossed his arms. Teddy poking out from his elbow. Begging for some snot-nosed child to run away with it and treat it better than the chokehold he had it in. "You'll change your mind about marriage before I change my mind on this. For the record."

    "Cut it out. Take a nap."

    "I'm not tired."

    "Then don't be a child."

    Maverick walked out of the loo, braver than Everleigh ever was in an airport toilet. Though she supposed he didn't have to sit down to pee—she'd rather piss herself ever since she'd been cornered by Grace le Domas in The Final Grill. He quickly took Everleigh's hand, like he had the moment they stepped out of Florence's car. Usually okay with walking side by side, Maverick hadn't let go of her hand since they got out of the car for fear of Roman's wrath. "Should we go to the gate?"

    "Yes. Please." Everleigh shot a glare at Roman.

    "Fine."

    Maverick cleared his throat and squeezed Everleigh's hand. Walked quicker than he needed to.

    Luckily for Everleigh, she had longer legs than Maverick. And had studied forced proximity. So, when she saw three seats open, taking the one on the edge of the row was easy. The men, quote unquote, because they were acting like a couple of bickering toddlers, stared at her for a moment. Everleigh let go of Maverick's hand.

    "I'm not dealing with this the entire flight. Figure it the fuck out." Everleigh put her headphones in for good measure and pulled out her phone. They didn't need to know she wasn't actually listening to music. That was between her and herself. "You're grown fucking adults."

    "But—"

    "Leigh—"

    "This—" Everleigh waved a finger at them pointedly before pulling a headphone out. "—is why I don't want children."

    "I think we'd be great parents." Maverick shrugged. "For the record."

    Everleigh wrinkled her nose at him. "You don't want kids either, you just want to be a pain in the ass."

    Maverick tilted his head a little. "That's also true."

    "I should get you a vasectomy for your birthday."

    "He is a pain in the ass, Leigh. You should be celebate for his birthday."

    "Thought you never wanted to talk about my sex life ever again."