The Taken

Reaching the mainland seemed anticlimactic as the pilot continued to watch Simon for signals. We made it out to the small parking lot in the private landing pad and I turned to Simon. "Now you are going to get us an Uber and take us all to the airport and get us all home. Is that a problem for you?"

"No!" he said quickly. "All of us together in the Uber?"

"Yes, you need to get each of us a ticket. And we all want our things back. Phones, ID's, all that."

"Umm. We should take the helicopter to where all that is. I can't get anyone tickets without your ID's..."

It was a long day of travel before we were finally on our way home in new clothes with our phones and ID's. John held my hand on the plane and kept looking at me like he was afraid a shoe was going to drop.

Once we were finally landing, I turned to him. "You'll have to move into my place," I said. "My place is close to my classes. Once school is out I am moving home right away, I have a job lined out and a storefront and farm ready. You can do your own thing, or you can help if you want. We can grow the business together. Or not, if you want to do your own thing."

"Kai?"

"Yeah John?"

"Are you fucking with me?"

"At some point you are going to figure it out. I like you, John. I am giving you a chance. I am giving us a chance. Things could have gone very differently back there... I talked the girls into not pressing charges because you would have been caught up in it too and I didn't want that. I wanted to have time with you. For us. Time in a real situation and not a scenario some incel devised."

"Ouch."

I laughed. "There is truth to it though. Anyway. So, my place?"

"Yeah. Ok... are we... sharing a bed?"

"As long as you can be the sweet and gentle you."

"Done, Kai," he breathed, yanking me close in a hug. "Always, I swear it. And... I will make it up to you."

"Clean slate. You have a clean slate, we go from here. Ok?"

"You know what day it is, right?"

"It's 2 AM... I am lucky I am awake, no clue what day it is."

"Halloween. Wanna go to a party?"

"No fucking way," I laughed. "You have been watching me for years, you know I don't do parties."

"I know... but maybe we can dress up?"

"Oh... into this part of it already?" I asked, laughing again. "Let me guess? School Girl? French Maid? Cop?"

He was grinning, his eyes shining. "I was thinking like... bride and groom."

I smiled up at him. "I guess that one isn't too overdone and cliché. You're on."