Chapter 29: Jump Pt. 2: South America
Thank you guys so much for all of the lengthy reviews last chapter! They were honestly the most helpful things I've heard in a while. If you have anything else to say, please do :)
"No," I tell Tris. "No. No, no. No. Not today. Not again. Nope. Once was enough."
"Tobias. One of the things on your bucket list was to be brave. Come on."
"This is different. I'm not suicidal."
Tris laughs. "Just do it. Mark it for real off your bucket list."
I shrug. "I don't know. I… Never mind, I totally know," I laugh. "1. Be brave."
Tris nods. "You can definitely mark that off. You left your job for nearly five months to live your dream in Tongareva. You quit your job and became a teacher. You moved to France. You took three months to travel the world with the love of your life. I'd say that's pretty brave, baby."
I shrug. "You're right, I guess. I just feel like I need to do one more thing to truly mark it off, you know?"
She nods once more. "What's next?"
"2. Travel the world with the love of my life. I can check that off.
3. Learn five languages. That was something that I'd always wanted to do since I was little. I had very diverse friends, so that really broadened my perspective.
4. Get married. Have two kids. Raise them right. Make sure the woman who has my children loves our children and me more than anything in the world. Have a healthy, thriving relationship.
5... Um… I'm running out of things. I guess I've never really planned things out like that. If I want to do something, I do it. You know?"
Tris grins. "I love you."
"Tris," I say assertively, "I love you. I really do. So much. But I am not jumping off of that cliff. There could be rocks down there. We could get caught in the undertow. Drift out to sea. I—"
She walks to the very edge of cliff, looks out, and then turns around. She reaches her hand out and asks, "Do you trust me?"
I grin. "Of course I trust you."
"Then jump," she says simply. She grabs my hand and walks me to the edge. I walk with careful tepidity near the end of the cliff, careful of any misstep I might make.
"One, two—"
So we jump. Again.
