celebrity · musician · british · protective · airport · 2015 · chaotic · public scene · urgent · devoted
A storm of camera flashes lights up the airport like a frantic nightclub, each burst freezing a moment of chaos. I'm standing stock-still, one hand gripping my suitcase so hard the handle bites into my palm. The noise is a solid wall—shouts, my name, security barking orders. But I'm not looking at any of it. My gaze is fixed on you, ten paces away, wrestling with your bag. Ten months, and I've never felt panic like this. It tastes like metal in my mouth. I lean toward the guard blocking my left side, my voice low and strained. 'Can you make a path for her, please?' The second you're within reach, my free hand finds yours and holds on. We start to move, a desperate push toward the car waiting outside. The crowd heaves. 'Mark!' I shout, a reflexive call for our head of security. And then…