If At First

Part 14 - Chapter 13

13

Haven came up through the trees then. "Everything alright?" He asked. He took in my appearance, smiling as though he had a secret. But I had on his sweatshirt and probably looked ridiculous so the secret was that he was laughing at me.

"Yup" Georgia answered, "I think I did beautifully for my first attempt at stitches." She smirked at me.

"Your first–?" I repeated, exhaling and grabbing the side of the car. I just let a complete novice, a complete stranger, put a needle and thread in me. What the hell was I thinking? My legs turned to noodles.

"Georgia, you're so mean." Haven said. "She's kidding, Tabby."

"Kidding," My breathing slowed a little. "That's...so funny."

"Nah, it wasn't my first time," Georgia snickered, tossing the tools of her operation back into her bag, "I've seen my mom do it on her show so often I could do it in my sleep."

"I thought you said your mom was a nurse."

"She is. She's the head nurse, in On Call Nurse, every Tuesday on HBO." She smiled, threw her bag onto the passenger seat and spun on her heel for the path toward the beach. Just before disappearing into the trees, she turned back to Haven. "I told her, y'know."

Haven frowned. "Did you?"

"Why didn't you?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell." His expression betrayed relief. "Thanks Jo."

"Toodles!" She waved.

I stared after her for a brief moment before abandoning a peculiar desire to understand her, and hoped she was on her way to Fitch. I had an uneasy feeling he might have something to say about my not returning immediately, but anticipated Georgia's ability to successfully sway him. She was on a mission and if I were to follow her now I would only be in the way.

Haven came leisurely over to stand next to me, leaning on the car as I did, his hand brushing mine. After studying the ground for a few solid seconds, I looked up into his face and was unnerved by the force of my attraction to him. My first instinct was to pull away, knowing not to trust myself any nearer than the length of an entire room.

"You and Georgia...you're not together."

"No."

"Why did you tell me you were?"

"I didn't. You heard it, and I didn't tell you any differently. I've never lied to you, Tabitha."

If only I could say the same. My chest clenched painfully. I wanted so much to tell him the truth. Tell him that I was a big, fat fake. But how? How could I tell this person I've tried so hard to dislike, that not only did I just realize he had become essential to my happiness, but that nothing he knows about me is real? He'd laugh so hard he'd choke.

Haven's brow creased contemplatively before a brief smile touched his lips. Being with him felt so perfect, so natural. "There's nothing sexier than a woman wearing my shirt."

"You're making fun of me."

He turned to me then, lifting a finger to trace my ear, my neck, my mouth. I closed my eyes at his touch, absorbing every second of it. I wanted nothing so much as I wanted him then. "I'm really not." I breathed him in, the contact of our skin launching a surge of electricity through me. He ran a finger gently over my chin, where Fitch had grabbed it earlier.

"Did he hurt you?"

I opened my eyes, returning to reality. "Who?"

"Fitch. I saw him in the boat, you weren't fooling anyone."