His eyes are intense, unwavering as they lock onto mine. “If getting close means putting you in danger,
then yes. We have to let it go. I’m sorry, Abby.”
I exhale, a shuddering breath that does nothing to quell the turmoil inside me.
The tension between us could be sliced with a knife. Part of me considers letting Karl win this round.
But I
can’t let this go. I just can’t.
Instead, I reach into my bag and pull out a crumpled piece of paper, holding it up in front of him. It’s
waterstained and a little tattered, but clearly a hand-drawn map.
“Recognize this?” I ask, my voice filled with a challenge.
Karl’s eyes widen, and for a moment, he’s the one who looks like he’s seen a ghost. “You pickpocketed
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtme? Last night, when I came in here soaking wet?”
Enter title…
I smirk, my heart pounding with a blend of victory and trepidation. Memories of last night flood back in:
of
hugging him, of noticing the slip of paper sticking out of his pocket with suspicious writing on it, of
taking it
and slipping it into my own pocket, just in case.
“Of course I did. I saw this map sticking out of your pocket, soaking wet. Thought it might come in
handy.”
He exhales, half in disbelief, half in amusement. “Some things never change, do they?”
“Nope,” I grin, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Especially not my knack for mischief.”
He shakes his head, staring at the map then back at me, realizing there’s no way he’s going to change
my
mind. “You’re going to go, aren’t you? No matter what I say?”
“You know me too well,” I reply, my eyes not leaving his. “I have to try, Karl. I can’t let this slip away.”
He gazes at me for a long, excruciating moment, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head.
He’s
weighing the risks, weighing the importance of my dreams against the dangers ahead of us.
Then, he takes a deep breath, as though mustering the courage he needs for what he’s about to do.
“Alright,” he says, finally. His eyes search mine one last time, as if making sure this is what I want, what
we both want. “If you’re going, I’m going with you. There’s no way I’m letting you go into this alone.”
My heart surges with relief and newfound courage. For a moment, I feel like we’re a team again.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“You’re
sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of a bad decision in my life,” he quips, but his eyes are serious. “Let’s do
this.”
I nod, folding up the map and tucking it back into my pocket. “Agreed. Less explaining to do if things go
south.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” he says, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, breaking
the
heavy mood that’s been settling over us. New chąpter avąilable oո
I step closer, my eyes meeting his, wanting him to understand how much this means to me. “Thank
you,
Karl. For believing in me.”
“Well?” he says, his soft voice breaking the silence. “Ready?”