Trapped by Them novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: The Bridge, Finished

We went back to the footbridge on a Saturday at dusk, because Tobias asked.

The two keys rode in my coat pocket, on one ring I had threaded them onto.

I had not said yes to either door yet.

I had not said no, and they both knew it by how often I touched the pocket.

It was the same bridge, iron and wood over the same slow river.

The lamps on their timer had not yet come on.

Lachlan stopped at the far end.

"I'll wait here," he said. "This one's yours."

"You don't have to," I said.

"I want to." His eyes were warm. "I watched you two on this bridge once, and I did it wrong."

He let go of my hand.

"I'd like to do it right."

I squeezed his hand, and Tobias and I walked out to the middle alone.

The water was gold under us, and the railing was cold when I leaned my hip on it.

Tobias took a thick, soft packet out of his jacket.

"I said after Tuesday," he said. "It's Saturday."

"You said you'd read them to me."

"I'm going to read you the first one. Only the first."

He opened it, and his hands were not steady.

He read the date on the back of the envelope first, and then he cleared his throat.

"Larissa. I'm writing this the night of the bridge, because I don't trust myself to call. You laughed at my pen, and I haven't stopped hearing it."

"Tobias."

"Let me." He swallowed. "If I call tomorrow I'll say something I can't take back. So I'm going to wait, and I already know that's a mistake."

He folded the page.

"That's the only part I can say out loud," he said. "The other three are worse."

I took the letter out of his fingers and put it in my pocket.

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