Penny For Your Thoughts?

Sixteenth

"What do you think of when Zayn comes to mind?" Dr. Peters voice interrupts my thoughts and I tear my eyes away from my window. My view was way better in the living room, but it was also distracting.

"I think of all sorts of things," I shrug. I wasn't much in the mood for talking today. But yesterday I wrote my answers and I didn't want to have to burden her with that again.

"Can you select one for me, Penny?" She wasn't pleading. But I could see that she wanted something to work off of.

"Well, when it was my birthday, we only had two of those together, but I still remember it," I can already feel the sand underneath my toes. "He would take me to this beautiful beach. He inherited this gorgeous beach house in Maryland, and he would take me out there for the weekend of my birthday. And we would go to the boardwalk and eat cotton candy and ride those roller coasters with bright lights. I remember loving going there. Just to distress. Just to get away,"

"To get away from what?" She just listens, instead of writing on her tablet.

"Well, at first it was just to get away from my parents. They're so loving, and I appreciate them so much. But they're a bit suffocating sometimes. And he knew that so taking me away would put distance from them, and work, and stress that you get from everything," She smiles at my answer. I take a deep breath.

"You say at first it was to get away from reality a bit, yes?" I nod. "Well, what about after? What were you getting away from when your parents weren't an issue anymore?"

I pause, "Him,"