Father's Ty: Part 3

 Father's Ty: Part 3

©2011 Mika Star

Jodie stood there watching Ty drive away. What just happened? What did I miss? She went as far as to wonder if  there was something she had done wrong. Her feelings were a bit hurt, but curiosity replaced any insecurity she felt. There was something going on with Tyler and she was determined to find out, one way or another, what it was.

Jodie walk back to her car where she had left the chief salads she had picked up for her and Tara's lunch, suddenly glad she hadn't placed them in the sun.

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  She bounded in the door of the bakery. "Fooood" she called to Sara. "Cooooming" Sara announced as she walked from the kitchen.

"Sounds like a personal issue to me."

"Says the one who probably stopped off for a kissing session."

Jodie eyed Tara "What's that supposed to mean."

"It means, I saw you and Tyler Turner sneak to the back," she pointed in the direction of the back door, "last night."

Jodie followed Sara to a small table and chairs in room off the side of the kitchen.

Jodie's mouth hung open.

"Oh don't look so surprised and no worries I'm won't say anything to anyone."

Jodie knew full well she was talking about her parents.

"Not that it matters now anyway, you're eighteen, right?"

"Yes, but the last thing I want to hear is another sex talk from either of them."

Sara held her hands up in defense, "Hey, what you and Tyler do is your business. I was just teasing you."

*    *    *

Jodie dragged in the house after her shift, shutting the door heavy handed.

"Mom" her voice reverberated in the foyer and carried upstairs.

Elizabeth came from her study to the banister greeting Jodie with a full lipped smile. "Hi sweetheart," she couldn't help but noticed her daughters heavy hearted eyes. "What's wrong, Jo, what happen?"

"Nothing really, I guess. Mom, Tyler and I were supposed to go out tonight, but he never called me like he said he would."

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation." Elizabeth descended the stairs one step at a time listening carefully to what Jodie was saying.

"Maybe, but I saw him down the road from Mae'z today. He seemed out of sorts and has yet to call me back or answer any of my texts."

Jodie followed her mother into the kitchen.

Elizabeth became sightly concerned but kept her thoughts to herself. Yesterday, Tyler and Jodie seemed to be just as inseparable as they were when they were younger, so for him to be seemingly ignoring Jodie...

"Hmmm did you talk to him when you saw him?"

"Yes, briefly, but not about much of anything before he drove off while I was in mid-sentence."

"He drove off; did he say where he was headed?"

"No and I never got a chance to ask."

Elizabeth pulled her meat loaf out of the oven, setting it on the stove to cool.

They turned at the sound of the front door opening again.

"Well, hello ladies, how was your day?" Phillip rubbed his hand together nervously with a smile plastered on his face. His smile faded as Jodie turned to greet him with lingering sadness.

"What's the matter, Jo?"

"Nothing for you to worry about Dad. I'm going to bed."

"But, Jo, you're not going to eat?"

"Do you mind saving some for me, Mom?"

"Well, I guess not. It'll be wrapped up in the oven for you when you're ready."

"Thank you, Mom. Dad. she nodded, "I love you. Good night."

Jodie plodded up the stairs allowing her hand to skim the top of the banister.

"Good night dear." they each watched her tired posture as she ascended to her room. 

Once in her bedroom, after countless attempts to distract herself from the conflicting encounters with Tyler over the last couple of days, she flopped down on her bed. Sleep overtook her thoughts quickly as she drifted into subconscious dreams. 

*    *    *

Jodie  flailed in a fit laughter,  in the passenger seat of Ty's car.  She could hear Ty's deeper toned voice, but couldn't see him in her line of vision; she could only assume he was the one driving. 

Suddenly, Jodie eyes grew wide as she was jolted against her seat. Her arm slammed hard against the door. she screamed in pain and terror gripping her shoulder with one hand and the door handle with the other in an effort to brace herself. 

The car toppled once then twice, and if not for splashing into the water there might have been a third roll. In the moments following- water cascaded in from the broken window beside her. Her body instinctively stiffened as she inhaled her last breath of air before the cab became completely submerged in the cold depths. 

Jodie yanked at the seat belt freeing herself from its trap. She glanced over at Tyler; he simply nodded for her to go. She tried protesting pulling against the buckle that threatened to keep him there, but she needed air and soon. She unwillingly swam out between the shards of glass kicking harder as she cleared the frame of the window, leaving Ty. Up and up she went toward the surface of the unknown body of water. Where was she, she wondered right before breaking topside.


A slow rain pelted her face as she stared up at gravel just off the edge of an asphalt road. The car had barely missed the guardrail.  Skid marks left in the dirt and rock caused her to gasp in awe. She jerked surveying the rest of her surroundings realizing Ty had not yet surfaced. 

She dove down to search for him in the wreckage. He was gone--missing as if he had never been there at all. Her chest tightened with panic.

*    *    *

Jodie woke with tears in her eyes covering her mouth after a heaving scream.  

Phillip banged a fist against Jodie's door. She heard his muffled voice from the other side hollering "Jodie! ... Jo! ... Are you okay? ... What going on?"

Jodie head snapped about face, still reeling from the images of her dream; she cautiously slid from under the covers to unlock her door. 

"Daddy, hold on," he heard her whisper though the wood. The knob clicked twice before he carefully pushed the door open allowing light to creep in from the hallway. She back away from the door crawling onto her bed. She felt like a little kid again as her dad sat a few feet away from her at the end of her bed.

It had been years since he had checked on her in the middle of the night. The amber glow from the open door did little to hide Phillip's concerned expression.

"I'm assuming since you are otherwise intact that was one hell of a dream; So I'll ask one more time, Jo, what's the matter? "

"Tyler..." tears welled in her eyes again.  "Disappeared."

"What?" A look of shock graised his face while guilt washed though him once again.

"I'm going to call his mother to see if she has heard from him yet. I'm sorry, Jo, I never meant to hurt either of you."

"What are you talking about?" it was Jodie's turn to look surprised by his statement.

"What did you do, Dad?" Her question came out a bit more stern than she had wanted it to.

He looked at her unable to hide the guilt and shame for having not told her his secret sooner. "Right now, I need to find out about Ty. Stay here; I'll be right back."

Jodie got up to follow anyway. Her palms began to sweat and  her pulse raced as unease set in. She watched her father dial Mrs. Carson's number. She studied his movements as she listened to the conversation.

  "Carol, hey it's Phillip. Have you heard from Ty at all?"

"No, I haven't and I am really beginning to worry. I just tried his cell phone again and now it goes straight to voicemail."

"Carol, I'm so sorry." The mayor eyed his daughter nervously as his stomach knotted. He turned his back to her unable to face her  frightened expressions."If I had thought telling him would have effected him this badly I would have carried it to my grave. If anything bad happens to him..." He fell silent.

"Phillip you can't say that. He deserved to know. Frankly, if it is anyone's fault it is my own for not telling him sooner."

The mayor let out a heavy sigh. "Carol, call me, let me know the moment you have any news. Otherwise I am going out to come first light."

Carolyn sighed "I will Phil. Try and get some sleep. Someone needs to."

"Bye Carol."

"Bye Phil."

Jodie tapped her foot anxiously biting at her fingernails while she lost all sense of what was being said as stared off into space.

"Jo?" Phillip touched her shoulder, bending slightly to meet her eyes, bringing her back to the land of here and now.

She looked at her father square in the face "I'm going with you."

"Okay, honey."

She stood stone still, tight lipped and her storm filled eyes burned like lasers into his soul. "I'm serious. I'll go sleep out in the car if I have to. And I expect you to tell me what it is you told Tyler to make him run off. He wouldn't have left me like that..."

Her mother crossed her arms over her chest startling Jodie as spoke from behind her. "I don't care what your father has done you don't speak to him like that. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mama," she said looking over her shoulder out of the corner of her eye.

"She's right though, Liz, I should and I will, I promise. I'll come get you before I leave. Now, we all need to try to get some more sleep. "

*    *    *

To be continued...