Rejecting Hope (Old Copy)

Chapter Forty Six - "I'm leaving..."

        (Hope)

            To be honest I would be lying, if I were to say that in the least I was not nervous. Because in fact, I was nervous beyond belief. I mean... just how long has it been since we've been able to interact normally like this? I can't even seem to remember...

         I walk up the steps and before I can have the chance to knock upon her door she is there. Behind the screened door she is in her pajama's made out of blue silk and her hair is in it's normal state of long lucious curls. I smile at the image before me and abruptly I understand why it is that I was so nervous in the first place. It's because somehow in this crazy mixed up world, she still manges to take my breath away... I could stare at her forever. It was then that the thought occured to me... the thought that if this feeling were to stay forever would it be a blessing or a curse? For all it ever seems to do is grow and ever second without her is pure torture...

            "Hey there, beautiful." I breath through a cheeky smile and she returns it with a gentle one, then the screen door opens and she runs to me. I drop my bags and we embrace each other I hold her up in the air for a few minutes before I slowly let her down to the floor, my muscles suddenly feeling as if they've been relaxed for the first time after many tense hours. Surrprisingly she gives me a kiss like she hasn't seen me in forever and when we withdraw I'm out of breath.

             "You okay?" She whispers our foreheads just balancing against each others and I nod slowly.

       "Yeah... I just... I'm always surprised a just how courageous you are with that now."

  "What kissing? Man up Hope, I swear you act like your the one who's never been kissed."

     I can't help but laugh as we begin to walk, "Okay Miss Seventy Three."

            "Get it right, I'm seventy four."

                 "What... I could've sworn-"

"Nope, don't you go forgetting all about Catherine, Amber and Synthia that easily now, you hear?"

     "Woah, I really was a whore wasn't I?"

        "Yeah but that was my fault anyways..."

           "Yeah... I promise, no more girls. Trust me, that was all because I was trying to fill the void that could've only ever been filled by you." Suddenly she stops midstep at the top of the stairs and turns around to face me.

        "Please... don't promise that." She whispers looking me straight in the eyes terrified.

            Suddenly my throat dries up... "What... do you mean by that Ariana?"

      "I just..." She whispers before looking away from my gaze.

            "I just mean to say that if anything ever happened to either one of us. I'd want the other one to be able to move on." I walk up the last few steps to her and take her by the chin so that I can tilt her face towards mine.

      "Ariana... is there something you're not telling me?"

                 She takes her head back from my hand and then shakes her head. "It's nothing that concerns you, I was just thinking."

     "Don't worry, I'll make sure that we'll marry someday." She turns her back to me at that statement, I'm terrified that she'll kick me out of her life again when suddenly she whispers "I'd love that... more than anything else in the world. To have you steal my last name away, to become Mrs. Ariana Esthiem. Hm, it has such a nice ring to it doesn't it?"