Chapter 26 - Time to Fly

I woke up the next morning feeling absolutely shattered. Sleep had evaded me for the first time since I had moved into Zach’s penthouse. The electrifying static in the room left me feeling cold and restless. The usual warmth I was always surrounded with had suddenly disappeared and left behind all the horrid dreams that once haunted me.
I sat on my bed rubbing my face trying to get rid of the tiredness. My chest felt heavy as the memory of Zach’s warm breath on my lips sent a shiver rose all the goosebumps on my body. What had I done? How could I have gotten so carried away? Had I made a mistake by admitting to myself that I trusted Zach? Was that why I felt so comfortable with him and let myself lean for that kiss? Whatever it was, I could never let it happen again. I quickly shook off all my thoughts and feelings and jumped out of bed.
I got ready to start my day and headed for the kitchen. A strange quietness loomed in the penthouse as I quickly turned up the thermostat to warm the place up. My eyes drifted to the top of the stairs. No music came out of the gym room today, and the hallway had an eerie darkness.
Was no one home? I wondered.
Just then, the lift dinged open, and Jaxson strolled out. He was once again bright red and drenched in sweat. Jaxson stopped mid-step when he saw me in the kitchen.
“Good morning.” he smiled before heading for the fridge.
“Morning,” I muttered, opening the dishwasher to empty it, but nothing was inside.
All the dishes from last night’s dinner had been washed and put away. I looked around the kitchen to find any evidence that last night’s dinner had happened, but everything had been cleaned and put away.
“What’s wrong?” Jaxson asked when he noticed my confused expression.
“Zach cleaned the kitchen,” I confessed.
“Yeah, he... He cleans when he needs to… umm… clear his head,” Jaxson cleared his throat.
Guilt washed over me. What had I done? How could I have let myself get carried away like that? I had given Zach false hope knowing very well that he already had feelings for me. Feelings that sounded a lot more serious than I would like. I was still not ready for any kind of relationship. I had been in this situation once before. I had placed my blind trust in a guy and loved him with so much passion it broke me. But, as much as I trusted Zach, what did I really know about him? Besides the little details we had discussed occasionally, all I knew about Zach was that he was a wealthy, powerful man. Was that enough to let him into my life as more than just an employer or a friend?
“Wow, you really need to work on that zoning out. It’s creepy.” Jaxson’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
I blinked rapidly, trying to formulate a response.
“I-...umm-... where’s Zach?” I finally managed to say.
“He’s gone to Myrtle Falls with Kieran. They will be back later.”
I nodded and chewed on my bottom lip nervously. Did Zach leave to avoid me? This was his house; I should be the one to leave.
“Zadie, you’re scaring me a little. What happened?” Jaxson commented.
“I-... I-... I almost kissed Zach last night,” I stuttered, heat rising on my face.
“Almost?”
I nodded and swallowed loudly. “I panicked and pushed him away before we could get any closer.”
Jaxson arched one eyebrow and cocked his head. “That’s why he has gone home,” he whispered.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh I-... Zach normally doesn’t go back to Myrtle Fall without reason. When he said this morning they were going, I was just a little confused. Now I know why. But Zadie, why did you push him away? Don’t you like Zach?” Jaxson asked, opening the fridge for a bottle of water.
“It’s complicated, Jax,” I replied, pulling out a bar stool to sit on.
“I like complicated things,” Jaxson snickered and sat next to me.
“I just don’t know what to do. I’m not ready for what Zach wants, Jax. Knox broke me in a way I didn’t even know existed, and now I-... I just don’t want to go through that all over again.” I explained the best I could.
“Zach would never do that to you, Zadie. He cares for you in ways I can’t even explain.” Jaxson began.
“How can I believe you when I barely know you guys?!” I blurted angrily. I could trust them all I wanted, but at the end of the day, I didn’t know these guys. All I really knew was what they had told me, and once upon a time, Knox had done the same.
Jaxson looked a little stunned by my outburst. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.
“I-... I’m so sorry. I just meant that I’ve been down this road before. I’ve been fed false information. I look like a fool because I blindly trusted someone, so you can understand why I’m just being cautious this time.” I tried to explain myself.
Jaxson didn’t say a word. He just sat there staring at me like I was some complex puzzle he was trying to figure out. I shifted my weight from one foot to another as Jaxson’s heated gaze made me self-conscious. What was he thinking so hard about?
It wasn’t until Jax snickered to himself that I finally realized he wasn’t actually looking at me. His pupils were dilated, and it looked like he was staring into an abyss, lost in some trance. Whatever was going on in his head was filling me with dread.
“Alright then,” Jaxson finally spoke, giving me a fright. “You wanna know about us? Let’s go learn about us.”
“What?!” I squeaked.
“What? You just said you got burnt the last time you blindly trusted someone. So, let’s go remove the blindfolds. You can see what our life is like with your eyes and then decide what you want to do next.” Jax explained.
I opened my mouth to say something, but my brain-to-mouth filter wasn’t working. Was he being serious?
“Go pack an overnight bag. I’ll see you on the helipad in twenty minutes.” Jaxson ordered before heading for the stairs.
I stood in the kitchen watching Jax sprint up the stairs. Remove the blindfolds? How exactly was he planning on removing the blindfold, and would Zach be okay with Jaxson just showing me parts of their lives? Zach hadn’t been secretive, but he hadn’t been completely honest, either. But since Jaxson was gracious offering, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to know about Zach.
I rushed back to my room and started packing my essentials in a duffel bag. Since I had no idea where we were heading and what the weather would be like, I grabbed clothes to suit all climates. Worst case scenario, there would be a shop nearby I could get things I was missing.
In the background, I heard my phone vibrate. I quickly grabbed it off the nightstand and found a message from Derek.
D: “Please let me explain. I promise I will make all this right again. Just give me one last chance, please.”
I stared at my screen, re-reading the text. He wanted to make all this right again. How the hell was Derek going to do that? We wouldn’t be in this situation if he had kept his word as he had promised. I typed a reply but then deleted it, carefully contemplating what to say to Derek. Just then, a message from Jax popped up.
J: “Ready when you are.”
I chewed on the insides of my cheek as nervousness made my gut churn. Where exactly was Jaxson taking me? Wherever it was, if it helped me trust Zach, Kieran and Jax more, then I was all for it. I closed Derek’s message and tucked my phone into my pocket. I changed out of my maid uniform and grabbed a jacket before heading for the lift.
I pressed the H button on the lift and waited for the authorization to recognize me. The lift suddenly jolted and started moving. I held my breath and nervously tapped my foot on the carpet floor as I watched the number of the screen change from 20 to H. Within seconds, the lift slowed down, and the doors dinged open. I stepped out of the lift and found myself face-to-face with a matte black helicopter. The beautiful machine sat on the concrete, glimmering in all its glory.
“Took you long enough.” Jaxson’s voice interrupted my gawking.
I turned to find him in a white t-shirt and some faded jeans. Jax had his hair slicked back like he was freshly showered, making him look like he had just stepped out of a beachside photoshoot. Of course, all three men were just as good-looking as one another, but there was something in Jaxson’s baby face that made him stand out more.
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked nervously.
“Myrtle Falls,” Jaxson snickered, taking the duffel bag I was holding.
“Myr-... Myrtle Falls?! Isn’t that where Zach is from?” I stammered.
“Well, to learn about our history, you must go where it all began.” Jaxson laughed and walked to the back of the helicopter, where there was an older guy in a pilot’s uniform.
The guy took my bag while Jaxson signaled me to get into the chopper. I let go of the breath I was holding and shook off the nervousness. I had cut open people and repaired crucial organs; getting on this helicopter should be a walk in the park for me. I took a deep breath and climbed into the seat Jaxson led me to. He helped me buckle in before getting into the seat next to me and handing me a pair of earmuffs while demonstrating what to do with them.
As I followed instructions, the pilot got into his seat and started flipping switches.
“Get comfortable. It takes about an hour.” Jaxson spoke through the earmuffs as the chopper came to life with a deafening roar.
Out of the corner of my eye, a guy in a hat walked over and shut the chopper door on my side. Jaxson did the door on his side by himself before signaling to the pilot we were secure.
It was my first helicopter ride, and I was more nervous than excited about it. Did Zach even know we were coming?
Before I could ask Jaxson, the pilot started making safety announcements. I listened as much as I could over the loud noise of the engine, but very quickly, my mind wandered to thoughts about what I would find once we got to Myrtle Falls. Jaxson reached over and pulled on my seatbelt straps to ensure they were clipped in correctly and tight enough. He signaled the pilot, and before I knew it, we were lifting off the roof and hovering in the air.
The chopper slowly climbed higher and higher before the ascending stopped, and we were moving forward. I looked down at the scenery below us. People on the streets looked like ants, while the highrise buildings looked like sticks poking out of the ground. Everything seemed so small and insignificant.
“You can open the window and feel the air on your face if you want,” Jaxson’s voice boomed through the earmuffs.
I eagerly pushed open the small window and stuck my face against it. The cold Seattle air hit my face like a tonne of bricks. Even though it was still the middle of summer, the chill at this latitude was burning my face. I forced my eyes open and let the air dry my eyes until I couldn’t blink without my eyes hurting.
I swiftly closed the window and rubbed my eyes, trying to lubricate them again.
“ETA one hour and twenty minutes. The winds are picking up on the mountain, so we will have to be quick during unloading.” the pilot’s voice boomed through the earmuffs.
“Roger that,” Jaxson replied.
“Jax, does Zach know we are coming?” I finally asked.
“Yeah, he does. Trust me, I wouldn’t be taking you if he didn’t know. Not many people are allowed to visit our home in Myrtle Falls. The Masters family has owned the area surrounding the small town for centuries. The State of Washington and Zach’s family mutually agree to keep the tracks leading up to the waterfall open for hikers, but the rest is private property. It’s our safe space, and we don’t like it being explored by strangers.” Jaxson explained.
“That sounds intense. But wouldn’t the town benefit from tourists? Tourists are the biggest contributors to a small town’s economic sustainability.” I replied.
“I can see why Zach likes you. A beauty with brains is rare.” Jaxson snickered, making my cheeks heat up.
I quickly looked away, trying to hide my glee. It wasn’t a surprise to hear those words, but to know someone like Zach had said it made my insides mushy.
“Zach was more ecstatic than I expected when I told him I was bringing you for a visit.” Jaxson snickered, looking out the window.
Ecstatic? A stranger was going to invade his privacy, his safe space, and he was ecstatic? Why did he think so highly of me?
I looked out the window again, trying to regulate my emotions. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted Zach to do all sorts of unholy things to me. I wanted him to break my two-year drought and numb me with multiple orgasms. But there was also a part of me that wanted to see Zach as more than an employer: as more than a friend. However, I could only do that by breaking the walls I had carefully built around my heart.
The thought of breaking that wall and letting Zach in made me nauseous. What if Zach stomped on my heart and watched me burn like Knox did? Was he really as genuine as he portrayed himself to be?
“ETA, fifty minutes,” the pilot’s voice boomed through the earmuffs again.
I guess I was going to find out very soon…