Seattle

Sophia

“We are beginning our descent into Seattle,” the pilot said over the speakers.

Chewing the flavorless gum as quickly as possible, little popping sensations sounded in my ears as the plane landed. The journey from Dallas to Seattle was a piece of cake compared to the long-distance flights I had traveled just a month ago.

A month.

I drew in a breath, feeling the effects of Luke still in my system. The swirl of pleasure that I felt for him now circled my lungs and squeezed every time I thought of him.

Mechanically, I moved down the aisle of the plane, falling in line with the other passengers. Just like every time I thought of Luke, the world closed in around me, and I struggled to breathe. Even in the ample open space of my apartment or at a coffee shop when images of him floated into my mind, I developed a strange sense of claustrophobia that crippled me until it decided to pass. Which usually wasn’t for several minutes, although it always felt like hours.

Those situations were