The Boy on the Bridge

He looks at me, a little guarded, but doesn’t say anything. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but remember, Riley, you said you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

I did say that. It was the dumbest thing I have ever said, but I also said it when things were less perilous than they are now.

I don’t say that, though. I don’t want to fight with him, and I won’t be able to keep from getting angry if he protects his stupid mom again right now.

Nothing has to be decided tonight, but I do want to take the pictures. Tomorrow, when the angry red marks have turned to bruises, he can take more if he wants to, but we need to start a record that this abuse is happening. Even if he refuses to speak up right now, I want there to be evidence of this assault for him to use later if he changes his mind.

“You don’t have to use them right now,” I reiterate. “But I think it would be smart to have them in case you ever need to.”

He knows I’m right. He doesn’t look happy about it, but he drops his shirt on the ground and walks around the bed so he’s over by me again. “All right.”

My hands shake a little as I take my phone off charge. I open the camera app and photograph every mark on his upper body. They’re angry red marks, literal fingerprints from where his stepfather grabbed him and pushed him around. I take a picture of his face and then another picture closer up of the gash by his temple.

My sadness is renewed by the time I’m done with that dreadful photo shoot. I want to cry again, but I don’t this time. I’m just so sad that this happened, sad that his mom lets it happen. However she feels for the jerk who did this to him, she should love Hunter enough to put a stop to it. I don’t want to let him go back to his house. I want to keep him here and protect him.

He can see I’m distressed, so without even bothering to pull his shirts back on, he walks over and turns the lights back off, then he comes over and stops in front of me. He reaches down and takes my hand, twining our fingers together in the dark. “I can stay for a bit longer if you want me to.”

“I do,” I tell him, giving his hand a little squeeze.

This time he doesn’t kiss me, but we still climb on my bed together. I still curl up next to him and wrap my arm around his waist, only this time it’s bare.

I am curious about his body. I’ve never been alone with a boy like this, after all. I don’t want to do anything, though, so I just rest my head on his shoulder and cuddle with him.

Despite the horrible circumstances, it’s amazing. I never dreamed I could feel so comfortable with a guy in a situation like this. Only the thin fabric of my tank top prevents us from lying here with no clothing between our upper bodies. But I am comfortable. I feel like I’m right where I belong.

“I can’t believe I was mad at you earlier,” I tell him, mildly annoyed with myself. “It never even crossed my mind that something like this could have happened to you.”

At least he sounds lightly amused and not offended. “I wouldn’t expect it to. Besides, I still disappointed you. I didn’t mean to, didn’t want to, but… I did.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” I tell him, tilting my head back to look up at him.

“So am I.”

“You don’t have to be,” I argue.

“Neither do you.”

I smile, snuggling him close again. “I like you.”

He chuckles. “I like you, too.”

I close my eyes and soak up the moment, knowing it can’t last and not knowing where any of this will go. The obstacles we both face won’t disappear with the morning light just because our bond grew tonight. Tomorrow I’ll wake up to a mother who not only refuses to let me date him, but who thinks he stood me up tonight and who won’t understand—or believe—that he had a good reason. When we’re done cuddling here in the safety of my room, Hunter will have to cover up his injuries and head back to his house where he doesn’t have even the most basic assurance of safety.

There are big issues at play here, big obstacles that will make this hard, but I don’t care about any of that right now. All I care about is the feeling of his arms wrapped around me, the reassuring beat of his heart. The comfort we can draw from each other here and now that will help us get through it all.