Here to Stay

Chapter 20

"Caramel?" he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

Her head shot up and her breath constricted.

"Stuart?"

He nodded. And all of a sudden, she found it hard to breathe. Her hero, her savior, was Stuart? She felt joyful, yet sad... And those gray eyes still haunted her.

She tried smiling but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I never expected to see you this way," she said softly.

He smiled. "Yeah, me neither."

"Why're you here?"

"I beat up the Sheriff's son." He was getting annoyed by those words, now. "What about you?"

"I can't tell you, Stuart."

He looked at her and then called the man incharge of all the cells.

"What is it?" he barked.

"Can I move to the girl's cell?" Tristan pointed towards Gwen.

"No."

"Please?"

"No.

"I beg you."

"Only if she says yes."

He asked Gwen if she was okay with Tristan moving to her cell. Gwen hesitated, then nodded. And so, five minutes later, Tristan was sat in her cell looking at her.

"You're beautiful... Gwen."

She looked at him and smiled. "The same can be said for you, Tristan."

The food came in and they both ate in silence. There was something Gwen used to do after lunch each day, but with Tristan there with her, she was not so sure. She bit her lip. "Umm... Tristan, I'm going to do something now, and you have to promise not to do anything about it."

"What are you going to do?"

"You'll know. Now promise me."

"Fine. I promise."

Gwen went to the back of the cell and took out a serrated piece of glass. Tristan raised a brow, his arms folded over his chest. Gwen bit her lip and rolled up her sleeve. There were loads of cuts there. She turned her back on Tristan, not wanting him to see this. She held the glass in her hand and was about to cut herself when she felt arms wrapping around her. She tried to turn around but the arms stayed in position.

"Don't ever do that again, Caramel. Understood?"

She gulped.

"Caramel."

"Yes, Stuart."

He turned her around and hugged her to him and at that time, Gwen felt many emotions all at once. Guilt, pain, sorrow, relief, love and joy. She let herself be wrapped in his heavenly scent, breathing in the warmth he radiated. She placed her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. It was a beautiful moment where Gwen could forget about everything and think about just how amazing he was... And he cared, he cared for her. Gwen smiled a wide, genuine smile. "I love you, Stuart," she whispered in his chest: words he couldn't hear and she didn't want him to.

Gwen sighed. Outside his amazing arms, though, the troubles still remained. Tristan became aware of her sudden sadness. "Cry," he ordered. And as if on cue, tears slid down Gwen's cheeks. She cried and cried, unable to control herself. Tristan brushed her hair with one hand while his other rubbed circles on her back. "It's going to be okay. I'll get you out of here."

"I don't want to get out of here."

"Then I'll stay with you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Oh but I forgot. Promises don't matter to you, do they? You promised not to do anything about me cutting myself... And you broke it."

"I couldn't let you cut yourself while I was there."

Gwen smiled in his chest.

When Tristan tried removing his arms, Gwen said, "Don't."

Tristan smiled. "I won't."

They stood for a moment longer, hugging each other tightly until Carlos said, "Would you two girlies stop?"

They broke apart and glared at Carlos.

"What?" Carlos frowned.

Tristan rolled up both of Gwen's sleeves to reveal all of her scars.

"Are there more on your body, too?" he asked.

"No."

He looked in her eyes. "Caramel, this is so... Unlike you."

"What's like me, then, Stuart? Sitting at home, bearing torture? Is that what you're suggesting?"

"No, Caramel. But stop. Really, stop. Cutting yourself won't help."

"It does help."

"How, Caramel? Tell me, how?"

"Blood loss will only make my life span shorter."

"That's plain stupid, Caramel."

"Yeah? Are you telling me that beating the Sheriff's son was not stupid?"

"This is not about it. He was insulting my father."

"He was insulting your father. Boo hoo. Why did you beat him?"

"Just because you never had a father doesn't mean others don't."

The words cut through her heart like knives. She swallowed the lump in her throat "Just because I never had a father doesn't mean I don't want one. You saw your father, you know what he looks like. What about me? I don't even know his name. Don't make me regret telling you about my parents not being there for me."

Tristan looked at her with sadness. "You're so beautiful, just so beautiful Caramel. I wish I could relieve your pain."

"You already did that."

"What?"

"You already did that when you came to my cell. You did that when you took the glass from my hand. And you did it again when you hugged me. You're doing it now, Stuart. You've relieved half of my pain... And I'm so very grateful."

"I may have, but I've given you pain as well, haven't I, Caramel?"

"No."

"You're a bad liar, Caramel. I see it in your eyes, the pain you feel when you look at me... You try to avoid my eyes, Caramel. What do my eyes do to you, Caramel?"

Gwen looked away; he could read her so easily. He understood her feelings.

"Gwen," he said. She breathed out and closed her eyes. Her name looked so good on his lips.

"Your eyes scare me, Stuart. They remind me of someone."

"Who?"

Gwen gritted her teeth.

"Does it hurt you that much to say their name?"

Gwen nodded.

"Please, just once?"

Gwen's heart skipped a beat. After days of trying to forget him, she was finally going to say his name. A lump formed in her throat and she felt tongue twisted for a moment. She drew in a long breath and whispered,

"Brent."