Page 28 of Tinley's Daddy
We began to taxi down the runway.
Ms. Davis brought me my drink and a set of three small bowls connected with a ring that hooked onto the side of the tray with chips, peanuts, and trail mix in them.
I took a sip of my drink. It was sweet and the bubbles tickled my nose. I took a bigger sip.
“Take it easy. You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
I ignored him and took another sip.
“See, I’m not nice.” I set the glass down and took a few nuts.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong.” He picked up his phone.
I yawned again.
“As soon as we get to cruising altitude, how about we have something light for dinner and then you try to get some sleep.” He leaned forward.
The engines roared. I grabbed my glass anyway. Josh smirked and leaned back in his seat.
“See, you didn’t want your drink to spill on me. That’s sweet.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t want my drink to spill. What a waste.”
He held his hand out for it.
“Mine.” But I held it on the table and didn’t take another sip. He was right. It was going to my head already. My eyes blinked a few times.
When I forced them open, the drink was gone.
I frowned and opened my mouth to protest.
Josh winked and downed the rest of it. He licked his lips and held it up for the flight attendant to take.
The plane picked up speed. In a few minutes, we were in the air.
“I’m not brave either.” I stared out the window. The plane engines roared, and the plane picked up speed. The world sped past in a blur. The real world had moved even faster in my absence.
I dreamed about my homecoming. Fantasized about how I would be welcomed home with fanfare.
Josh frowned. The lines between his eyes became more pronounced. I’d yet to see it, but I bet he had a Daddy look like no other.
“If I were brave, I would be able to tell them about what happened to me.”
I peeked out the window.The Effie Tower twinkled in the distance. I had always wanted to visit Paris. It was so romantic inthe movies. And maybe someday I’d think of it as the place I took my life back, but I would never step foot back in this country again. That made me sad.
I waited for the excitement to hit. I was heading home. But all I could think about was the chaos waiting for me when we landed.
CHAPTER 9
TINLEY
We floated up into the air. Gravity pushed me forward. I closed my eyes.
“Tinley.”
My eyes popped open.
“It’s going to take time.” He nodded. “And they have a lot to go on until you feel you are ready to talk about it.”
