Haven

As soon as Peyton let Jared in her car, she made an excuse as to why she had to go back inside the small cafe for a second. She was sure Jared couldn't get into much, anyway -- the most revealing thing would've been fast food receipts that she'd tried to hide in between the seats or the collection of CD's in her center console.

She just needed a second so she could warn Carrie. Or at the very least, find out if she was or wasn't at their apartment.

"How did it go? You head over heels yet?" Carrie voiced as soon as she picked up, the sound of the TV playing in the background.

Peyton let out a sigh of relief, glancing towards the curb that her car sat next to. Good, she was home. "Um, about that... we're actually on our way to the apartment."

She could almost feel the panic in her best friend's voice as she told her what was happening. "Jared's coming here? I don't even have a bra on, Peyton!"

"Then put one on?" She laughed, walking back outside and into the cool air. She was thankful that it was actually starting to feel like autumn, but she didn't know how long that was supposed to last. "We're going to be there in a few minutes. Maybe fifteen?"

"You so owe me for this. Are we still ordering in?"

"I'm cooking," Peyton affirmed, sending Jared a small smile as he looked her way, rolling the window down. "Raincheck?"

"Do I need to be gone, too? You two aren't gonna--?"

Peyton cut Carrie off with a nervous laugh, her cheeks tinging red. "I'll see you in a little bit. Love you, bye."

Jared gave her a small smirk as he flipped through her CD's, zipping the bag back up and putting up when she got in the driver's seat. "Best of Disney?"

"I'm sort of a child. You'll get used to it."

Peyton's cheeks only burned the more Jared teased her about it before squeezing her hand reassuringly, shooting her a heartwarming smile. "Just so you know, I think it's kind of adorable. Most people are afraid to be silly and that's why I like you so much."

If Jared knew the extend of her childlike tendencies, she was sure he'd leave faster than he had decided to come. As much as she tried to reassure herself that he wouldn't end up freaking out, something was nagging at her. She picture Liam again, laughing at her, pointing out everything wrong the situation between her and Jared. He'd say that Jared was as 'normal' as they came and he'd be crazy to feel anything for her once he found out everything.

Jared liked her, though.

He only likes the person you are on the surface. He doesn't like the baggage and the mindset, the voice argued, any and all confidence she had dissipating.

Well, Peyton figured she'd cross that bridge when she got to it.



The longer she was able to get to know him, the more she realized that maybe she'd been a little bit more than wrong when it came to how he viewed her. His ex, Kate, was too uptight for his liking and it always bothered him that she wasn't able to let loose around him. He was playful and quirky and finding someone to match that energy was a little harder than he thought initially, according to Jared. Peyton was a lot more of what he thought he could see himself with, but that was harder for him to get to admit. He apologized as soon as he said it, but she told him that she understood completely.

She knew that they were moving fast by her own standards, but she had a bad habit of jumping headfirst into most things. She didn't want to become dependent on Jared and she wasn't even sure if she was truly ready for a relationship.

"Loser," Jared called from the top of the stairs, leaning over the balcony with a grin.

"I wasn't even parked and you jumped out of the car! You're a cheater," Peyton huffed, slamming her car door shut before trudging up the stairs. She tried to maintain her blank expression before Jared rolled his eyes, poking her lightly when she met him in front of her apartment door.

"Don't even pretend to be mad. You're a shitty actor."

"Glad it's not my job then, huh?" She teased, unlocking the door before tossing her keys onto the counter and allowing him inside. Thankfully, Carrie had managed to tidy up the living room and kitchen. It wasn't like it was really dirty, but the clutter made the apartment look a lot smaller than it actually was.

She watched Jared as he looked around, his eyes traveling over the furniture and decor and pictures lining the walls. She was sure it was nothing at all like his place, but it was home. For now, anyway.

She let him look, going into the kitchen before digging through the fridge to see if she could find something to cook. She made a mental note to go grocery shopping soon because she knew Carrie would be too tired to after working straight 18-hour shifts the next week. She snorted as she found most of the things she needed, shaking her head. Spaghetti it was, then.

How cliche.

After a while, Jared leaned against the counter, a small smirk on his face as he watched her chop up the onion. "You know, I was just about to say that things couldn't get any more stereotypical, but I think you proved me wrong."

Peyton let out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "There's even cheap wine in the fridge if you want some."

Jared's eyes lit up at the idea before he went to grab the bottle, setting it on the counter. "Perfect."

Once she had the meat and seasoning going on the stove, she started pulling the cans down to make the sauce, throwing a look over her shoulder at Jared, who grinned lopsidedly at her, taking a sip of wine. A beat of silence passed between them before he finally cleared his throat, setting his phone on the counter. "Tell me something no one else knows about you."

Peyton pursed her lips at the question, turning to face him fully. "Like what?"

"Anything."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before moving to stir in the sauce, thinking on it for a second. "I'm afraid of really loving someone."

"What do you mean?" Jared asked, pulling a pack of noodles down from one of the higher cabinets. She didn't know if he meant to, but he was studying her. In a way, it was endearing because he was always really interested in anything she had to say, unlike Liam. But in the same token, it was slightly nerve-wracking; she wasn't used to someone paying that much attention to her body language or anything she said at all.

Peyton avoided his stare for a second, putting a pot of water on to boil. "My parents divorced when I was really young, so I guess even then, I realized that nothing's really permanent. Everything or anyone can change without warning and that's terrifying, you know? Why invest in someone if they're just going to leave?"

"Not everyone is going to leave you, y'know," He told her after a while, his back against the counter. His gaze was piercing and intense and she wondered briefly if he had any other extremes he could easily switch between. "You've never been in love before?"

"I have," Peyton told him with a small laugh. "But I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't love, though," Jared quipped. "Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet."

"Maybe," she agreed, her cheeks flaming again.

They fell into another comfortable silence as they worked on finishing dinner together, even though Peyton insisted numerous times that she was more than capable of doing it by herself. Jared was a lot more stubborn than she had originally given him credit for, and he kept finding ways to surprise her. After they had eaten more than they should've, they were settled on the couch, on their third and fourth glass, respectively.

"You're a lightweight," Jared told her with a laugh, his cheeks flushed slightly.

"I'm not," Peyton argued, setting her glass down on the table in front of them. She was nearly curled up into Jared, the faint smell of his cologne only adding to the urge. "But I am sleepy."

"Then maybe you should get some sleep."

He had started playing with her hair some time ago and she felt her eyelids already starting to droop, but she protested against his chest, shaking her head slightly. "I can't. I have to bring you home."

Even though she couldn't see it, he raised an eyebrow at the younger girl on his chest, letting out a chuckle. "Yeah, you're not driving, Peyton. I can call Jensen to grab me."

"You should stay over."

Jared grinned at the offer, but let out a sigh, starting to move Peyton off of him slightly. It was obvious she wouldn't be able to stand that well on her own, so he looped an arm around her waist, helping her down the hallway. He paused long enough to let her open her door, pulling the comforter back. She kicked her shoes off before climbing into the bed, wrapping the blankets around her.

He rubbed at his eyes before stifling a yawn himself, spotting a small stuffed bear on the floor beside her bed. He grinned before handing it to her, waiting to see if she'd make any noise of complaint if he left too early. When her eyes closed and her breathing evened, he pressed a kiss to her head and shut the door behind him.

When Peyton heard the door shut, she let out a hum of contentment, hugging her stuffed animal tighter to her body. Even though Jared had only kissed her forehead, the warmth had spread throughout her body. He was sunshine, as far as she was concerned.

Maybe, just maybe, he had been right.

Maybe she hadn't found the right person yet, but she was definitely working on it.