The Drowning Man (29 page)

She sat up straighter and turned to Trent. He looked exhausted but determined.

“I want you to come somewhere with me,” he said, glancing at her, then focusing back on the road ahead of them. “There's one more thing I need to do.”

“Okay.” She could tell be the intense look in his eyes and the set of his jaw that it was somewhere important but he didn't want to explain just yet.

She reached over and took his hand as they drove in silence. She didn’t move as he parked the truck and they both sat staring straight ahead through the windshield.

She could see the river winding through the trees a few hundred feet in the distance and she shivered.

“I never came back here. I couldn't. The guilt was too much.”

Lora gripped his hand tighter.

Minutes passed in silence as they both looked ahead at the water.

Finally, Trent looked down and took a deep breath. He gave her a tight smile, then opened the door, pausing for a moment before taking that first step.

She opened her own door and stood, one hand braced on the side of the truck. She ached to be there with him, but he needed to face this by himself, so she hung back and let him go on alone. Towards the water.

Trent forced himself to walk forwards, to where it all began. He knelt down at the edge of the water and placed one hand half in the cold water, half buried in the dark mud. He clenched his jaw. “I'm sorry I couldn't save you Eddie. I'm sorry I couldn't save your mom. But I’m going to try and save myself.” He paused and looked out over the slow moving water that looked so calm on the surface. “I hope you're happy, wherever you are,” he whispered.

It took a huge effort for him to stand up. He exhaled and pushed his left hand down hard into the ground as he jerked himself to his feet. He felt lightheaded and exhaustion threatened to drop him back to the ground. But when he turned and saw Lora waiting for him, leaning against the side of his truck, her beautiful face so full of compassion and love, he felt the last weight of the water that was crushing him lift.

For the first time in a very long while, his legs and heart were steady as they carried him towards her.

Trent woke up the next morning and groaned as he turned his head to look at the alarm clock. It was after ten a.m. His left shoulder throbbed. The majority of his body ached from the fight with Simon. He was sure he'd find plenty of bumps and bruises when he finally managed to get his ass out of bed.

Then Lora sighed softly beside him and turning back towards her warm body, the aches and pains didn't disappear, but they did lessen considerably.

“I love you,” he whispered, as he gently caressed her face, smoothing her hair back.

“Love you,” she said sleepily and snuggled closer.

Lora handed him the front page of the paper later that morning as soon as he sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He raised his eyebrows then read the headline.

“You know, they’ll probably leave you alone now that you’ve given them what they wanted,” she said.

“I didn’t give them
everything
they wanted.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I think they already have that part figure out.”

“Oh? What part is that?” He wanted to hear her say the words.

She cocked her head and tried to glare at him.

He stared right back at her.

She sighed in surrender. “That we’re together.”

“Say it again.”

She smiled. “We’re together.”

“Damn right we are,” he said, claiming her lips.