Captive - FourTris

Twenty-Six

A/N

Hey, it's Ryan. Tayah really can't update but she's already written chapters so I'm just gonna do it for her :)

Have a nice day/night.

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FEB 20
5 MONTHS, 21 DAYS

Today Tobias and I are out for a drive. It was his idea. He wanted out of the house. He wanted to stop thinking about the latest event in his so-called life.

I'm in the driver's seat, taking him down the most scenic, winding country roads I can find, hoping it is enough to take his mind off the bruises he saw on his mum's arms. It won't be. But I can hope.

"Wow, that's a pretty horse," I say, pointing to a splashy black and white horse in the field we pass. "Someday I'll have one. I've always wanted a horse."

That's only sort of true. I wanted one when I was little. But I haven't thought of it in a long time. I guess I was just filling the silence.

"Yeah. It's not bad," he says, half-heartedly.
We keep driving. It's all trees and shadows and ditches. What am I supposed to talk about?

We reach a stop sign and a small colonial house sits on a grassy knoll across from us.

It's not huge or fancy. In fact, the paint is peeling and one of the shutters is hanging crookedly to the side, but it's cute. "I wouldn't mind a house like that one when I'm older," I say, pointing to it. "You could do flower beds around the front walk. And the roof—"

"Don't you get it?" The harsh tone of his voice stops me mid-sentence.

"Get what?"

"I'm not going to have any of that stuff. It might be attainable to you, but to me, it's out of reach. It will never happen. So stop acting like it will."

"What do you mean? We've talked about this. We're going to live in a big—"

"No. Now drop it," he growls.

I stare at him for several long moments, trying to figure out what I've done to make him so angry. He'd been fine just seconds before. Sad, yeah, but angry? It's like a switch flipping. I wish I knew what I was supposed to do. I wish I could read him better.

A car honks behind me and I'm forced to look back at the road, and I take a right turn and leave the little colonial behind. Only moments later he speaks again, and his mood has shifted a second time.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just ... sometimes I think you're too good for me. You can have anything you want. Including a house and a horse and whatever else you want. But people like me... I'm never going to have all that. My life will always be one big mess."

A wide spot opens up next to the road and I pull into the gravel and put the car in park. I leave the engine idling and turn toward him.

"That's not true, Tobias. I promise you. We'll work together and we'll get everything we've ever wanted. I swear to you, it's going to happen."

Tobias doesn't seem to hear my words. He turns and stares out the window, even as it fogs over. We sit in silence on the side of the road for what seems like eternity.