mistake,” I explain. “He wouldn’t say who she was.”
Tobias fills his chest with a deep inhale and holds it for a second. “Mary’s my sister,” he finally answers. “You live in her room.”
“Oh,” I mutter. “Well, that… answers those questions.” I look at him and his eyes drop to the floor. “Where is she now?” I ask. He doesn’t answer and quite a few moments pass by in silence. His attentions shift around the room, avoiding me at all costs. “Tobias?”
“Get dressed.” He walks out of the kitchen and starts up the stairs.
“What?” I ask, following behind him.
“Get cleaned up and meet me outside.”
“Why?”
He turns around and looks down at me, towering higher than usual with the aid of the stairs. “Do you want to know where she is or not?”
It’s so blunt, I grip the banister beside me to hold me steady. “Yes,” I say, the word falling off my lips fast.
“Then get dressed.” He turns back up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
“I’m not supposed to leave the farm,” I point out, standing still.
“We’ll get back before he does.”
I rush to my room and do as he asks, grabbing a clean shirt and jacket from the closet to wear while the rest of my clothes are in the wash. My eyes scan the walls. Mary’s walls. I’ve been occupying her living space for a few weeks now, but I still don’t know anything about her. I wear her clothes every day. I read her books. I’ve been dying to know more and if Tobias has decided to leak the details, then I’ll take what I can get.
I step outside to see Tobias sitting on his motorbike, waiting for me. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“A hospital,” he says.
I quicken my pace towards him. “You said you were okay—”
“Not for me,” he says, holding out his helmet. “Put this on.”
It’s so heavy, I nearly drop it. “Whoa—” I say, tightening my grip. “Why is this thing so big?”
“So I don’t crack my skull open on the highway,” he says.
“Don’t have to be so graphic about it…”
“And here I thought you liked a bit of violence now and then,” he teases.
I lift the helmet and set it down on my head. He presses his hand on the top and forces it down until it’s secure. “What about you?” I say, my voice partially muffled.
“I’ll be—”
“Fine,” I interrupt, finishing the thought. “Right, of course.”
He glares at me, but his lips curl into a smile. I try not to imagine how silly I look with a giant motorcycle helmet sitting above my petite shoulders. Thankfully, he says nothing about it, but his smile tells me everything. “Sit behind me and hold on tight.”
I slide onto the seat. “This is just like riding a horse, right?” I ask.
“What?” he asks, glancing back at me. “Rebellious city girl like you never ridden a bike before?”
“Your knowledge of city life is extremely outdated,” I quip.
Tobias turns the ignition and revs the engine twice. “I’ll take it slow,” he says.
I hold on, wrapping my arms around him just like I did on the horse, but I pay close attention to his body language to make sure I’m not putting too much pressure on his wounds. He does as he says he would and we take it slow until we reach the highway. Then, he picks up the speed and we race towards our destination. While I’m shaking with fear inside, I can’t help but love the thrill of it. Every moment with Tobias is like a fierce chemical high. He’s taken me to new heights, ones I’ve never experienced before.
We ride for over an hour and a half, crossing through three small towns, until we finally reach the outskirts of St. Louis.
***
Tobias doesn’t say a word as he leads me into the facility.
I’m so full of questions, but I’m too scared to say them out loud. I know that eventually, if I just wait a little longer, the answers will present themselves to me, but I’ve never been a very patient person. I lick my lips, preparing myself to say
Tobias fills his chest with a deep inhale and holds it for a second. “Mary’s my sister,” he finally answers. “You live in her room.”
“Oh,” I mutter. “Well, that… answers those questions.” I look at him and his eyes drop to the floor. “Where is she now?” I ask. He doesn’t answer and quite a few moments pass by in silence. His attentions shift around the room, avoiding me at all costs. “Tobias?”
“Get dressed.” He walks out of the kitchen and starts up the stairs.
“What?” I ask, following behind him.
“Get cleaned up and meet me outside.”
“Why?”
He turns around and looks down at me, towering higher than usual with the aid of the stairs. “Do you want to know where she is or not?”
It’s so blunt, I grip the banister beside me to hold me steady. “Yes,” I say, the word falling off my lips fast.
“Then get dressed.” He turns back up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
“I’m not supposed to leave the farm,” I point out, standing still.
“We’ll get back before he does.”
I rush to my room and do as he asks, grabbing a clean shirt and jacket from the closet to wear while the rest of my clothes are in the wash. My eyes scan the walls. Mary’s walls. I’ve been occupying her living space for a few weeks now, but I still don’t know anything about her. I wear her clothes every day. I read her books. I’ve been dying to know more and if Tobias has decided to leak the details, then I’ll take what I can get.
I step outside to see Tobias sitting on his motorbike, waiting for me. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“A hospital,” he says.
I quicken my pace towards him. “You said you were okay—”
“Not for me,” he says, holding out his helmet. “Put this on.”
It’s so heavy, I nearly drop it. “Whoa—” I say, tightening my grip. “Why is this thing so big?”
“So I don’t crack my skull open on the highway,” he says.
“Don’t have to be so graphic about it…”
“And here I thought you liked a bit of violence now and then,” he teases.
I lift the helmet and set it down on my head. He presses his hand on the top and forces it down until it’s secure. “What about you?” I say, my voice partially muffled.
“I’ll be—”
“Fine,” I interrupt, finishing the thought. “Right, of course.”
He glares at me, but his lips curl into a smile. I try not to imagine how silly I look with a giant motorcycle helmet sitting above my petite shoulders. Thankfully, he says nothing about it, but his smile tells me everything. “Sit behind me and hold on tight.”
I slide onto the seat. “This is just like riding a horse, right?” I ask.
“What?” he asks, glancing back at me. “Rebellious city girl like you never ridden a bike before?”
“Your knowledge of city life is extremely outdated,” I quip.
Tobias turns the ignition and revs the engine twice. “I’ll take it slow,” he says.
I hold on, wrapping my arms around him just like I did on the horse, but I pay close attention to his body language to make sure I’m not putting too much pressure on his wounds. He does as he says he would and we take it slow until we reach the highway. Then, he picks up the speed and we race towards our destination. While I’m shaking with fear inside, I can’t help but love the thrill of it. Every moment with Tobias is like a fierce chemical high. He’s taken me to new heights, ones I’ve never experienced before.
We ride for over an hour and a half, crossing through three small towns, until we finally reach the outskirts of St. Louis.
***
Tobias doesn’t say a word as he leads me into the facility.
I’m so full of questions, but I’m too scared to say them out loud. I know that eventually, if I just wait a little longer, the answers will present themselves to me, but I’ve never been a very patient person. I lick my lips, preparing myself to say
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