"It's going to be okay, I promise". Those two words. I promise. The words I hear so often. The words that tumble from his lips, flowing so easily like water to a river. The words built on layers upon layers of trust. But do I really trust him?
His voice soothed me as I peered anxiously over the edge. Clutching onto his arm for comfort, safety more than affection. My heart pounded through my chest just as it did the first time I laid eyes on the muddy brown mop of hair and that shining smile of his. The one that could fool the world. "I don't want to, Tate. What if they lied?" The waves lashed angrily at the rocks which threw themselves back into the sea as they fought in a never ending war. They seemed a thousand miles beneath our feet. I felt small.
"Don't you trust me, Calli?". I glanced up at him. His piercing green eyes, now exhausted and worn, watched me. Staring at me, into me, as if looking, searching for something. He brushed the strands of messy Blond hair out of my eyes. The sleeve of his grey sweater slid down his arm as he did so, revealing the neat little lines all in rows across his tanned wrist. "I do" I breathed, touching his scars gently, reaching for the beads that hung loosely around his wrist. He averted his eyes towards the ground, shame washing over his face. I looked down to my own wrist the bracelet that matched his dangling. I reached up and rolled his sleeve back down delicately over his naked arm. "I just" I started. "I don't trust them. You know how they are. They would do anything to get rid of us" I finished. He smirked.
"Oh Calli" he slumped down onto the ground, sliding his legs over the cliff. "Look" he said, blinking down. I edged my way to the ground beside him, still wary of the drop. He took a penny from his pocket and held it out in the air. The wind blew against my shirt, forcing itself against me. Warning me, begging me to turn around. To get up and run home and forget this whole situation I'd let myself fall into. He let the coin go and it plummeted down. A numbness ran through me as i watched the coin let itself dive into the water.
It disappeared.
"See" he looked at me. "It's going to be fine" He leaned in and planted a kiss on my forehead. I smiled weakly, feeling myself begin to shake with terror. He took my hand and slid his fingers between mine.
"I'm scared, Tate" my voice shook. "I don't want to do this". I pushed back the tears. I knew I had to do this for him, I owed it to him. He had nothing, I had to at least let him do this. Besides, he said it would be okay. Right? He promised. I convinced myself.
"It okay" he comforted. "I'm here, I wont let anything happen to you".
I took a deep breath."You ready?" The nervousness in his voice wiped away every last fragment of confidence I had left. He rose to his feet and held his hand out to me. I took it shakily pulling myself cautiously to my feet, sick with dizziness. I held his hand as tightly as I could, shuffling as close to the edge as my mind would allow myself to. "I love you, Callie" he whispered.
"I love you" I vowed, tears bluring my vision.
"on the count of three" He instructed, confidently.
"1.....2......3"
And then we jumped. Jumped into the sky.
