Let Me Open Your Eyes

Chapter 24 - Finally Speaking Up

{"They can take everything from you

                                              but they can't take your voice"}

After my mother finally went back to work for a while, Aspen constantly spent his time around my house. When she left for work, he would knock on my window, leaving me to question his weird tactics.

"I like doing it" he shrugged with a grin. "It makes me feel like we are Romeo and Juliet or something like that."

"Well, let's hope that we don't kill ourselves" I laughed softly, feeling him chuckle against my neck before smiling up at me.

There is something strangely beautiful about having someone love you. It is a struggle every day but it is like you know that they will love you no matter what happens, or what you do. It takes time to build that trust and after everything that we had been through, there was nothing better than us spending time together like normal teenagers. We would lay against my bed post, with Aspen drawing patterns over my palms as I talked to him about whatever was on my mind. I felt like I didn't have to hide anymore.

"Aspen?" I asked softly one day as he played with my fingers.

"Yeah?" he looked up with a soft smile. His blue eyes were bright and his dark hair flopped over his forehead, my heart beat instantly speeding up.

"You haven't told me much about your family" I mumbled gently, frowning at how he instantly froze up, his body turning stiff against my touch. "I-I don't want to force you into anything, we can talk about them whenever you want but there must be a reason that you haven't mentioned them at all..."

"Yeah" he sighed softly, a deep breath escaping him as if he was preparing himself. His eyes flickered around the room and he avoided my gaze slightly.

"You don't have to" I squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to feel like you owe it to me just because I told you everything. You waited until I was ready and didn't ever push me. I'm not going to do that to you."

He sighed looking down. "I-I guess I don't really talk about them because there isn't much to it. They are very different people than me and we have never exactly been close...they work a lot and are always away, that's why you haven't met them yet..." he explained gently, "...I don't know if you should, they aren't the most talkative people, Sunshine...not that I don't want you to meet them! I would love it but-"

"Hey" I interrupted softly, cupping his sharp jaw. "It's okay...is that why you always come round here so quickly?"

He shrugged lightly but there was a sadness hidden in his eyes. "I'm not exactly always busy spending time with them."

"Well, anyone who doesn't want to spend time with you is an idiot" I told him with a gentle smile. "I know that we didn't exactly start off on the right foot, but I mean it when I say that I love you. I can't imagine you not being here...I don't know what I would do."

"Hey, you would be okay...you would be more than okay, alright? You're the strongest person I know" he told me in a slightly stern voice.

"So are you" I told him, "You have been there for me through everything, even when I probably didn't deserve it."

He smiled at me gratefully, running a hand across my cheek. "You're incredible, you know that?"

"No, I'm not" I looked down.

"Yes, you are" he repeated swiftly, tilting my head up to force me to look at him.

After a few moments, his gaze dropped down to my lips before he brought it back up quickly, as if he was nervous that I would push him away. I laughed before connecting our lips, finding it strange how I was always the one to make the first move. They moved together slowly as I crept closer to him, wrapping my hands around his neck as his moved down to lay me down on the bed. I encouraged him with a smile when he pulled away with a hesitant look in his eyes, and before too long he leaned down and kissed me once more, tracing his tongue over my bottom lip.