Jilted (closed)

[KiwiD82]

Logan chuckled lightly. Blythe was doing her best not to have him go out of his way, but he was making the offer because he was more than happy to follow through.

"Actually, my plans are pretty open," he admitted. "I have a business meeting the day after we arrive, and then the best part of a fortnight to spend as I please."

Logan paused then, mulling over potential offers as the plane rumbled in through the skies.

"How about...you enjoy your sleep in on the first new day, then I can contact you and see if you're still interested. I'm sure your hotel will make some fine recommendations, but there are places and events that the average tourist can't access. I could get you into those. It'd guarantee you remember your visit to Venice for all the right reasons."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, really...you're too sweet, but you don't have to do that." Blythe insisted again, giving him a smile as he promised to show her around the city. "I suppose you won't take no for an answer, will you?"

"I'm staying at the Hotel Moresco. That's about all that I know about it." She said as the attendants started to pull out food for a light dinner. "It's suppose to be very pretty and on the canals."

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan laughed gently.

"No, I suppose I won't," he agreed.

The arrival of the meal was a welcome pause. Logan had forgotten just how hungry he was - the delayed flight had impacted him more than he'd realised - and he took to the food with more eagerness than he normally would have.

"I know the Moresco," he said with a nod between mouthfuls. "It's a fine hotel that sits right on the Rio Dei Tolentini. I'll actually be staying not far away, on the edge of the Grand Canal at the Aman Canal Grande."

He paused his eating long enough to take another sip of his drink, then continued.

"I'll have to show you around the hotel, even just to have a look. It is, in my opinion, the finest accommodation in the city."

Logan looked at his plate, suddenly realising it was empty. He returned to his glass, taking slow sips.

"I know you've had a stressful day beyond measure, so rather than make you agree to anything, I'll call the Moresco the day after tomorrow. If you decide you don't want my company, that'll be the end of it."

 

[heartofcourage]

Looking down at the meal that had been placed in front of her, Blythe heard her belly growl in hunger. It had been since breakfast since she had eaten. She had skipped lunch as her nerves made her belly roll in the most sickening way and then dinner had been passed over because her stomach hurt too bad. She picked up the silverware that had been placed next to her plate and dug into the food, glancing at Logan from time to time as he talked about her hotel and then where he was staying.

"Considering I don't know anyone in the entire country, I would think that saying yes to you might be in my best interest." She said with a smile as she took a sip of her drink, finishing the rest of her plate in relative silence.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan smiled. At the risk of being too forward too soon - but balancing that risk against the reality that Blythe's former fiancée was clearly an utter fool - he leaned across and whispered in their now familiar secret-sharing volume.

"Then it's a date."

He unbuckled his seatbelt and rose, retrieving his laptop bag and opening it, before plugging in his small computer and returning to the seat next to Blythe. Having buckled himself back in, he turned to his newfound travel companion.

"You've had a very stressful and tiring day. The morning will be here before we know it. I'd recommend getting some sleep if you can."

Logan powered the laptop and logged in.

"And while you do, I'll make a quick list of things to see and do in Venice. I'll leave it with you and when I collect you, you can tell me which items appeal the most."

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe smiled as he leaned in close and whispered to her that it was a date. There was something about Logan that made her smile and she found him utterly charming. Compared to him, Brent was a boorish slob. Perhaps she had been so blinded by love to see Brent for what he really was. His sweet words and silver tongue had made her fall deep and hard for him. Now...they all seemed so empty and hollow. How many times had he used those words on other women?

She let the attendant clear away the plates, watching as Logan unbuckled his belt and retrieved his laptop before returning back to his seat. She chuckled softly as he told her to get some sleep as he worked on a list of things to do in Venice.

"Logan, you really don't have to do all of that for me." She said softly, enjoying the attention that he was lavishing on her. "It's nice that you've offered, but surely you have other things to work on that don't include me."

She reached to the pocket in front of her seat, pulling out a blanket and a pillow that were offered to the first class passengers. She soon realized that her seat reclined flat, affording her the opportunity to sleep as if she were in a bed. The thought made her smile as she placed the pillow under her head and relaxed with a deep sigh. She was more exhausted than she had realized. The entire day had taken a huge toll on her.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan tapped away at his keyboard even as Blythe said he shouldn't, drafting ideas off the top of his head, based in part on what he was already planning to do himself.

"Yes, there are other things I could be doing," he acknowledged without looking away from the screen. "But none of them involve a beautiful woman in a cocktail dress with a broken heart."

He offered Blythe a quick smile before returning to his list. He did pause, though, as the jilted brunette took a pillow and reclined. Sleeping on a plane normally took a bit of getting used to, but Logan suspected she might find slumber close by, given her exhausting day.

After spending a few more minutes listing locations and activities, the entrepreneur closed the laptop, placed it under his seat, and took his own pillow as he then reclined beside Blythe.

It had been a busy day for them both and rest was needed before their shared Venetian experience.

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe woke a few hours later as a rough patch of turbulence shook the plane. She lifted her head from the pillow, frowning slightly as she glanced at Logan. It took her a few moments to remember just where she was and how she had ended up there. As the plane settled back into its flight, she relaxed and pulled the blanket back up to her chin.

Looking at Logan as he slept beside her, she thought about all the wasted nights that she had spent sleeping next to Brent. Had he ever really been happy with her? Why had he even proposed in the first place if he had no intention of walking down the aisle?

Those thoughts brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes and again she was forced to wipe them away with the palms of her hands. She was struggling to stay quiet, not wanting to wake Logan after he had been so kind to her through the entire flight. Even all the kindness in the world wouldn't stop the ache in her heart. She felt worthless, like no one would ever love her.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan had had difficulty getting comfortable. There was something inherently wrong about sleeping in a full suit. So by the time he'd actually drifted off to sleep, both his jacket and his tie had been folded and packed into his laptop bag.

Turbulence didn't tend to wake him, unless it was particularly rough. Other sounds that he wasn't used to, though, could certainly rouse him.

Logan's eyes opened and he took a moment or two to remind himself that what he was looking at was the ceiling of a plane. Then he heard sobbing. It was quiet, but not so quiet as to escape his attention.

Pulling himself up onto his elbows, Logan turned towards the noise and saw Blythe: awake; tearful; alone.

"Blythe, are you okay?" he whispered, keeping his volume low for other sleeping passengers as he ask the dumbest question possible.

Logan wanted to offer his handkerchief, but it was still smeared with makeup, so without thinking any further, he reached out to wipe her tears with his own hands.

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe sniffed as she heard Logan ask if she were alright. She shook her head no when he asked if she were alright. She didn't feel alright and she doubted that she would be alright for a very long time. The love of her life had ripped her heart out and stepped on it so cruelly and she was on a plane that was hundreds of miles away from her home. Perhaps she should have stayed behind.

She was startled when she felt warm fingers wiping away her tears. Her dark eyes turned towards him, wide as he sought some way to try and comfort her. He had been so incredibly sweet to her, even though they had only just met a few hours before.

"I'm sorry." She whispered in the most miserable voice. "I'm so sorry."

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan furrowed his brow in confusion as Blythe started apologising. She had been left at the altar and she felt the need to apologise? The whole idea seemed plain wrong as far as he was concerned.

"Please, don't apologise," he whispered, continuing to wipe away tears as they came.

Amidst the urgency and emotion of the situation, Logan couldn't help noticing how smooth and soft Blythe's skin felt. Despite her smeared makeup, which was being washed by her own tears, the woman looked gorgeous as far as he was concerned - if only she could find happiness again.

Almost without even realising, Logan had now cupped Blythe's face with his palm, continuing to watch on with concern as they lay next to one another thousands of feet above the ground.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What's wrong with me?" Blythe asked as his palm gently cupped her face and her tears continued to flow. "Why was I not good enough?"

She was struggling to find the answers in a situation that didn't have any. She would never know why Brent had gone off with another woman. She would never know why he had proposed to her in the first place if this was his plan all along.

"I just don't understand." She murmured softly, looking into his eyes as he tried to comfort her during her little breakdown.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan now half sat up, his palm caressing the side of Blythe's face.

"Don't blame yourself," he whispered. "It was your fiancée who betrayed you. He's the bad guy in this."

He was sincerely concerned for her. On the night she probably should have been entering the mile high club with her brand new husband, she was crying and feeling worthless.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Blythe," he added, his hand shifting past her cheek and running gently through her hair. "You're wonderful."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't even know me." Blythe said miserably. "How can you know that I'm a good person or a bad person?"

She was wallowing in her own sorrow. She had never been one to dwell on bad feelings, but it seemed that they were the only ones left after the day she had been through. Perhaps it had all been her fault after all. Maybe she hadn't paid enough attention when it mattered most. Maybe she hadn't made Brent feel special enough to stay.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan could see by Blythe's sense of worry that she was someone who put others first. He couldn't imagine her giving her fiancée anything but the very best.

And yet she still felt as though she had fallen short.

"Simple," he reassured her. "He's the one who left you at the aisle, and yet you're obviously still worried that you're the one at fault."

The look of guilt was so clear to see. Logan shifted himself closer. The woman looked like she needed to be held, but he was hesitant to move too fast.

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe began to cry in earnest as Logan told her that he knew simply because she was worried about being at fault. She pressed her cheek against her pillow, crying her heart out as silently as she could. She hated the thought of waking up the others in first class. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed silently, Logan's warm hand still in her hair.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan watched as Blythe's state became even worse. It seemed that no matter what he said, she was descending further into her tears. Before long, her pillow would be as soaked as his handkerchief.

He couldn't think of way else to say. The poor woman was now shaking as she sobbed. Logan found himself becoming angry at Blythe's former fiancée, even as he was growing more concerned for the beauteous woman who had been foolishly left behind.

It seemed that there was nothing else for it. They'd already held hands and he now had his fingers stroking through her hair. Surely she wouldn't be further upset if he tried to comfort her?

Shifting slowly on elbow and hip, Logan edged across from his seat to the edge of Blythe's, wrapping an arm around her trembling body and gently pulling her towards his embrace. He stayed at the edge, guaranteeing her as much space as possible while also giving him the option of beating a hasty retreat if needbe.

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe hadn't expected Logan to move to her seat, sitting on the edge of it. Soon, he was gently pulling her towards his embrace. She didn't stop him as she found herself pressed against his chest, crying against his shoulder. It felt good to be held by someone, anyone, even if they weren't who she really wanted. A strange pair of arms was better than a pair of arms that didn't want her any longer.

Soon, she started to calm, the worst of her emotional storm passing. She simply rested there, trying to get her bearings before she pulled back from Logan's arms. She looked him in the eyes, a little bit of embarrassment crossing her features.

"I'm sorry." She whispered softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I shouldn't be crying over a man like him."

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan lay still, gently rubbing Blythe's back as she sobbed against him, the worries and stressed of presumably the worst day of her life slowly dissipating with her tears. It felt good to hold her; to feel her attractive form against him.

He released her when she pulled back, offering her a sympathetic smile when she apologised. Blythe seemed so sweet and sincere. Logan thought of her as a delicate flower - given the right conditions, she would surely bloom again.

"Don't apologise," he whispered, cupping her cheek gently before slowly shifting back to his own seat. "Try to get back to sleep. But if you can't, or you wake up again, I'll be right here."

 

[heartofcourage]

Logan did his best to make sure that she wasn't embarrassed and Blythe was grateful for that. She wanted that feeling of normality and it felt like it would never come back. There was something about this man that she had just met that made her believe that perhaps things would really be better. There was a little light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

She nodded and settled back onto her seat, thanking him softly as he helped to pull the blanket up to her shoulders. She stared at the wall of the cabin for a long time before her dark eyes finally closed and she let herself go back to sleep for a short while. This time she was peaceful, actually resting without thinking about the marriage that never was.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan realised that it would have appeared odd to any onlookers that he had just hugged someone who was still essentially a stranger. It certainly should have felt odd, too, but for some reason, it just made sense with Blythe.

Logan stayed awake for a while, just listening. He wasn't sure if Blythe was aware that he hadn't gone straight to sleep, but that didn't change anything as far as he was concerned.

Once his beautiful brunette travel companion's breathing changed, he knew she'd finally found some rest, and he settled back down for some sleep of his own.

 

[heartofcourage]

Blythe woke a few hours later, rubbing her eyes as she heard the clinking of glasses as the attendants gathered together items for breakfast. Slowly, she raised her seat, looking out the window at the scenery that was below the plane. It was land instead of sea, meaning that they were getting closer to Italy.

Her eyes felt gritty from crying, her hair slightly wild about her face from sleep. She was sure that she looked a mess. Her lovely little dress was rumpled. She desperately wanted a shower. Perhaps everything would make more sense after the world was right once again.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but it was light when he awoke. He looked across to see Blythe was already sitting up. He adjusted his seat to join her.

"Good morning," he smiled, rubbing his eyes. "Did you sleep better on the second attempt?"

As Logan's eyes adjusted and he took in the sounds of breakfast being served, he looked across to Blythe and chuckled lightheartedly. Her hair was out of place, her dress was bunched up, and her eyes hadn't recovered from the punishment they'd received overnight. She clearly hadn't been joking about being new to long haul flights.

"If you don't mind me saying, you might feel more comfortable if you duck into the toilets and freshen up," he said, before hearing himself beginning to backtrack. "I don't mean that you look bad - you certainly don't - but a bit of water on the face might help you to wake up. After all, your Venetian adventure begins in just an hour or two."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I did, thank you." Blythe said softly as the attendants bustled around the first class cabin, offering plates to everyone who was awake.

The smell of bacon and eggs filled the air and Blythe's belly growled hungrily. She yawned and glanced towards Logan as he suggested cleaning up in the toilet. It was sweet that he was thinking about her and what might make her feel better.

"When the attendant comes, could you get me a cup of tea and some orange juice?" She asked him as she stood from her seat to excuse herself to the bathroom.

As she stepped past Logan, she knew that she looked a mess. When she entered the bathroom, that was all but confirmed. Her eyes looked like a raccoon with smeared makeup and mascara. She washed her face, feeling better as a fresh face looked back at her as she tried to comb out her curls with her fingers. They were wild about her head and there was little she could really do without a proper shower and brush. Still, she did feel better as she exited and made her way back towards her seat to eat her meal.

 

[KiwiD82]

Logan hoped he hadn't upset Blythe with what he'd said. Hopefully rinsing away her smeared makeup would mean fewer awkward looks from other passengers once they began to wake up.

Long flights were tricky beasts and they took some getting used to - especially overnight flights. Sleeping on a plane was such an unnatural experience, and the combination of a comparatively small space with stale air could be unsettling.

On the whole, though, Blythe seemed to be in a better headspace this morning than she had been the night before. A more settled sleep after their midnight hug seemed to have worked wonders.

By the time she returned - her hair much the same but her face far cleaner - breakfast was waiting for her. Bacon and eggs, a side of pancakes, and the tea and orange juice she had requested.

"Welcome back," Logan smiled from behind a matching meal on his own tray. "Does that feel better? You look much more prepared to tackle Italy, now!"