Rhodes's P.O.V
Normally I find plane rides to be dead boring, especially the shorter ones. There's no point in getting stuck into a movie or a book because you'll have to put it away soon after. But this flight, it's been different.
That's what she does; the girl in the seat beside me, she makes everything different. She's somehow managed to curl her legs up in her seat, rest her head on my shoulder, and doze off. I was surprised by how quickly she fell asleep, it happened relatively soon after we took off, but then I guess she's not used to this sort of travel like I am.
My right hand is still holding hers; I'm afraid to move it in case the movement wakes her up or we hit a bad spot of turbulence, and she needs it. So I'm using my phone with one hand, playing a game of solitaire with my non-dominant hand. It's a bit of a struggle, but I don't mind that much. I have had an amazing weekend.
The trip got off to a bit of a rough start, as do most of these sorts of trips. I could get someone else to go out and handle these situations for me, but I'm a control freak, and I need to see things through from start to finish. But I was hesitant about this trip, and even more so about the trip to New York in a couple of weeks. Because again, she makes things different.
From the second Amelia told me to book her a ticket to join me, I've felt like I was on cloud nine. I had no hesitation in rearranging all of my plans so I could spend as much time with her as I could. Though I have no problem admitting that I don't like being away from her, it wasn't clear just how strongly I disliked it until I arrived.
Exploring with her felt like seeing the city for the first time again. Through her eyes, I could see all the beauty and wonder that Paris has to offer when for the longest time it's just been the city with one of my more problematic hotels. The beaming smile she gave me when I picked her up from the train station, along with seeing the wonder in her eyes as we drove through the city, were without a doubt moments I won't soon forget.
If only we didn't have my uncle's birthday tomorrow, I could have shown her so much more of the city. 'We'—I don't think I've ever said that before with quite that much comfort. In my other relationships, it didn't feel like 'us' or 'we'; there was no partnership there. Now look at me, happily taking my girlfriend on trips away and off to meet my entire family tomorrow. What the fuck has gotten into me?