Crashed into Love: Episode Three Read Online Free Page B

to almost die in fire and pain. Liam and Anderson denied death and now every day was a bonus.
    Did I really want to go back to who I was? Scared of silly work rumours and denying myself happiness, just because of what others would think of me? I’d stunted myself.
    It seemed so juvenile. Petty. Unimportant.
    It didn’t matter how I became a pilot or any other stupid trivial worry. It boiled down to finding a partner to brave the tide with. A soulmate who weaved into the tapestry of life. The perfect other half that made me more. Just more in every way.
    Liam smiled so bright I swear he trapped a star between his teeth. “Come, my little co-pilot. Tonight you show me your skills.”
    He swiped an identification badge at the side gate riddled with barb wire and official signs warning of nasty penalties if we were unauthorised.
    I totted beside Liam, unable to stop smiling.
    We rounded the corner of the building, and I had to swallow my squeal of excitement. Liam was right. The plane was ancient, dinged, scruffy, and looked like it had suffered one too many local typhoons. But it had wings and an engine and promised an evening in the endless starlit yonder.
    A fleeting moment of fear made me pause. The last time I flew, it ended rather horribly. Was I brave enough to go above the earth again? Knowing we were at gravity’s mercy whenever it wanted to tug us back down?
    Liam squeezed my hand. “If you’re wary about flying again, I totally understand. We don’t have to. Maybe I didn’t think this through.”
    I shook my head, battling with the weakness of fear. “How do you feel? Aren’t you struggling with the same apprehension?” After all, he was the one who had to fly the ruined machine.
    Liam pursed his lips. “I can’t explain it. I’m wary, of course. But…” He looked up to the sky, murmuring, “If you’re anything like me, you’ll understand completely when I say I live and breathe up there. Gravity is my nemesis. I can’t stay away too long. Regardless if it’s what kills me one day.”
    He was totally right; I did understand, and my chest squeezed. If I had to die, I wanted it to be doing something I loved, with a man who wanted to fly me to the moon.
    “Let’s go then.” I yanked him toward the crop-duster.
    He laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you couldn’t wait to get me locked inside a stuffy cockpit.”
    Butterflies flurried in my stomach again. If I wasn’t careful, I’d take off just by the wings he caused. I gave him a sly smirk. “Was I so obvious?” How could he sound so anxious about me wanting him? Wasn’t it obvious how much I did after today? After he’d touched me.
    He still wore a shroud of uncertainty which was endearing as much as it was annoying.
    Giving me a grin, he headed toward the plane. Removing the chocks in front of the tyres, he laughed. “Theo told me once how you were almost arrested for not using proper etiquette on the radio frequency.” His eyes met mine as my cheeks blazed.
    “He told you that?” How horribly embarrassing. Theo had no right either. That was my dirty secret. I didn’t want him telling people, especially Liam, how much I sucked at the beginning. I didn’t know how serious the aeronautical industry took protocol. No chit-chat allowed, certainly not about a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory .
    “He also said you’re heavy on the pedals, yaw all over the place.”
    Liam ducked, laughing, as I swung at him. My cheeks were a furnace, but I saw the humour, too. “I can’t believe he told you all of that.” I pouted.
    He caught me around the waist, pressing against me. His hips connected with mine. I froze.
    Liam’s eyes softened. “I love hearing about you.” He nuzzled my neck, whispering into sensitive skin. “You’re not a pilot unless air traffic control has told you to be careful on the frequency. Hell, I forgot the phonetic alphabet when I took my final exam. The only thing I could think of for F was