The attendant looked at me.
“Ma’am?”
For one terrible second, I wanted to disappear.
Everyone was watching.
I could have ended it instantly.
“It was just a misunderstanding.”
That would have done it.
Josh could sit down.
The passengers would stop looking.
I could return to my book.
Peace restored.
Except it wouldn’t really be peace.
It would be me protecting someone else from the consequences of something he had done to me.
So I took a breath.
“Yes.”
Josh folded his arms triumphantly.
“There you go.”
I continued.
“Yes, I told you I was fine.”
His expression changed.
“I said it because I didn’t want an argument.”
The attendant listened.
“But I wasn’t fine.”
I looked directly at Josh.
“I had already asked him to move several times.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“It is.”
My voice was much quieter than his.
But I didn’t look away.
