Come From Away Novels & Stories

I continued. Maya chuckled, there was approval in her tone, and then she said, "Damn, he's so handsome, and he doesn't seem to be from this town or the next town." "Bee said he came from New York." "Wow," she replied. "What did he come all the way here for..." "He must be a criminal because hecame with Lopez," I said bitterly. "Oh yeah, sure—Fuck, he's headed to us." The sound of a surprised sigh came from Maya.

"She tricked the soldato at the door, said she was here to thank me in person for yesterday. Nothing happened between us." I stared at the curves of Ava's body, barely concealed by the nightgown, and my stomach churned, bile rising in my throat. "Elio." I clenched the fabric of my dress, my voice dangerously calm. "Send her away." "Send her to Chicago, Miami, or Europe. Anywhere outside the family's reach. I don't want to see her again." He didn't answer immediately. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Her father died for the family."

I slowly walked home alone. In the kitchen, I made myself a bowl of chili mac. Extra hot sauce. Hot enough to make my eyes sting. Still, it tasted better than anything I'd eaten all day. Afterward, I washed the bowl and wiped down the counter. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a voice message from Mom. The background was noisy with laughter and congratulations for Maddison. "Ashley, why aren't you here yet? Hurry up and call an Uber over. Don't keep everyone waiting."

It is the last day of my overseas assignment. I suddenly see my girlfriend Stella Leach's Instagram story, which she deletes almost immediately. It shows a private room in a restaurant at the hotel, packed with familiar friends. Its caption says, "Waiting for tonight's guest of honor!" I figure she realizes I changed my flight to an earlier date and is planning a surprise for me. I follow the location tag and rush inside, but the moment I open the door, all the laughter in the private room cuts off. Michael Soden, my childhood friend, is the first to snap out of it. "Welcome back, Henry! We've been waiting so long for you!" Everyone ushers me to take a seat, taking turns proposing toasts

“I'll go north with Aria. You four can stay here.” All four of them moved around her at once. Asher, Blood Moon's future Delta, responsible for tracking and combat operations, snatched the phone out of her hand. “Our Moonvale acceptance letters are already here. What good would calling Frostland do now?” “But what about Aria?” Lyra's shoulders shook as she cried. “She'll be all alone so far away. She's going to be miserable.” Damian pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away her tears. “She can take care of herself.”