The Delinquent's Haven

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

 

          "Where does this put us, now?"  Haven asked, pulling away from him to breath.  She wasn't ready to go as far as her body wanted her to, causing her to move back and lean against the railing behind her.

          "What do you mean?"  He asked, looking at her in worry, "I know we won't go back to what we were before, but I want to be with you, Haven.  You're the first person that's ever actually forgiven me after the stupid shit I do and I need you.  I need you because I don't know what to do when you aren't around.  I'm so lost without you . . . "

          "I know," she whispered, crawling over to him and pressing herself into his side.  "I feel lost without you, too."

          "I'm going to have to earn your trust back, again . . . but I'm willing to do that.  I'm willing to do anything to keep you in my life; do you understand?"  He asked, worried that she wouldn't learn to completely trust him, again.  He was worried that she didn't want to give him the chance to try . . . and that truly scared him, because he had missed her more than he could ever explain.

          "I understand, Darin . . . "  She mumbled as he linked his arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap.  He held her close to him and buried his face in her hair.  He breathed in, catching her scent.

          Raspberries.

          "Heaven . . . "  He whispered.

          "What?"  She asked, getting comfortable.

          "Oh . . .  I didn't say your name.  I say heaven," he admitted, chuckling awkwardly.  "You smell like heaven.  Your hair smells like raspberries . . . and I've always loved that smell.  It's so sweet and innocent."

          "You sniffed my hair?"  She asked before bursting into laughter.  Darin joined her as his mind processed the happy look on her face.

          She was happy because of him.  He couldn't see any trace of pain in her eyes anymore.  All he could see was her smiling and all he could hear was the beautiful song her laughter made as it danced through his ears.

          "You've always liked that smell, huh?"  She asked as she calmed down. He nodded slowly, the smile on his face falling slightly, "Hey . . .  Darin, what's bothering you?  Did I say something wrong?"

          "No, I just . . .  My sister used to wear that scent of perfume.  She liked how it made her smell sweet and innocent to herself, so she always wore it," he admitted with a small smile.

          For some reason, talking about his sister didn't hurt as much as he thought it might.  Haven looked at him with sympathy and a hint of sorrow, but still managed to plaster a smile across her face for him.

          "Tell me about your sister . . . "  Haven pleaded the statement.  She could visibly see the relaxing gesture his body gave off when he was talking about her.  He didn't need to say much; he said just enough so that he wasn't reminded of all the bad in this world.

          "What do you want to know about her?"  Darin asked as Haven sat Indian style across from him.  He made a circle with his legs and pulled her closer so he could hold her hands.  The coldness of her fingers seemed to calm his fever, but he didn't want her to know he was still sick.  She would butcher him for being out in this weather.

          "What do you remember?"  She asked with a cautious kind of quiet in her words.  She looked up at him and smiled slightly, not wanting to make him hurt over her.