51 • My Friend Needs Me

◇ MYKAELA ◇

"Everyone, please refrain from leaving your seats for the next 15 minutes. Cabin crew, light turbulence ahead."

The pilot's muted announcement jolted me out of my nap. I glanced down at my watch. About five hours left. We'd be in Rome around midnight.

As the pilot announced our current altitude and explained our new ETA, I sat up straight, rubbing the remnants of sleep out of my eyes. They stung a bit. I squinted at the lights. Dimmed with a yellowish tint.

Like the last time Enzo and I used this private jet, the interior looked spacious and clean. Minimalist. It smelled of men's perfume, but not his scent. Mostly beige seats. And the same dark brown carpet.

The cabin was still too cold for my liking. Hence my jacket, sweater, and thick socks. Before we got to the airport, I thought we'd be sitting in the front seats. Closer to the cockpit. But Enzo needed a nap. We chose the couch behind the partition.

My thighs sandwiched the back of his neck pillow while his head re