His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 642 Departures

10:47 PM 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The airport terminal was quiet at this hour. Families hugged goodbye. Travelers sat in clusters near their gates, phones glowing in the dim light. Outside, the night sky stretched dark and endless, planes taking off and disappearing into the clouds.

Bella pulled her oversized sweater tighter around her shoulders as she walked through the sliding glass doors. The airport was cold, or maybe she was just nervous. She scanned the waiting area, her eyes moving past the scattered groups of people until she found them.

Scarlett stood near the large windows, her arms crossed, her eyes watching the runway where Jason’s plane was being prepped. She was dressed simply, black jeans, a leather jacket, her dark hair pulled back, but she still managed to look like she was about to step onto a runway herself. Next to her, Jace stood quietly, hands in his pockets, his blonde hair catching the fluorescent light.

Hazel was there too, standing a little apart from the others, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. She looked different tonight, gentle, maybe, or maybe just tired. Her hair was loose, falling over the scarred side of her face, and she was watching Dom with an expression Bella couldn’t quite read.

And there, in the middle of everything, was Dom.

He was wrapped around Jason like a human koala, his arms tight around his best friend’s shoulders, his face buried in Jason’s neck.

"I’m going to miss you so much," Dom wailed, his voice muffled. "Who’s going to eat my leftovers? Who’s going to steal my hoodies? Who’s going to tell me when I’m being dramatic?"

Jason patted his back, grinning even as his own eyes looked suspiciously bright. "You’re always being dramatic. You don’t need me to tell you."

"You’re not allowed to make me emotional right now!" Dom pulled back, his face red, his eyes wet. "I’m having a moment!"

Jason laughed, pulling him back in for one last squeeze. "I know. I’m going to miss you too, you idiot."

"Then don’t go."

"I have to. Races. Cars. Fame. Fortune." Jason grinned. "You know how it is."

Dom sniffled, finally letting go. "You better text me every day."

"Every day."

"And send pictures. Of the cars. And the tracks. And the food."

"The food?"

"The food is important."

Jason laughed again, ruffling Dom’s hair. Dom swatted his hand away, but he was smiling now, the sadness in his eyes softening into something warmer.

From the side, Hazel cleared her throat. "Are you going to let him go? Or do we need to pry you off with a crowbar?"

Dom whipped around, offended. "I’m having an emotional farewell. This is a sacred moment. Please show some respect."

"I’m respecting you by letting you finish. Most people would have intervened when you started crying on his neck."

"I wasn’t crying. I was emotionally lubricating."

Scarlett choked on her laugh. Jace turned away, his shoulders shaking.

Bella pressed her hand to her mouth.

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Emotionally lubricating."

"It’s a thing. Jason knows what it is."

Jason held up his hands. "I’m staying out of this. I’m leaving. I’m neutral."

"You’re never neutral!" Dom pointed at him accusingly. "You’re always on her side. You’ve known her for five minutes and you’re already—" He stopped, his face going red. "Anyway."

Hazel’s lips twitched. "Anyway."

"I’m going to miss you," Dom said again, turning back to Jason, deliberately ignoring Hazel.

Jason grinned, pulling him into one last hug. "I know, you drama queen. I’ll text you when I land. And I’ll send pictures. Of everything. Even the food."

"The food is very important."

"The food is the most important."

They pulled apart, and Jason grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He looked at them all, Scarlett, Jace, Bella, Hazel, and then back at Dom.

"Take care of him," he said, looking at Hazel.

Dom’s face went red again. "I don’t need taking care of."

"You absolutely do," Scarlett said.

"You need constant supervision," Jace added.

"You once put a fork in the microwave," Bella said.

Dom gaped at her. "That was one time!"

"It was last week," Hazel said calmly.

Dom turned to her, betrayed. "You weren’t even there!"

"I heard about it."

"From who?"

"Everyone."

"Everyone is a liar."

The boarding announcement echoed through the speakers, cutting off Dom’s protests. Jason grabbed his bag, saluted them all, and started walking toward the gate.

"Text me!" Dom yelled after him.

"I will!" Jason called back, not turning around.

"Every day!"

"Every day!"

"And send pictures!"

Jason raised his hand in a wave, and then he was gone, disappearing into the tunnel that led to the plane.

Dom stood frozen, watching the empty space where Jason had been. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets. His shoulders were tight.

Hazel moved to stand beside him. "You okay?"

He didn’t look at her. "He’s going to forget to text."

"He won’t."

"He’s going to get busy. With races, and cars, and fame."

"He’ll still text."

Dom was quiet for a moment. Across the terminal, the plane began to move, pulling away from the gate. Dom watched it go, his eyes following the lights until they disappeared into the night.

Then he turned away.

Bella and Scarlett exchanged a look. They’d both seen Dom cry before, over sad movies, over burnt toast, over a commercial with a dog in it once, but this was different. This was real.

Jace stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Dom, hugging him tight. Dom stood stiff for a moment, then relaxed into it, letting Jace hold him.

Hazel hovered nearby, unsure. Scarlett looked like she was about to say something comforting.

Dom pulled back from Jace, looked at all of them staring at him with worried faces, and burst out laughing.

"Oh my god!" He waved his hands at them. "Jason is my buddy, okay? I’m not going to die without him! And yes, we look like we can’t live without each other, but we totally can. We’re used to it. I was always busy with modeling, he was always busy with racing. We’ve gone months without seeing each other before. It’s fine! It’s not like he’s my wife or something." He laughed loudly. "You guys are so dramatic!"

Everyone blinked.