Love and Hate (14 page)

“Really? Why?” She frowns

“Because it will make us happy
and because you’re strong. I remember we saved each other. I was scared
shitless, but this little girl grabbed my hand and sat with me as I cried
calling out for my mom and dad. She held my hand for the entire day. She helped
me. She and her stuffed animal bear, Griff.”

Her eyes widen at my memory of
that goofy stuff bear she held on to.

“Yeah I remember his name. I kept
hearing you talking to him. You kept saying “We’ll be fine Mr. Griff.” Then you
would look at me and say everything will be fine.”

She looks down again, but I lift
her chin up to face me.

“I remember the girl who stood up
to her father because she knew he was wrong. That light, I saw in that little
girl is still in there. I see it. I know it. Fate has not only played us given
our family backgrounds, but it has also brought us together. I mean its life.
It gets shitty and hard but in the end it’s all worth it when you’re happy. Now
I know there are a million reasons why we shouldn’t be together but I also know
there is one reason why we should and so do you.” I pause for a moment just to
make sure she is hearing me loud and clear. “Now tonight I’m going be on
Cottage Street. It’s a street filled with these huge abandoned houses. There is
one in particular, a white house. There will be a light on in the window. I’m
going to be there at eight. I’m going to wait for you until nine. If you don’t
show up at nine than I swear I will leave you alone forever. I swear on
everything. Claudia whatever you decide, don’t show up for me and don’t choose
to not show up because of your father. Just make your decision based on what
you want.”

With what feels like my last will
and testament, I walk away. I leave her with the choice. I made a promise and I
will keep it. If she doesn’t show up, it’s over… for good.

Claudia

Cottage Street is twenty minutes
away from my house.

That’s all I’ve been thinking
about since Donovan’s final plea to me.

I still can’t believe he was that
little boy. Hell maybe I always knew deep down. I stare at my clock on my night
stand. Its 8:15

“Claudia you okay?” I turn to see
Jade leaning against my head board studying me. I told her everything that
happened today. She doesn’t think I should go.

“Yeah, I’m good” I lie.

“Claudia you’re doing the right
thing. He’s crazy to think this could work. I mean yeah it’s romantic and all
that bullshit, but it’s stupid.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s stupid”
I sound like I’m reading off a teleprompter. I’m so zoned out right now.

I don’t think it’s stupid though.
I think it’s romantic and amazing. I think that it’s epic. I always wanted an
epic romance.

“You know he remembered who Mr.
Griff was? I mean, Eric has been in my room millions of times, but I swear he
never remembered that I even had a stuff bear from my mom.”

“Claudia.” I sense the nervous
tone in Jade’s voice.

“I’m just saying, you know? Its
crazy how people you least expect, come around and know more about you than
your own family. Like he knows my smiles, my annoying habits, hell he knows
what I’m thinking.”

“Okay.” Jade slowly says. She scoots up close
towards me. “Well, think of it this way. What would your mom have done?”

That’s it. I know exactly what my
mom would have done.

“Oh shit, bad choice of words
right now. I mean what would your dad would do?” by Jade’s switch I can tell
she knows too. “What would Jesus do?”

Okay now she’s just trying to
come up with anything.

I stand up from my bed and look
at my clock. Its 8:20. God, time is going by fast.

“Claud?” Jade asks staring at me
nervously.

“No that’s good, what would my
mom do? Better yet what would any girl do? Even you. I mean who wants a
gorgeous mysterious guy who looks at you like you’re a goddess every time he
sees you? Who wants a guy who probably gives the most passionate and riveting
speeches about his feelings for you since Leo in Titanic or Joaquin in that
crazy village movie, or the one with him and Reese, or Channing Tatum in The
Vow? Who wants a guy that makes your heart beat faster and faster every time
you look at him? Who wants a guy who sees inside your soul?!” I finally
breathe.

Jade’s eyes continue staring at
me showing signs of her being totally freaked out.

“I’m guessing you?” She slowly
asks, already knowing the answer.

My answer for her is the biggest
smile I’ve had since I saw Donovan in class that day.

“I’ll call you later.” I grab my
keys.

“Oh my God! Okay well just be
careful please!” Jade yells as I’m running down my stairs.

Oh my God. I can’t believe I am
doing this.

Donovan

Its 9:00

“She’s not coming” I say to
myself staring out towards the damaged and warn out back yard of the abandoned
house I picked for us. Boy am I stupid.

“I didn’t take you for a quitter”
I turn around to the sound of the voice behind me.

It’s her. She is standing, before
me right now with her hair down and pushed to the side with a cute gray sweater
falling off her left shoulder.

“I like the Christmas lights.” She
is referring to the Christmas lights I hung up around the windows so she would
know.

“Yeah, Emile helped me.”

“I bet you had to use an extra
tall ladder for him.”

She’s joking. That’s a good sign
right? That means she’s happy.

God man, get a grip.

“So, what made you come?” I ask
her.

She pauses for a second. She
slowly gives me a smile. Her smile is something that will forever compel me. With
that smile I will do anything for her.

“I wanted to do something for me”

That is the best answer she could
ever give me. Truthfully, no matter what she said I still wouldn’t be able to
let her go. She has my heart and if she wants it it’s hers, forever.

I walk towards her until our
faces are inches away from each other. I stare deep into her beautiful gray
eyes and soak in the happiness I see through them. God she is beautiful and she
is right here with me.

I place my hand upon her face. I
stroke her cheek with my thumb feeling her smooth skin.

This is it. This is the true
defining moment of our story, our adventure, and our love?

“Here we go” She says, before I
can answer my question in my head. She places her hands on my forearms.

I slowly grin and for the first
time I kiss her first.

Claudia

All I could do was smile on my
way back home.

It was one of the best nights of
my life. All we did was kiss and talk. I got his number finally. The caller ID
is just a heart emoji. Yes, I know that’s cheesy but I feel cheesy and corny
and it feels awesome.

“Claudia?” I turn quickly, scared
at my father as I walk through the door. My heart is so overwhelmed I could
easily get scared.

“Hey dad!” I say awkwardly. God
Claudia keep it cool.

“You’re late.”

“I know. I’m sorry me and Jade
were so caught up in talking. She was having guy troubles.”

“Okay well next time call to let
me know you’re going to be late okay?” My dad says with his glass of brandy in
hand. I swear every parent in this city drinks whiskey, Scotch or Brandy.

“Yeah, of course daddy.”

“You’re very chipper right now.”  He
looks at me curiously.

“Yeah well I had a great day.” I
kiss him on the cheek. “Goodnight daddy.”

I quickly run upstairs to my room
and close the door with my back pressed against it. I walk towards my bed, turn
around, spread my arms out and I fall backwards with a smile on my face.

Donovan

One month.

One month of pure happiness has
passed.

One month of sneaking around in
the janitor’s closet and the basement of the library in school. A month of
funny cryptic text messaging between us, meeting at least three or four times a
week at our abandoned house on Cottage Street. One month of me and Claudia
shutting out the world and being us… together. 

“Dude, what are you staring at?”
I snap out of my daydreaming to see Jason staring at me like I’m crazy.

“Nothing. Nothing just thinking
man.” I say to him getting back to my lunch.

“So what are we up to tonight?”

“I can’t hang out tonight I have
to study for a test.” I lie.

“Oh really, a test for what?”
Emile asks.

 I give him the look I always
give him when he acts like he doesn’t know what I’m really talking about. He
knows where I will be tonight but he likes to mess with me. He finds it funny,
that jackass.

“History” I answer him.

“Looking good ladies” I turn
around to see Jade, Dawn, and of course Claudia walking past our table. They
all laugh at Jason’s comment.

I watch as they sit down at their
table. I’m waiting for Claudia to look up. She does. She grins a little at me.
It’s enough for my heart to flutter. I can’t believe I just said flutter, but
that’s what happens when you’re happy I guess. You start using lame ass terms
like flutter. God I can’t wait to see her tonight. I can’t wait to kiss her. I
can’t wait to tell her how happy I am. Jade is giving me the “don’t break my
friend’s heart” look again.

I understand why she is worried.
Emile is too, but he is getting used to it. I really do wish we weren’t in this
situation. I wish I could let everyone know how much I…well I think how much I
love her. Love has been on my mind a lot and I know that’s quick after a month but
it’s really what I’m starting to feel. Every little thing she does makes me
smile. It makes me feel like I finally have a purpose in this fucked up world.

I feel like my purpose is to love
her.

Claudia

He seriously needs to stop
staring at me like that. It makes me want to rip his clothes off right now in
front of everyone. I know crazy right? I never knew someone could make me think
these things or let alone want to do them. I’ve been having a lot of dreams
about him. Sex dreams of course. I can’t help it, look at him with his bright
piercing blue eyes, long eyelashes that magnifies the intensity of his stares
and the way his golden blonde hair sticks up. I can’t believe he doesn’t use
any hair products for that hair.

Don’t let me get started on his body.
Last week while we were making out things got really hot. I took off his shirt
and his abs are perfect. Six pack of course. His lips are full and soft and all
I want to do is… well you get the picture. The way he touches me when we are
together is amazing. Let’s just say his hands gave me an orgasm. His hands! All
he did was slip his hand in my jeans and did something magical. I’ve had an
orgasm pleasuring myself before and of course from using my vibrator Jade got
me for my seventeenth birthday but that doesn’t even compare to Donovan and his
hands.  So imagine what sex with him would be like. Actually, I imagine it all
the time.

Besides physical perfection
Donovan has a true heart. I watch him a lot when no one is looking. I love how
he interacts with his friends. He loves them a lot, especially his sister. Even
though his sister and I hate each other I can tell he brings out the good side
of her. I actually witness her smiling when she’s around him. I wondered if
Donovan knew that Eric cheated on me with Ella. I’m pretty sure nobody told him
and I’m fine with that because I don’t care about it. It has nothing to do with
what we have. I smile when I’m around him too. He is so funny. He has this
sarcasm that is hilarious and cute. It gets on my nerves sometimes. He annoys
me a lot but it’s always saved by that smile. Even though he listens to me he
thinks he’s right a lot. He’s a typical male with that but with everything else
he is different. He doesn’t let what his father does define him, but I do see
that he thinks he isn’t that important in his family. He blames everything on
himself, from when he was kidnapped to the night his brother died. He finally
told me everything that happened that night. I asked if it were enemies of his
father, but he said he really doesn’t know. He told me his father legit and yes,
I believe it. I trust him and Donovan trusts me. He looks at me as his equal.
Of course I would never tell my father anything he tells me. I would never
betray Donovan. I do want my father to be happy too, but the way he goes about
it is too much. I love my dad, but I also love Donovan.

Oh my God. Do I love him? It’s
been on my mind, but I don’t want to get in over my head here. It’s too fast…
isn’t it?

“Claudia?” I snap out of my
thoughts and glance up to see Naomi looking at me with curiosity.