She is tapping her pen against the table, her expression unreadable as she stares straight ahead like she didn’t just let me kiss her senseless two nights ago. Like she didn’t whisper that she wants to try this—whatever this is. But she also made one thing clear.
No one can know.
So here we are, pretending.
I force my gaze back to the front as Knox starts going over the lineup. I already have a good idea where I’ll be—one of the firstup, setting the pace. That is my role, and I thrive in it. But what I don’t expect is when Amelia’s name comes right after mine.
I straighten slightly, my jaw tightening.
She is flying right behind me.
My pulse kicks up. Not because I doubt her skill—hell, Amelia is one of the best pilots here—but because that means we’ll be running every maneuver in sync, trusting each other completely at high speeds and low margins.
I glance her way, and for the first time since the meeting started, she meets my eyes.
No hesitation. No fear. Just that same fire that always burns in her.
Damn, she is something else.
“You all have your positions. Get to work. I want these routines locked in before next week.” Knox wraps up the meeting, giving Amelia a wink as he heads out of the room.
Did she have any idea that he was putting her in the first show? She is our head officer, and now she is going to be in the show.
Chairs scrape against the floor as everyone stands, the room filling with conversation. I wait just long enough before stepping toward Amelia, keeping my voice low so no one else hears.
“You’re right behind me.”
She arches a brow, arms crossing. “Not worried, are you?”
I smirk. “Not even a little.”
She rolls her eyes, but there is a glimpse of something in them—something that says she feels this weight too.
I lean in just enough so only she can hear me. “Guess that means you’ll have to trust me, Phoenix.”
Her breath hitches, and I see the slight part of her lips before she forces her expression back into something unreadable.
Then, just as quickly, she turns and walks away.
I let her go. For now. But in the sky? She won’t be able to hide.
Knox and I stand near the edge of the airstrip, going over the lineup again. The order is locked in, but I still want to run through a few details. Flying first means setting the tone for the entire show, and having Amelia right behind me means precision is everything because she will make sure I have everything perfect.
“Do you know why I wanted to put Phoenix in the lineup for the first show instead of myself?” he asks.
Before I can respond, footsteps approach, quick and deliberate. I turn just in time to see Amelia coming straight toward us, her expression unreadable—but the tension rolling off her is loud.
Knox barely has time to acknowledge her before she stops in front of us, her gaze sharp and focused entirely on him.
“I need to talk to you. Alone,” she says, arms crossing.
I blink, glancing between them. For once, I’m not the one on the receiving end of her irritation, and damn if that doesn’t feel like a miracle.
Knox looks at her, then back at me, before sighing. “Of course you do.”
I bite back a grin. “I’ll just… leave you to it, then.”
Amelia doesn’t even look at me.
