Read Exposed (Free Falling) for Free Online Page B

out front to help with my bags.  In no time, we were checked in and seated on our flight just waiting for takeoff.
    “You alright?”   Jason asked, gripping my hand when he did.
    It wasn’t until he spoke that I realized how tense I was.  Forcing a smile, I replied, “Yeah…I’m fine.”
    He studied my expression for a moment and then let my response be good enough.  As my gaze drifted out the window, I tried to steady my breathing.  It wasn’t lost on me that as soon as this plane landed I would be about an hour away from what I’d dubbed “the moment of truth” – my first encounter with AJ in five years.
    I’m honest enough with myself to admit that I was feeling some type of way about meeting his fiancé, too.  The only thing Terrell or Maisha had ever mentioned about her was her name – Kira.  I tried to imagine AJ with someone else, and could never seem to do it.  I couldn’t imagine him holding some other girl’s hand, kissing her…touching her.  Whenever I questioned myself about what created this mental block in my head, I reasoned that it was because of the sense of being the only woman that existed that I always had when it came to him.  He made it seem as though he couldn’t even see other women – another reason I felt so guilty about my reaction in the past, thinking he’d cheated.  Even if the letter I’d just found hadn’t told me so, I realized quite some time ago that AJ was nothing but faithful to me.  However, being young and dumb, I couldn’t accept that as the truth at the time that it actually counted.
    Water under the bridge, though, right?
    The short flight came to an end and everyone was up and moving about grabbing their carryon bags from the compartments above.  Everyone except for me.  I was in such a daze that I barely even noticed that we’d touched down.
    “Ready, B abe?” Jason asked with a smile.
    I nodded and followed behind him, trying to force myself to snap out of it.  After claiming our luggage and retrieving the rental car that we’d reserved, we drove the short distance to the hotel.  I was trying to recall the calming techniques Dr. Grill went over in my session, but none of that was working now.
    Jason startled me from my thoughts when his hand came to rest on my thigh.  “Hang tight.  I’ll go check us in and then come back for you,” he offered.  Our lips touched briefly before he left me alone in the car to breathe through my anxiety.  I waited until he’d disappeared inside the building to let myself freak out.
    “Get a grip , girl,” I whispered to myself.  Grown women aren’t supposed to freak out over having to be around an old high school boyfriend.  I mean…that’s basically what AJ’s and my relationship boiled down to, isn’t it?  I tried to gather my thoughts. 
    This wouldn’t be so bad, right?   It was just one short weekend and then “boom” it’d be over.  
    S haking my hands to bring the feeling back to them, I noticed a woman parked in a car beside ours from the corner of my eye.  After I caught her staring, she gave a tight smile, and then quickly turned away.  However, when she did…something about her seemed so familiar.  An uneasy feeling settled in and I studied her features.  As soon as I made the connection, my heart nearly stopped cold in my chest.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the Asian woman in the parking space beside me…was Reina ?  I’d remember that face anywhere, but… 
    My stomach twist ed and turned, but I ignored it, deciding to look away.  The sound of Jason’s car door opening made me whirl my head in his direction.  I hadn’t even noticed him approaching. 
    When Jason started the engine, I questioned him with my eyes.  “We’re leaving?”
    He shook his head.  “No pe, I’m just parking in the back.”
    I nodded, but said nothing as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.  The first thought that crossed my mind was that she had to be