new perspective

xiv. TRUE LOVE

chapter fourteen,

true love.

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[unedited] 14.

maybe i was weak, because it had been only five hours since i last saw darryl, and i was already standing at his doorstep. i tapped my foot anxiously, knocking once more.

i needed to talk to him. i craved to be by him again.

my stomach had been full of butterflies ever since, they threatened to be free. 

opposite from earlier, my mindset had changed. i didn't care that me and darryl "ruined" things by our love, because, i didn't care about my mother. i deserved to be in a happy relationship, not her. definitely not her. 

darryl and i could run off without them. we would start our own life together, living in the same apartment, sharing our mornings, afternoons, and lives together. endlessly. our love would make it through everything. together.

the door opened, and his beautiful face popped into frame. he waved, "hey."

"hi." i responded, but he didn't seem to share the excitement. "are you doing okay?" i asked him, my words filled with care. 

he glanced behind him, before closing the door and walking toward me. "not really.." he dragged, biting his lip. 

"do you want to go for a walk?" i suggested, and he nodded, slipping his hand in mine, "yeah."

we walked for a couple seconds to nowhere, before we found an abandoned bench. convenient. "let's sit." i told him, gesturing to the seat. darryl squeezed my hand, so i took that as a yes.

we sat together, intertwined.

i took off my jacket and wrapped it around him. i could tell he was cold and probably wondering why he didn't grab a jacket in the first place. i hoped mine would be enough.

the sun was setting behind him, meaning it would only get colder from now on. i rubbed my hands up and down his clothed arms, smiling warmly. he smiled back. 

words weren't needed. we were too special for them.

"he hit me again." darryl said after a while, piercing through the air. i was leaned into his chest, my eyes closed and our hands connected once more. i loved holding his hand. i loved everything about him.

"where?" i asked. he shyly whispered, "on my stomach. but then he threw a plate on my head."

i got up from my position and softly replied, "did it hurt?"

"no." he shook his head, "i didn't feel anything. i felt hurt inside, though. it didn't last long because i couldn't stop thinking about earlier today."

"that's why i came." i said to him, "you were all i could think about."

i didn't want him feeling any sort of pain with me. i wanted him to forget all of that and be the person he wanted to be. 

"there was one thing that i was specifically thinking about." i quietly explained, moving a little closer to him. being in his proximity was all i needed. 

"me too." he replied, and i could feel his body relax. with that, i relaxed, too. why be so scrunched up and nervous all the time when you're around somebody like darryl who takes away all the worry?

i breathed, forcing myself to calm. were we thinking about the same thing? did he want this as much as i did?

"what were you thinking about?" he asked, feeling all the nervousness start to take over. we already knew we loved each other, why was this so scary?