9 March 2013
5.
Three weeks later
Griffin's a pretty nice kid, he's showed me everything in the manor, and I've taught him a lot of things about the real world outside the estate. We're going outside today, he whats to give me a tour of the grounds. He's been here for 16 years, so I'd assume he knows them pretty well, and we won't get lost or something. I change into some cargo pants, half top, and sneakers, smiling at how everything fits. "Knock, knock." Griffin says, cracking the door, "Come in," he opens it all the way and smirks at me, "You'll get scratched up with only half a shirt on," I shrug, "It's comfy though, and cute." "That's not fair, you're practically teasing me." I giggle, "Maybe I am, I've been known to do that." "Really?" "Well, yeah when kids talked to me and I had a boyfriend." "What happened?" "Everyone found out my dad disappeared when I was 4 and they took it badly. Eric stayed with me for about 6 months after everyone shut me out. He said he didn't care what anyone else thought, we'd been together for a year and half before they found out so when we broke up we'd been dating 2 years." "Why'd you break up?" Tears threaten me but I fight them back and keep my usual mischievous smirk, "Complicated circumstances, I don't like talking about it." He nods, "Ok, we'll go outside after you put a shirt on," he closes the door and I smile, trading my half top for a blue and white baseball tee. "You can come in now," he comes back in and nods, "Perfect. Lets go." We walk out the front doors into the cool spring air, after spending weeks inside, it's refreshing to step outside. Trees surround us on all sides, the only sounds entering my ears are the sounds of nature. Birds chirping, leaves crackling, water flowing, it's so serene, I could stand here for hours and be perfectly happy. "Beautiful isn't it?" Griffin asks, I nod, "More beautiful than anything I've ever seen in my life. I've only eve read about these kinds of places," "You've never been camping or anything?" "I lived in the inner city, the only trees I saw were in Central Park." He chuckles, "Ah, I see. Well these woods are much different, I assure you," and for the next 4 hours, we climb trees, cross streams, and he teaches me about the plant and animal life as we see them. We come to a clearing with a silky green canopy above us, filtering just enough sunlight to see and not be too hot. "So, what do you think? Is the inner city better?" I shake my head vigorously, "Hell nah, this place is like Central Park times 100." He smiles, "I'm glad you like it." I lay on the forest floor and look up at the canopy, closing my eyes and letting everything sink in. We don't talk for a while, and I have time to think about things. Dad said he'd be back next week, and we'd start training (whatever that means) so me and Griffin have a week of peace still. I love spending time with him, he makes me feel like Eric used to. Like I'm actually important, and my opinions matter to someone else besides me. He listens to everything I say, I've told him how I think of the world and some of my past, (not all of it, mind you.) and he never criticized unnecessarily. His smile has a way of making everything brighter, his sense of humor makes my day, the way he looks at me with his shiny blue eyes makes my heart beat a little faster. I haven't felt like this since I was 13 and with Eric. I know what this feeling is, but for some reason, I can't let him kiss me, or come anywhere near me generally. I'll have to get to the bottom of that, "Chasity, I have a question for you." Griffin says, his voice is close and opening my eyes, I find him right beside me, sitting up. "Yeah?" I reply, "Why don't you let me touch you?" I chuckle, "Why do you ask?" "Because I want to be what Eric was. I want to protect you and hold you when you're scared. I hear you having nightmares, something you're not telling me is still bothering you. I want you to be able to trust me enough to let me near you. I like you a lot, and I have a feeling you like me too, you're just scared." How could he have possibly figured that out without mind powers or something? "That's an interesting theory, Griffin. I'm impressed on how well you observe, I guess living in the forest your whole life does that huh?" He smiles slightly, "I supposed it helped," he lays on his stomach and plays with my hair, (that's usually all I let him do, it reminds me of my older sister playing with my hair when we were kids). "You're right by the way," he stops, "About what?" "That something I haven't told you is bugging me. It happened when I was with Eric,"Can I ask what it was?" I take a calming breath and try to keep my voice steady. "When I was 13, me and Eric had been together for about a year. I loved him a lot, and I thought maybe we'd grow up and get married someday, you know, typical childish thinking. But Eric had anger issues, he'd always had them, and he boxed to try and regulate it. But his boxing gym closed down because of the economy, so he couldn't do that anymore. I noticed his irritability start to increase, so I took him to the doctor. They gave him medicine, but he didn't like taking it....he was taught from a young age to be violent when he was angry, because he could always box someone. But I'm not a boxer, and he knew that. He hit me a lot...I didn't know what to do, I couldn't tell anyone, his reputation would be ruined, I didn't want to ruin him. I just wanted him to stop..." Tears come faster than I can stop them. I cover my face and try not to start bawling, Griffin strokes my hair gently, "What made him stop?" "His family moved away....So I told him...we were done...after he left so...he couldn't...hit me for it." I struggle to form words between calming breaths. "I'd never do that to you, I swear." I shake my head, "He said that too...he apologized every time he did it, but he didn't stop...for months it was just hitting and hitting...but it got worse." I've never told anyone this story before, and saying it out loud makes all the horrible memories even more horrible. "Chasity, listen to me. I swear on my life, I'll never hurt you like he did ok? Ever. That's a promise. Please, I just want a chance," "Not even if I didn't want to do something you wanted to do? Even if you didn't understand why I wouldn't want to?" "If you're not ready for something, I won't force you." Uncovering my face, I look up into Griffin's bright blue eyes, which have tears in them. I wipe my tears and sit up. "I'll give you a chance...on one condition." "Anything," he replies. I cup his face in my hands, "Be patient with me, ok? I'm uh..struggling with some problems other than the ones I just told you. So I just need you to bear with me. Please?" He chuckles, "No problem."
Come With Me • Opuss № I