By His Side

Chapter 2

Perfect strangers...that's what we are now. I left Seattle for Chicago the next morning at about six and I don't know what hurt more, the pain in my behind from falling down the three spiral flights of stairs that lead to the kitchens or the pain in my heart that is heavy with the knowledge that Danny will be distraught to find out I'm gone again.

I wish I could say it's the fall that's more painful but as I sit in the two pod seat of Jet Blue's first class, it's the pain in my heart that's getting to me. To be honest, I would be silently crying right now if it weren't for Todd Anderson sitting next to me.

"Remind me again why your on this flight," I ask for what is the fourth time since take off as a flight attendant leaves with her tray of drinks having given me a glass of water and a glass of orange juice to Todd. 

"It was a coincidence," He mutters gloomily, playing with the condensing water on his glass. "I didn't know you'd be on this flight much less seated right next to me."

"Nothing is ever a coincidence," I sigh softly, leaning back into my seat unsatisfied with his response. "Not in this world at least. You're the personal assistant of Heaven & Holts Inc.'s CEO, the chances of Alexander meddling with the flight seating is high."

"What makes you say that?" Todd asks back softly, eyeing me out of the corner of his eye as he takes a sip of his orange juice. "After all, I could be going on vacation seeing as I do have an unhealthy amount of unused vacations over the last seven years since I started working for him."

"I know you took after your father's position when he retired," I sigh heavily, openly staring at him with what I believe is omniscience plastered all over my face. "I know who took after Daniello when he stepped down as well."

"Ah, so he finally told you..." Todd trails off understandingly, turning to look at me with a slight glint of shock in his eyes. "Are you still going to marry him then?"

His question throws me off for a moment and the saliva in my mouth goes down the wrong pipe and I end up choking on my own spit, drawing the attention of the other passengers near us. Discreetly taking a sip of my water to quell the urge to cough, I breathe out heavily when the feeling subsides after a few minutes.

"I didn't exactly hear the news from him," I hiss acidly, glaring at him as the other passengers go back to minding their own businesses. "Also where did you ever get the idea that I won't marry him once this mess is sorted out?"

He's going to remind me of my past...

Shrugging his shoulders in response to my words, Todd replies casually, looking directly into my eyes, "He is the Don of the world's biggest and most powerful crime syndicate. If you become his wife, you'll be the Donna of the syndicate. Are you sure you want that? It means coming back into Hierarchy and everything that you did as a child. The world you managed to escape."

Totally called it but the reminder is still unwelcome.

My eyes cut the eye contact with him three seconds after he finishes talking, turning instead to gaze at the in-flight entertainment screen in front of me. When it's clear that he won't stop 'staring' at me until I give him a response, I sigh heavily, already having anticipated his response beforehand.

"If it means I can be a part of Alexander and Danny's life," I pause briefly for my words to sink in, catching the sharp intake of breath from him as he awaits the rest of my response. "Then I don't mind going back. It just means I have something more to fight for."

Three hours, fifty-five minutes, one skipped meal, some vomiting and a lot of turbulence later, we're finally in Chicago. Passing through customs quickly, I am quick to shake Todd off of my trail but knowing him it doesn't take long before he's found me outside the terminal, waiting for a cab.