Rise [Bruno Mars]

Chapter twenty-three

Chapter twenty-three

I clutched the railing for support, breath snagging. It was a great feat climbing out of bed and reaching the end of the hall with only several sways and resting stops, but it wasn't the last. I glared down the wooden staircase, wanting to cry and crawl back underneath the covers, but I couldn't go back in there. Bruno's and Ryan's baritone voices floated up from below. They spoke of a stream they needed to get water from.

My body shook as I took the first step down. Not too bad. Just one foot after the other. Gulping, I descended at the same pace of dripping honey, the last stair creaking. The two men's conversation halted.

The stairs opened into another hallway, wider and shorter than the one upstairs, two large, squared entryways on either side. Bruno emerged from the right one, Ryan on his heels. Bruno rushed forward.

“Adrian what the hell? You're supposed to be in bed!” He reached to feel my forehead but I swatted his hand away.

“I'm fine,” I lied. “I want to help.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. He went back into the room he came from.

“Adrian.” Bruno looked scathing. “I know you want to be useful but—”

“I'm fine,” I said again, a little too sharply, trying to make my leaning against the wall casual instead of needing it to keep from collapsing. “I don't want to be holed up in that room. Don't you think I had enough of that already?” I held up my arm so he could see the silver bracelet wrapped around my wrist.

Bruno flinched. “All right. You can help set up mouse traps—”

“No. I want to go outside. With you.”

“No way in hell.”

I tried to straighten my spine. Couldn't hold it and slumped. “Oh yay. I finally have a father figure in my life.”

Bruno stared.

I stared back.

“Fine. Where are the traps?”

He blew out a relieved breath. “Come on.” He turned and progressed a few steps before realizing I wasn't following. He turned back around, cocking an eyebrow. “Dri?”

“If I move I'll fall,” I whispered.

He came to me. He gingerly folded me in his arms and carried me back to bed. I buried my face in the pillow.

The bed dipped with Bruno's added weight.

“You could have,” I said, voice muffled.

“What? I can't understand you with your mouth full of pillow.”

I rolled over onto my back, the room rolling with me. I inhaled unevenly. “You could have done whatever you wanted with the women at Unhomboldt. You could have.”

Surprise flickered over his face, becoming heedful. “Dri, I didn't even want to. We were kidnapped for Christ's sake, even though it didn't feel like it, especially to Ryan.” He scrubbed his jaw. “I knew something was wrong with that video. I knew it was a fake—”

“Okay,” I said. “But you still could have.” I waited for him to understand. His eyebrows only drew nearer. I pushed myself up on my elbows, desperation cupping me in its palms. “Bruno, you could go out there and kiss—I don't know—whatever woman you find, right now.”