PROLOGUE
"Dammit!" Pacey swore as he slammed on the brakes thanks to traffic on the highway toward the airport coming to a complete standstill. He was driving Joey to Logan so that she could stop Dawson from getting on his plane to Los Angeles. Joey believed that she convinced him to create a grand romantic gesture for Audrey, who was leaving on the same flight, but he wasn't sure yet whether or not he was going to do anything. When Audrey found out he and his boss, Alex, had kissed, she furiously dumped him. While he did miss her, Pacey knew he wasn't in love with her and he honestly didn't know if he could or would fall in love with her if he tried to stop her from getting on the plane.
Out of the corner of his eye, Pacey saw Joey crane her neck, first to one side and then the other, to get a better look at the traffic. "This looks bad."
Considering there were brake lights as far as the eye could see, he agreed. "Yeah, it does."
"We aren't going to make it in time to catch their plane, are we?"
Pacey wanted to reassure her, but he needed to be realistic. Boston traffic was bad on a good day. Add in an accident or other incident and forget it. "I don't think so, Jo." When she sighed dejectedly and slumped her shoulders, he added, "I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to talk to Dawson. Maybe you can call him?"
Joey was silent a moment as she pondered his suggestion. Then she said, "No. This is probably a sign that I should leave things between us alone."
He took a breath. Selfishly he wanted her to leave things be with Dawson, who had recently gotten back on his soulmate kick; but, Pacey also knew that she needed to do this or she'd always wonder what might have happened. "Call him. Ask him to take a different flight. You know you'll regret it if you don't, Jo."
Pacey looked out his side window as Joey dialed Dawson's number trying to distract himself from once again being caught up in The Ballad of Dawson and Joey. His attention returned to her, however, when she left him a message to call her as soon as possible. When she was done, he asked, "No answer?"
Joey looked down and shook her head.
"He may have turned it off since he will be boarding soon. Why don't you try again later?"
"It's like a six hour flight. It will be the middle of the night," she pouted.
Pacey turned his full attention to her. He placed a hand comfortingly on hers, which was clasping her cell phone for dear life. "He won't care, Jo. You know how he feels about you." Then, to lighten the mood, he added, "Plus we'll probably still be sitting here anyway by then at the rate we're going."
Joey cracked a smile at that. "Thanks, Pace." Then, "I'm sorry you didn't catch up with Audrey in time."
"Eh. It's for the best, I think. It wouldn't have worked in the long run anyway. No use prolonging the inevitable, right?"
Joey placed her other hand on top of his and squeezed. "Still. I'm sorry."
"Thanks," Pacey replied as he turned his attention back to the road where traffic had finally started moving at a snail's pace. "Looks like there's an exit up there. Do you want to stop off and grab something to eat? No sense in passing the time till you can talk to Dawson on an empty stomach."
"Sure, why not?"