My Brothers

Chapter 51: The Bridge

A L E X

I walked through the forest near the park that led to the highway and to the bridge over the lake. I sighed and followed the path to the bridge, looking for someone. I was wondering why I'm doing this but I needed to fix it.

I never fucked up this badly before and I hated myself. How could I be so fucking stupid?

I walked to the bridge and looked around until I saw a small figure in the distance standing near the edge of the bridge. I went up onto the bridge and I saw Mari with a lit cigarette in her hand. I ran up to her.

"Mari—"

"Why don't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" Mari asked, not looking at me. She looked straight ahead.

"What?" She didn't know?

"You had a girlfriend. Why'd you kiss me back?" She asked, taking a puff of the cigarette.

"I-I... I don't know..."

Mari smiled a little, chuckling softly. "You don't know?"

"I thought you knew I had a girlfriend."

"If i did, why would I kiss you? I wouldn't have if I actually knew," Mari told me.

"I fucked up," I breathed out, leaning against the railing. Frustration and anger built inside of me. I was so fucking angry with myself. I how could I kiss somebody else? How could I do this to Cathy?

"Yeah, you did," she said, leaning towards the railings.

It was silent for a while until I spoke up. "Are you okay? Did you go home safely?"

"Mhm."

"Mari... what happened?"

"You know, the usual shit," Mari said, shrugging. "Before I could pass out from all the alcohol I drank, my stepdad was drunk too. He tried to rape me but then my brother started fighting him."

"Then I tried to overdose but my brother wouldn't let me and yelled at me to stop," Mari continued. "I passed out after my stepdad left and my brother stopped talking to me because he was too upset because of last night."

She said it so casually like it didn't affect her, even though I knew it did.

"Mari..."

"Alex..." She said in the same tone playfully. "You care too much about me. You know I'll be fine. I'm a strong girl, I can handle myself."

"It's cold outside, almost 50 degrees and you're wearing that," I said, looking at her outfit.

She looked down at her loose crop top with thin straps and her short dark blue jeans. Her outfit exposed all of her tattoos, piercings, and scars. She chuckled. "I'm fine." She went to take a puff from her cigarette.

"Mari, cigarette. It's—"

"—bad for you," Mari interrupted, lightheartedly. "I know."

Then she took her cigarette and dropped it into the water below.

I stayed silent for a second. "Why did you kiss me?"