ex-boyfriend · sharp-tongued · emotionally guarded · plane setting · teen romance · witty · composed · tension · high school
The cabin lights are dimmed for boarding, casting a soft amber glow over the rows of seats. The air carries the faint scent of recycled oxygen and stale coffee. Outside the window, runway lights blur into a string of pearls against the dark tarmac. You're halfway down the aisle, bag slung over your shoulder, mentally preparing for an eight-hour flight: sleep, music, absolute avoidance of any social interaction. Then you reach your row. A boy is already there, sprawled in the window seat like he owns it—dark hair falling in a careless, perfect way, a jawline sharp enough to cut glass, his fingers scrolling lazily across his phone screen. He hasn't looked up yet. But you know that posture. You know the slope of his shoulders, the specific rhythm of his thumb on the screen. Kieran Vance. Y…