Mental

Chapter Eight

I felt bad for what happened, she really is the love of my life and I'm lucky she didn't leave me for my mistake. I have to, no, I NEED to make this up to her.

"Taryn," I said softly as I approached the bedroom doorway.

She snuffled, she was silent and she refused to look at me. I walked over to her and took her hands. "I have a surprise for you." I whispered. "I also want to apologize about the whole incident." Taryn gulped. She continued to look down at our hands in silence. I sighed, "I want you to come with me." Taryn nodded. She gripped my hand as we walked to the back door. I stopped and turned to Taryn, "Close your eyes!" She sighed and looked into my eyes. I smiled and swayed our hands, "Please, love?" Taryn sighed again and shut her eyes. I noticed her eyes weren't shut all the way. I giggled, went behind her and placed my hands over her eyes. "Here, let me guide you." I whispered in her ear as I opened the back door. She nodded and took a step outside.

We took baby steps across the patio and stopped near the pool. "Ready?" I asked her. Taryn nodded and took a deep breath.

I pulled my hands away, "Open!"

Taryn opened her eyes. She gasped at the sight of the backyard as she looked around with admiration. I decorated the patio with candles, a radio playing our Take Me Home album and I also placed roses around the pool and rose pedels inside the pool. Taryn awed and smiled.

"Harry, it's so beautiful!" She turned to me and suddenly frowned. "But, you didn't have to do all this for me."

"Yes I did." I replied nodding.

I slowly approached her, "What I did was wrong and I know I hurt you..."

I let her hair down from her clip and fixed it over her left shoulder. "Why don't we go for a swim together?" I asked looking into her eyes and grinned. Taryn was trying to hold back her smile. She nodded and we walked over to the pool steps. I slipped Taryn's jacket off her arms and then kicked my shoes off. Taryn sat down on the edge and stuck her feet in the water. I pulled my jeans and t-shirt off and then sat next to her. "What's wrong?" I asked her. She shrugged, "Nothing." I cocked an eyebrow, "Are you sure??" She nodded and then pushed me into the pool. I broke through the water for air, shook my hair out, looked at Taryn and then giggled. I grabbed her ankles and pulled her in with me. She came up for air and splashed me. "I WASN'T READY!" She yelled and rubbed her eyes. "Really?! Oh, I'm sorry!" I replied.

Taryn laughed, "I was joking! You're so gullable!"

"Oh, ahaha, I knew that..."

Taryn kept swimming away from me and splashing me. I swam after her and splashed her back, and this went on for quite a while... She's so funny.

She eventually grew tired, swam over to the steps and relaxed on them. I swam up next to her, "I love how you just swim away like a scared little fish." Taryn giggled, "I like it when guys chase me." I nodded, "I'm sure you do... You wore me out..." I placed my hands on the steps, kind of towering over her while she lied back on them. Taryn wrapped her legs around the back of my thighs and pulled me towards her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and looked into my eyes.

"You really do know how to make a girl feel special." She whispered to me.

I smiled, "Oh really?"

"Really."

I laughed and gently stroked her hair. "Well, that's good to know because, you should always be feeling special." She shook her head, "But, I don't..." I sighed and frowned at her response. She shouldn't feel so low about herself. Taryn started to lean into me but, she stopped and looked down at my lips. She cleared her throat, "I'm going to take a shower..." She slowly pulled away from me.

"Hey, Taryn?" I said as she climbed out of the pool. She turned to me, "Yes?" I took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. She waited patiently for me to say something. "I love you." I hesitated. She looked away for a second. She looked down at me again and nodded, "Love you too..." She picked up her jacket and went inside. I got out after a few more minutes. I blew all the candles out, shut the radio off and then went inside. I went into our bedroom and Taryn was sitting on the bed brushing her hair out. "You took a quick shower?" I said as I walked over to the closet to grab some clothes. She nodded, "Yeah..." I looked back at her, "You sound sad, are you sad?" She looked at her brush. She finally shook her head after two minutes. I threw on a dry pair of boxers, a plain grey t-shirt and some sweat pants and then crawled on the bed next to her. I looked up at her, "You sound sad though..." She shrugged, "That's just how I am though..." I nodded, "Oh." Taryn swallowed hard and went to say something but, she shook her head and played with her brush. Taryn put the brush back on the night-stand and lied down next to me but, kind of at a distance.

"Something is bothering you... Please, tell me?"

"Harry, what if one day, I pick up and leave... What would you do?"

My eyes grew wide. What does she mean?! Is she really going to pick up leave me?! "What do you mean?" I asked sitting up and looking down at her. She shrugged, "Like, what if one day you came home and, I was gone... What would you do?"

"Do you plan on doing that?" I asked.

Taryn sighed, "No... I was just wondering..." I took a deep breath and tried to think nothing of it. "Oh, okay. You scared me for a second!" Taryn shrugged, "I'm sorry..." I gulped, "So, you aren't going to leave?" Taryn sighed and nodded, "I'm not, I promise..." But, I wonder if she really means that.... I don't want to lose her... Why would she runaway?