Exported [Book 3 in the Expiring Series]

9 Colton Better Have a Parachute

Iris~~

My eyes snap open. All I see is a dark tan carpet that rubs painfully against my cheek and the bottoms of leather seats that are lighter in color than the carpet. An engine hums in my ear through the floor. Where the heck am I? My stomach churns and my head spins. I squeeze my eyes shut, taking deep breaths to keep from throwing up. Once the feelings pass, I turn my head to the other side, rolling onto my arm which begins to ache like it's bruised. A few feet away from me a shiny black shoe taps the air and next to it its pair remains still. I follow the shoes up the legs they're attached to that are clothed in black pants all the way up to—

"You're finally awake," Bently says, setting his cup of—brandy? —on the tray in the chair between us. My eyes narrow, my last conscious moments coming back to me.

"Where is he?"

He points to the left where after a few more rows of luxurious chairs an alcove digs into the wall. Along the walls to my left and right are small windows, and the walls and roof curve together to arch overhead. I'm on an airplane.

Headed for France.

I can't go to France. I have to stay away from Erik. What if I'm not crazy and all those nightmares really mean something? Grabbing the empty chair for support, I pull myself to my feet. For a few moments the world wobbles, and I think it's a combination of the turbulence and whatever drug Colton used on me. Once I can stand without falling over, I head toward the alcove where Bently pointed. Colton better have brought a parachute for himself.

I reach the alcove and find a door where the tiniest stream of light shines through the bottom crack. A toilet flushes on the other side of the door. Colton's been in there awhile, and I don't want to know why. A sink turns on and off, and the door starts sliding open.

I'm in front of him before he has the door open all the way.

"You drugged me?"

He opens his mouth—

"Kidnapped me?"

He tries taking a step forward, but I place my hands on the sides of the door.

"Smuggled me out of the country?"

He grabs my hips and lifts me up. I kick him, and he deposits me to the side.

"First off," he says, "you've never been out of the country, so you should be excited. Secondly, if you hadn't just shown up on my private property—"

"Your office."

"Private property . . . I wouldn't have had to drug you. And third, I am not kidnapping you."

"How is it not kidnapping?"

"Plenty of people surprise other people with vacations."

"Yes, and they want to go on that vacation. I don't want to go with you. You're holding me against my will."

He rolls his eyes and turns away, headed toward Bently. "I am not holding you against your will."

I follow after him. "Once we get there can you have this plane take me back?"

"No."

"See?"

He stops, rubbing his head and facing me. "I don't get why you don't want to go to France. No part of you wants to see Erik?"

"We get along oh so well."

He sinks down into the seat across the aisle from Bently who I point at, my anger rising. Colton has an ability to make everyone want to kill him within a two-mile radius. It can't be just me who feels that way. I'm sure of it.

"Why is he here?"

"Because he saw me knock you out."

Bently takes a sip of his drink. "I'm just as unhappy about this as you are."

"Really?" I ask dryly and look out the window, but all I see is black. No lights at all. We must still be over the Atlantic.

"You know Abella and I don't get along."

I pull my gaze away from the blackness and look back at Bently. "What is your problem with her?"

"The first project I worked with my father on involved France. Abella prevented it from going through."

"That's your issue? That she shot down one of your brilliant ideas?"

"Yes."

"That's petty.

"No, it's not." Bently appears at my row and holds in his hands two glasses with the same liquor he was drinking earlier. He offers one to me, reaching past Colton.

"I don't drink liquor straight."

"After this trip, you will."

I accept it knowing he's probably right. I cup the small glass in my hands and stare down at the yellow-brown liquid. I take a hesitant sip of it, my lips curling at the taste.

Bently raises his own glass in a salute. "You'll get used to it."

Colton lays his head back and closes his eyes. "You two are pathetic."

******

Hands brush over my waist, and I open my eyes to Bently hunched over me.

I recoil against my seat. "What the hell are you doing?"

His eyes flick down to my lap where my seatbelt no longer covers. I was buckled when I fell asleep. Colton isn't anywhere to be seen. I steal a glance out the window and find the sky a rosy pink color and can make out buildings below.

"We're landing?"

He doesn't answer, instead backing away.

"And you unbuckled me?"

He drops into the seat I found him in when I woke up the first time. "You never know when the plane could crash."

I throw him a glare and buckle back up and peer out the window. "Where's Colton?"

"Behind us: asleep."

Outside the window, the plane grows closer to the ground with every moment. I spot a tall, black, triangular structure that stands out against the pink sunrise. That's the Eiffel Tower. I never thought I'd see it.

Below me, Paris awakens. Cars run over the streets that are a grid to me from up here. People, the size of ants, stand on sidewalks. People. People who are free from Expiration Dates marked on them from birth. This is France. Europe. A different country and continent. Citizens of Elleany aren't allowed to leave Elleany, and no foreigners are allowed in either. But here I am, for once in my life free from Elleany.

I'm going to Wattpad HQ this Wednesday! My mom, sister, and I are taking a short trip to Toronto, and that's where Wattpad's office is. I'm hoping to post a ton of photos.

There is a new trailer for Expiration Date, made by jessicasimpson101 and tencwaale !