Sanctuary

She lifted her wrist, knocking three times on the white door. The clock on her phone read 2:50 A.M.

Shae opened the door to Taryn standing there, her weak frame hidden in an oversized hoodie and leggings. His sleepy eyes widened as he realized who was standing before him.

“Hi,” she said. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. She exhaled, closing her eyes and hugging him back.

“I must say I didn’t expect this…” he said quietly.

“Well you said to come visit,” she joked, looking up at him. “I know my timing is god-awful, but I’m here.”

“With my hoodie.” He opened the door, inviting her inside. She cracked a smile and stepped over the threshold into his apartment.

“I was hoping you’d notice," she said quietly. "Listen, I can’t stay long. But I’ve had a lot of time to think these past few days back at home. And I know what you did for me that weekend of my birthday and I just…wanted to say thanks.”

“Oh. It was nothing.”

“You came and found me. When I didn’t want to be found.”

He sat on the arm of his couch, shrugging his shoulders. “I wanted you to know I cared. Even thought we had been so up and down, I wanted to show you that I’m here.”

"It meant so much," she said emphatically. An awkward silence ensued as the conversation faded out. She looked over at him, not sure what to say.

“You know what you need, Taryn DeMarco?” he asked suddenly, a glimmer in his eye. A smirk spread across his lips in the dim light of the living room lamp.

“What…?” she said hesitantly.

“You need to do something fun,” he said, reaching over and clicking on a radio. A Top 40 ballad cooed through the speakers.

Taryn raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to do something. Surely a lovesick ballad wasn’t what he had had in mind. "Right now?! It's 3 in the morning," she laughed.

“This could work,” he said, smirking and reaching for her hands. Smoothly, he took a step toward her, leading her around the room in a ballroom-style dance. She giggled as they tripped over each other’s feet, holding onto each other for dear life. Around and around the room they twirled, faster and faster until it felt like she would never be able to focus her eyes again. Laughter took over her body as he gripped her hand, twirling her around and pulling her back in for a dip. As she stood up, her foot wrapped around Shae’s and she tripped into him.

“We’re terrible,” he laughed as he caught her and helped her upright.

“Maybe if I didn’t have two left feet,” she giggled. She looked up at him, catching the gaze of his eyes. Her smile fell as he focused in on her.

“You know...I missed your laugh,” he whispered, raising his hand to stroke her cheek.

He paused, gauging her reaction as she realized he was still holding her close. She met his familiar eyes again, her own wide as he leaned in.

His lips found hers, a warm feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Her mind was clear and absolutely silent for once…no buzzing, no screaming, no voices, no noise. It was a totally new feeling, something she couldn’t explain.

She was at peace.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss and pulling her tighter against him. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. This was so unfamiliar but it felt so damn right. So. Fucking. Good.

“Shae,” she gasped, pulling away from him. She had to make him stop, before her body let her do what she had done so many times with so many other boys. He looked down at her, his hair messy and his eyes shining as he waited for her to continue. She paused, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “I…I…” She lost her words as she looked at him.

“It’s okay,” he said, gripping her hand. “You can leave if you really want to.”

She swallowed, her mind racing as she stared up at him.

“But I’d love it if you stayed,” he said quietly. "I can't tell you how love I've wanted to do that."

“This changes everything,” she whispered.

He reached over, caressing the side of her jaw. “I’m ready if you are,” he whispered back while pulling her close again. She blinked, trying to process what the hell was happening. Was she ready for this? God knew she was unsure. But there had to be something said for whatever she had just felt when he kissed her. Wasn’t that some kind of sign or something? Did she even believe in signs? Was she strong enough to handle this at all?

She didn’t know. But it didn’t stop her from rising on her toes to kiss him again. He smiled through the kiss, gripping her waist tightly.

She didn’t know what was right in her world. So much had been wrong lately, she had started to forget what it meant to feel good. But what she felt in that moment, the indescribable feeling in the pit of her stomach, must have meant something. He must have meant something.

And he had been there all along.