Accepted Fate (59 page)

At Christmas, Preston said that she was fair game until there was a ring on her left finger and it got me thinking. I have claimed her right finger and her heart, now I want to claim her left. I know we're too young to get married so this is just a promise of what's to come. I want her to be mine; forever.

I've made the decision that on Valentine's Day I'm going to ask her to be mine for the rest of our lives. I love her, I need her and I can't live without her. She can take that promise for whatever she wants. I just want the promise to be made. One day, I'll swap this ring out for the final segment in our story; a diamond ring. Until then, this will do. This year has been the best year of my life. If I was given the chance to go back and change anything, I wouldn't change a damn thing.

I'll be on my knees for the rest of my life thanking God for her. I don't know how I was deserving of such an amazing girl, but I'll cherish her for the rest of our lives. I want to grow old with her. I want her to be the mother of my children one day. I want to show her the world, support her and spoil her. Not a day goes by that the amount of love I have for her doesn't triple.

The brunette in the seat next to me starts to stir in her sleep, waking up. Closing the box, I slide it back in my pocket. "Hey sexy. What you got there?" The girl is attractive and about my age, maybe even a year or so older. She must hate to fly because she's been passed out drunk from the time we took off. I can smell it all over her.

"Just a gift for my girlfriend," I say turning back to the window.

"Is this girlfriend serious?" She leans in closer in an attempt to rub her breasts on me. Since I'm by the window seat, I can't go anywhere.

"Serious as it can be without papers," I say hoping she will go back to what it was she was doing prior to trying to seduce me. Girls like her don't do anything for me anymore. It's hard to believe they ever did. That day seems like so long ago.

Obviously, my answer had the reverse effect. She places her hand on my thigh and tries to inch closer to my manhood. "We could go to the bathroom. I've always wanted to join the mile high club. She would never have to know. We could have our fun and then go our separate ways at landing. I need something to relax me. I've never liked flying. It makes me nervous. I live in New York, but most of my dad's family lives in Alabama so I have to fly a lot; although, not by choice."

The thought of cheating on Kinzleigh makes me physically ill. I would never hurt her like that over a few minutes of feeling good and looking at this girl, she's been around the block a time or two. I'd have to be mentally insane to downgrade from Kinzleigh to her. Being between Kinzleigh's legs is the ultimate high. She is addictive on every level. She has the sweetest stuff there is. 

Grabbing her hand firmly, I remove it from the area next to my crotch. "Thanks, but no thanks. Like I said, I have a girlfriend. Being faithful to someone may not mean anything to you, but it means something to me."

"Oh come on. Every guy has a button to push him over the edge; I just need to find yours." She cannot be serious. She's one of those girls; the type that can't handle being told no. They make it a game to get what they want no matter who it hurts in the process.

As I'm about to say something, a guy in a jacket walks by eying us with a look to kill. His jacket is zipped and he has his hands in the pockets. He looks from me to her and keeps walking towards the bathroom. Who is that guy? "Do you know that guy?"

She turns around, but it's the guy's retreating form; his face now hidden. "Don't think so. Now, where were we. Oh yes." Before I even know what she's doing, she grabs my crotch in her hand causing me to jump. Suddenly, the surrounding people scream and something hits me over the head. Everything goes black.

***

My vision comes back and my head is pounding. What just happened? I look down and I'm tied up. "What the fuck?" I attempt to look around and from the terrified look on the surrounding passengers, something is very wrong.

I feel something hard press into the back of my skull. "You trying to get my girl? She's mine and only mine. I will have her no matter what it takes. You were hitting on the wrong girl my friend." Hot breath seethes into my ear from behind and I am now fully aware of what is pressing into me; the barrel of a gun.
How the fuck does someone get a gun onto a plane after the terrorist attack on nine eleven?

"
Austin please don't hurt him. This is between me and you. No one else has to get hurt. I promise baby, I'll come with you and never leave again. Just let the pilots land the plane and we'll get off." The girl sitting beside me whines, tied to her chair as well.

He is pacing up and down the aisle. "Shut up bitch. Haven't you done enough? I'm so tired of your whorish ways. Someone else always ends up hurt because you can't keep your legs closed. I've already taken care of one piece of shit for taking what's mine. No one will ever find his body. I told you last time, if I can't have you no one will. Did you listen? No because here we sit." He stops beside her and points the barrel of the pistol at her temple before rubbing it harshly down her cheek, causing her to whimper. "Don't you know how much I love you baby? I'd give my life for you. I guess you didn't believe me. You want me to prove it? You want me to take down this plane and kill all of these innocent people to prove no one else will have you?"

She shakes her head as tears stream down her face. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. A man dressed in military uniform attempts to barge and take him down, but the psycho turns and shoots him in the chest before he is successful, causing the soldier to go down to the floor beside our seat. My eyes go wide as the blood pools underneath him in the aisle close to our seats. Austin, as she called him, begins scratching his head with the gun. "See what you made me do, Cheyenne? You always bring out the worst in me." He bends down and presses his lips to hers roughly before turning to the rest of the passengers. "I guess he got to die for his country and he didn't even have to go to war. What a shame. Anyone else want to try something stupid?" He seethes loud enough for everyone to hear.

Is this really happening right now? Where are the pilots and the flight attendants? Don't they go through some kind of special training for this? Everyone is terrified. There are people crying, people staring stunned and kids being rocked by their mothers. I've got to do something if we're going to get off this plane alive. I look around to attempt at making a strategy.

As if he knows what I'm thinking, the guy bends over my seat. "Don't try anything stupid or you're next." He looks to the girl next to me. "Awe, don't cry Cheyenne. I've given you plenty of warnings. You should have listened. Shh. Shh. Shh. Is this turning you on? You always said I was boring. Am I finally giving you the excitement you need to thrive, you stupid bitch?"

Her face is covered in tears as she shakes her head. "Please Austin, I'll do anything. Let these people go. I'll remarry you just like you asked. I made a mistake leaving. Please just land this plane," she begs.

"What do you take me for? Stupid? Like I'm going to land this plane so you can have me arrested and run off whoring around like you always do." He grabs her crotch and squeezes hard. Geez what is wrong with this stupid prick? He's one sick fuck. He needs to be in an asylum. She screams in pain. He has a bored look on his face. "I'm growing tired of your games Cheyenne. You want to put a restraining order on me now and keep me away from my daughter? Nah, she's better off with our parents than you. I'll tell you what, I've got something better for you. This plane is going down. I may be going to Hell for this, but you're going to bust the gates wide open right along beside me. You're no better than me. You're just a pretender. I guess we'll go out together with a bang; kind of like Bonnie and Clyde. Emma is better off without us. At least she won't have a whoring mother or a jealous drugged out father anymore. Do you think this is the life I wanted for myself? Maybe then she'll have a chance at normalcy. What do you think? Because of you, all these people were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Everyone in the plane starts going crazy in panic. This can't happen. I have someone waiting at home for me. I promised I would never leave her. The girl then looks over at me and her demeanor is completely serious. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could change things. Just know that I'm sorry."

"Awe isn't that sweet. Are you starting to get a conscience Cheyenne? It's a shame you didn't have one before." This time when I look into his eyes, he looks like Satan himself, staring back. The evil is so thick, you can feel it. He's made up his mind. We're going to die.

You know how they say when you're faced with death, your whole life flashes before your eyes? Well it was different for me. Mine wasn't my entire life, it was the life I don't get to have and the life I've had since August. I finally got to live and now it's going to be taken away from me. Her face will be the last thing I see when I take my last breath; those deep green, freckled eyes and that beautiful face. She is perfect to me. I wish I could have given her more. I wish I could have been her life. I was looking forward to seventy two years with her when I woke up this morning and I didn't even get seventy two hours.

Austin laughs sadistically and turns to the rest of the passengers. "Everyone gets one attempt at a goodbye before this plane goes down. Use it wisely because you won't get another. You better start doing your confessions too because today is D-day for us all. It's too late for me and Cheyenne here, but there still may be hope for the rest of you. You have about..." He looks at his watch. "Thirty minutes and captain here is taking us down to the ground."

I watch as everyone starts pulling out cell phones in a panic. The idiot can't tie a knot worth a shit so I managed to get it loose enough to reach in my pocket for mine. He begins pacing up and down the aisle again, making sure no one attempts anything stupid I imagine. I remove Kinzleigh's anklet again and my cell phone.

Opening the camera option, I switch it to video and hit record. Looking down I begin my attempt at telling her goodbye.

"Hey baby. I know you're going to be really confused and I'll try to explain the best way I know how. I need you to listen to me because I don't have much time. Everyone on the plane has been held hostage and he's taking it down. Don't panic baby because I need you to hear everything that I have to say. Just this once listen to me okay? I need to say this.... I love you Kinzleigh; with all that I am. Just remember, when you remember me, how much I loved you. No girl will ever compare to you. You're a one of a kind." A tear escapes my eye and lands on the screen. The rope around my arms keeps my hands in my lap. "I guess I should have stayed home after all." I attempt to laugh to stop my tears, but it doesn't work as well as I planned. "I need you to always remember me Kinzleigh. I need you to remember so you never forget the kind of love we shared. If you forget, none of it will mean anything. In the short time I've known you I've grown to love you more than I could ever explain. If I could choose dying today or going back to the time before I met you, I would choose dying today because the time I've spent with you has been amazing. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me but I have to break a promise I made to you baby." I fight to keep the tears at bay and it burns my eyes. I need to be strong for her no matter how scared I am right now.

"I know I said I would never leave you and trust me, it's not by choice. I need to ask you to forgive me. I can't die knowing you don't forgive me. I'm going to have to leave you physically, but I'll always be with you in your heart. Anytime you need me, I'll be there." I can't hold it back anymore. The tears break free. "Kinzleigh I'm sorry. I wanted to give you the world. I wanted more time with you dammit." I manage to get the ring free from my pocket and hold it in front of the phone. "I was going to give you this for Valentine's day. I was going to give it to you in exchange for a promise that one day I could replace it with an engagement ring."

I swallow and continue what I have left to say. "That promise no longer applies, but I do need you to promise me something else. I need you to promise me you'll move on. I need you to promise me you'll let yourself love again. I want you to follow your dreams, get married and someday have babies. I want you to let somebody take care of you. You're a special girl Kinzleigh. Don't make someone miss out on loving you because of me. No one will ever love you like I love you because we were soul mates, but my soul has been called to a higher place, cutting our time short. You have so much love to give someone; please don't waste it. Don't make me die in vain. If I had a way, I would come back for you and I'll still try until I take my last breath. I don't care if I'm at the bottom of the fuckin' ocean. I just want to tell you one more thing and then I have to go." I can already feel the plane beginning to become unsteady so I don't know how much time we have.

"I want you to know that you've made my life full. I meant every word of everything I have ever said to you. You saved me. You saved me from a life full of misery and meaninglessness. Thank you for trusting me with your heart." I raise her anklet over the phone. "I'll never let it go. I love you beautiful girl." As the last syllable escapes my lips, I press the record button to end the recording and message it to her hoping and praying that it sends. If fate is going to take everything else from me, the least it can do is give her the message.  

I may die today, but I'm not going down without a fight. I was forced to break one promise. I won't be an asshole and break another. If there is a way I can get back to her, I'm going to find it. I need to find it. My sanity depends on it. I can't leave her to another man for all of eternity. I sit silent for a moment and say a prayer.

God,

I'm not sure why I ended up in this situation, but here I sit. I guess it was just my time to go. I guess this was my true fate after all. If today is the day I die, I just have one request. Please watch over her. She's going to need it after she finds out. It took me a while to get here, but I know she loves me. I know that, with every ounce of my being. I know she will be devastated and depressed. I need you to be her saving grace, God. I need you to give her happiness and strength when she won't give it to herself. I know she's going to blame herself for this and that thought alone terrifies me. I need you to keep her safe. Allow her to move on without me. Make this my last request.