Can't Let You Go Read Free Page B

you are.”
    “If you recall, I had an illustrious movie career, everyone back home adores me, and in polite company, we do not talk about my torrid affair with Brad Pitt.”
    It hurt to smile. “Stop yelling,” I whispered. “I remember everything.”
    Maxine arched an artfully plucked brow. “You do?”
    I nodded. “And we all know you’ve never even met Brad Pitt.”
    She sniffed. “It could happen.”
    Millie sat on the white-blanketed bed. “You’ve been out for about six hours. Do you remember what happened?”
    I shot straight up from my pillow. “Millie—all those people!” Dear God, we had crashed. “Charlie. Where’s Charlie?” Was I the lone survivor? I didn’t want to be! They would put me on Good Morning America and expect me to write a book and do some made-for-TV movie starring some down-and-out Disney actress.
    “He’s fine. You’re all fine.” Millie held me down with gentle arms. “There was no crash.”
    My heart raced. “He’s okay?”
    “He’s been right by your side the whole time,” James said. “We just sent him to get coffee downstairs.”
    My body shook with the relief, and I deflated in exhaustion. “But I don’t understand. We were going down. It was awful. I just knew we were going to—”
    “You hit a pretty bad storm,” James said. “We still don’t have much information, but it appears the plane lost control for a bit. The pilot made an emergency landing.”
    “In a cornfield.” Maxine gripped my hands harder. “Did you see any crop circles while you were landing?”
    “She didn’t see anything,” Millie said. “It got so rough anything not belted down went airborne. A few of the overhead bins flew open and a bag hit you on the head. Knocked you out cold.”
    “Charlie scooped you into his strong, manly arms, held you to him, slid with you down the emergency thingie, then carried you to safety.” Maxine hid her lips behind her hand. “You should’ve used your feminine wiles and held out for mouth-to-mouth.”
    “I was a little busy being unconscious.”
    “You should sue the airline and get tons of money,” Maxine said. “I’ll represent you. I’ve watched a lot of court shows. I bet that pilot was sexting”
    “How do you feel?” Millie ran her hand over my hair. “You got some stitches on your forehead.”
    Maxine eyed my wound. “And even though it’s puffy and ugly, and you could be deformed for life, we want you to know we’re still gonna try and love you anyway.”
    “Noble of you.” I lifted my hand to my head, my fingers sliding over the bandage.
    The door eased open and in walked Charlie Benson, carrying a burrito, three candy bars, and a YooHoo. His gaze landed on me, his eyes softening. “You’re awake.”
    I smiled. “Near death experiences make you a little hungry?”
    “They really do.” Maxine snatched every bit of the food from Charlie’s full hands. “You forgot the hot dog.”
    “Sorry,” he said. “I was halfway through your order in the cafeteria when a doctor started lecturing me on my food choices. Said this was a heart attack waiting to happen.”
    Maxine shrugged. “I got a defibrillator in my purse.”
    I had so much to say to Charlie. My mind filled with thousands of words, all of them spinning and careening like falling stars.
    “Why don’t we step out for a bit and get some coffee?” James put his hand at Millie’s back and guided her toward the door. “Maxine, let’s go to the cafeteria.”
    “Nah.” Her lips surrounded an oozing burrito. “I got all I need.”
    James held open the oak door. “I’m buying.”
    Maxine patted my blanket-covered feet. “See ya, tootsie.”
    My family escaped into the hall, leaving me with my old friend.
    The boy who had saved me.
    The one I had declared my love to.
    “Charlie—”
    “Katie—”
    Our words overlapped, crashing like cymbals, then fell to the ground, leaving us with a silence so heavy, I sank deeper into the pillows.
    “The doctor says