Falling at 30,000 feets

⸻

"You two-!" Jane's voice cut sharply through the office, echoing off the high ceilings and polished wood walls. Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes wide with what looked like a mix of shock and betrayal.

Jayden's head was still lowered, his face hidden just long enough for the situation to look far worse than it was-his body bent awkwardly under the desk, his head resting against Michael's legs as he'd tried to scramble out of sight. Before he could straighten up fully, before he could even get his hair out of his eyes-

Michael jumped in front of her, his hands raised defensively.

"It's not what you think!" he said quickly, waving his hands in a panic as if he could physically block her understanding, could rewrite what she'd just seen. "We were just-"

Jane's eyes narrowed into sharp slits. She hadn't even fully processed who was there yet-only the image burned into her mind.

Then-

Jayden stood up fully, brushing dust from his shirt and pushing his hair out of his face. His eyes met hers, wide with panic and something that looked like shame.

"Jane, I can explain-"

"No need," she cut him off, her tone instantly shifting from angry to cold, controlled, professional. The same voice she used when addressing unruly passengers or dealing with safety violations. "I already understand. There's no need to say anything more."

Michael froze, his mouth hanging open. "What do you think you understand?!" he cried out dramatically, throwing his hands up in the air. "Don't jump to conclusions! This isn't Jayden's fault-it's mine"

Before he could say anything else-

Smack.

The sound echoed through the quiet office like a gunshot.

Michael clutched his cheek in shock, his eyes watering as he stared at Jane in disbelief. A bright red handprint was already forming on his skin.

"Of course it's not Jayden's fault!" Jane snapped, her voice rising with anger as she stepped between him and Jayden, as if shielding her husband from harm. "He trusted you-treated you like a friend-and this is how you repay him?"

Michael blinked, completely lost.

"Repay him... how exactly?!" he sputtered, rubbing his cheek gingerly.

"You even tried to force him!" Jane continued, grabbing Jayden's arm and pulling him gently but firmly away from Michael. Her eyes were blazing with protective fury.

"Force him to do what?!" Michael shouted, utterly bewildered.

"I saw everything!" Jane shot back, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. "The way you were holding him down-"

"I was trying to push his head further under the desk so you wouldn't see him!" Michael interrupted, his own voice rising now. "I wasn't-we weren't-!"

Jane turned, glaring at him with a warning that carried real weight-she was a pilot, trained to stay calm under pressure, but right now she looked ready to take him down with her bare hands.

"Let me make this clear-if you dare lay a finger on my husband again, I won't show you any mercy," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I'll report you to HR, I'll have you grounded, and I'll make sure you never fly with Aurelia again. Do you understand me?"

With that, she dragged Jayden out of the office, slamming the door behind them with a force that made the walls shake.

Behind them-

Michael stood frozen, hand still on his cheek. The red mark was already darkening, and he could feel the sting spreading down his jaw.

"...What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered, his voice full of wounded disbelief as he sank into the nearest chair. "I was just trying to help..."

⸻

Out in the corridor, Jane didn't slow down. Her heels clicked sharply against the tile floor as she pulled Jayden along, her grip on his wrist firm but not painful-almost protective, like she was guiding him away from danger.

"Jane..." Jayden said carefully, trying to step in time with her long strides, trying to regain control of the situation before she dragged him all the way to the parking lot. "There's been a misunderstanding. A big one."

She stopped abruptly and turned to him, her expression shifting from determined to confused.

"What could possibly be misunderstood?" she asked, genuinely baffled as she looked up at him. "I saw what I saw, Jayden. And I heard the rumors today-everyone's talking about it."

Jayden opened his mouth to explain-I'm the Chief Pilot. I was hiding because I didn't want you to know. Michael was just helping me.

Closed it.

Because there was too much to explain. Too many secrets stacked up between them. And none of it was safe to say-not now, not when she was already so upset.

"I heard the rumors today," Jane continued, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall. "About Michael Torres... and the chief pilot. Everyone says they're together."

Jayden's heart skipped a beat, his hands unconsciously clenching at his sides. She's talking about me.

"No wonder he abandoned his fiancée for five years," she added, her tone edged with disdain as she shook her head.

She huffed softly, her expression softening into something like pity.

"It's even more unfortunate that he shares your surname," she said, pouting slightly as she reached up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. "What rotten luck. People might get confused and think you're related."

Jayden's thoughts spiraled into chaos. She thinks I'm just some unemployed cargo pilot with the same last name as the Chief Pilot. She thinks the Chief Pilot is cheating on his fiancée and having an affair with Michael. And she thinks Michael just tried to assault me.

I definitely cannot reveal the truth now.

"...Yeah," he said slowly, choosing survival over honesty as he nodded along with her words. "What rotten luck."

Jane looked at him again, her expression softening almost immediately-all the anger and protectiveness melting away into genuine concern. She reached up to cup his face gently, her hands warm against his cheeks.

"Did he do anything to you?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face quickly, as if checking for injuries. "Before I walked in-did he try to hurt you?"

Jayden blinked, caught off guard by her sudden tenderness. He'd been prepared for anger, for accusations, for her to walk away in disgust-not for her to hold his face like he was something precious.

"...No," he said honestly. "He didn't get the chance. You arrived just in time."

Jane nodded, satisfied with his answer. She dropped her hands to his shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Good," she said firmly, her protective edge returning for just a moment. "Thankfully I arrived in time. I won't let anyone hurt you, Jayden. Not while I'm around."

She took his hand again-this time more gently, her fingers lacing through his as she started walking toward the elevator.

"Don't worry," she added, her voice softening once more. "I won't let him do anything to you. I'll make sure he stays away from you from now on."

Jayden looked down at their joined hands, feeling a mix of guilt and warmth flood through him. She was protecting him-protecting the lie he'd built between them.

"...Thank you," he replied, his voice quiet.

But in his mind-

Michael... I'm sorry. Very sorry.

Because explaining this? Would only make things worse.