his devilish gaze in my direction.
Enjoying the subtle back and forth I looked up at him and said with a hint of sweetness, “Perhaps you’ll get to know me well enough to know the answer someday.”
“You’re deeper than that,” he stated, tilting his head in the direction of the book. He reached out to stroke a loose tendril of hair that had fallen from my clip. His grin all but disappeared and the electricity around us began to warm me up, flushing my cheeks and causing me to admit that Haven wasn’t the kind of guy I could easily outwit.
We reached the park, which was empty. Haven took my hand in his as we walked. After a while he stopped abruptly. He lifted my left hand and very slowly began to remove my white glove, carefully tugging at each finger until the glove gave way and slipped off my hand. He looked from my eyes to my hand, examining it thoughtfully.
“You have a double life line. That means you have a soul mate or guardian.”
I withdrew my hand from his and examined the line he was referring to. “Do I now? The only soul mate and guardian I have is Pandora.”
He shook his head. “It’s a person.”
I found it difficult to believe him. I didn’t feel attached or particularly close to anyone. All I knew is that he had the ability to make me feel awe, desire, even fear. The range was addictive and I tried to shake it off. I had the strange feeling that if I one day gave in to him, I might never be able to leave; I would give up my freedom to be enslaved by an addiction to the feeling he summoned from me.
I noticed a swing in the distance so I walked over to it. I held the ice cold chains in my hands, all the while wondering why I was so weird. How could I want something so much and fear it at the same time? My back was to him but I could feel him approach. Before I knew what was happening he scooped me up in his arms and placed me on the swing.
“What are you doing?!” I cried.
Haven held the chains above me and leaned down to address me. “You’re too uptight. You need to learn to let go.”
“Let me down!” I demanded.
“Live a little!” He ordered. He gave me a start and I closed my eyes as I began to soar. My thoughts flashed back to my dad and I remembered his smiling face as he pushed me on a swing when I was little. I always knew he would be there to catch me so I had no fear. I remembered the time when he scooped me out of the seat and held me close as I took his face in my small hands and played with his whiskers. He had held me and rocked me back and forth and in that moment time stood still because I had been so content. I opened my eyes mournfully. I looked over my shoulder to see Haven watching me. Reality was staring right at me. The man who had always been there to catch me was gone and there was another waiting to catch me in his stead. No! This can’t be! It’s too soon.
I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think I could let anyone in enough to love them as they deserved. How could I endure further heartbreak when one day they might be gone, too? And then, to my horror, I began to feel nauseous. I had let my mind take control of the moment and what had been meant for fun, I had ruined by letting my memories take over.
“I’m going to be sick,” I called out. I thought I would have time to slow myself down but without hesitation Haven caught me in the air, bringing me to a sudden halt. I jumped off the swing and bolted to some nearby bushes where I purged myself of an excess amount of anxiety, stress, fear and pain. Replacing them was chagrin. I braced my hands on my knees and looked behind me but Haven was turned away. I stood up and realized I didn’t even have water to rinse my mouth out. Aside from feeling embarrassed, I also felt unclean. “I’m ready to go home,” I announced.
Haven looked sympathetic. “Feel better?”
I shook my head and laughed in embarrassment. “That was gross.”
“Nah,” he shrugged. “It was the perfect first date.” He
Enjoying the subtle back and forth I looked up at him and said with a hint of sweetness, “Perhaps you’ll get to know me well enough to know the answer someday.”
“You’re deeper than that,” he stated, tilting his head in the direction of the book. He reached out to stroke a loose tendril of hair that had fallen from my clip. His grin all but disappeared and the electricity around us began to warm me up, flushing my cheeks and causing me to admit that Haven wasn’t the kind of guy I could easily outwit.
We reached the park, which was empty. Haven took my hand in his as we walked. After a while he stopped abruptly. He lifted my left hand and very slowly began to remove my white glove, carefully tugging at each finger until the glove gave way and slipped off my hand. He looked from my eyes to my hand, examining it thoughtfully.
“You have a double life line. That means you have a soul mate or guardian.”
I withdrew my hand from his and examined the line he was referring to. “Do I now? The only soul mate and guardian I have is Pandora.”
He shook his head. “It’s a person.”
I found it difficult to believe him. I didn’t feel attached or particularly close to anyone. All I knew is that he had the ability to make me feel awe, desire, even fear. The range was addictive and I tried to shake it off. I had the strange feeling that if I one day gave in to him, I might never be able to leave; I would give up my freedom to be enslaved by an addiction to the feeling he summoned from me.
I noticed a swing in the distance so I walked over to it. I held the ice cold chains in my hands, all the while wondering why I was so weird. How could I want something so much and fear it at the same time? My back was to him but I could feel him approach. Before I knew what was happening he scooped me up in his arms and placed me on the swing.
“What are you doing?!” I cried.
Haven held the chains above me and leaned down to address me. “You’re too uptight. You need to learn to let go.”
“Let me down!” I demanded.
“Live a little!” He ordered. He gave me a start and I closed my eyes as I began to soar. My thoughts flashed back to my dad and I remembered his smiling face as he pushed me on a swing when I was little. I always knew he would be there to catch me so I had no fear. I remembered the time when he scooped me out of the seat and held me close as I took his face in my small hands and played with his whiskers. He had held me and rocked me back and forth and in that moment time stood still because I had been so content. I opened my eyes mournfully. I looked over my shoulder to see Haven watching me. Reality was staring right at me. The man who had always been there to catch me was gone and there was another waiting to catch me in his stead. No! This can’t be! It’s too soon.
I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think I could let anyone in enough to love them as they deserved. How could I endure further heartbreak when one day they might be gone, too? And then, to my horror, I began to feel nauseous. I had let my mind take control of the moment and what had been meant for fun, I had ruined by letting my memories take over.
“I’m going to be sick,” I called out. I thought I would have time to slow myself down but without hesitation Haven caught me in the air, bringing me to a sudden halt. I jumped off the swing and bolted to some nearby bushes where I purged myself of an excess amount of anxiety, stress, fear and pain. Replacing them was chagrin. I braced my hands on my knees and looked behind me but Haven was turned away. I stood up and realized I didn’t even have water to rinse my mouth out. Aside from feeling embarrassed, I also felt unclean. “I’m ready to go home,” I announced.
Haven looked sympathetic. “Feel better?”
I shook my head and laughed in embarrassment. “That was gross.”
“Nah,” he shrugged. “It was the perfect first date.” He
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