Criminal. // j.m.

Chapter One

Haven's Point of View//  

It was the last day and I was standing at my locker, making sure I had gotten everything out, when I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I smiled slightly, knowing immediately who it was.  

"Hey, princess," a husky voice whispered in my ear, pulling me closer to them.  

I turned around to meet the voice's face and was looking up at my best friend, Jason McCann, and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey."  

"You almost ready to get out of here?" He kissed the top of my head, then flipped his hair to the side.   

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I just have to put these papers in my bags, and then we can leave." I grabbed the papers that were left in my locker and shoved them in my bag, slamming the door shut and clapping.   

"We can finally leave." He chuckled and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. "I gotta go do some stuff at the warehouse, you gonna come?"   

I frowned and shrugged, nodding lightly. "Yeah, I guess." Jason is in a gang, the leader to be more specific, so it's mandatory for him to go up there at least three times a week to check up on them. He lives with me, though, because my parents passed away when I was ten, and my sister's off in college.   

"Hey.. don't be upset, please. You know I have to do this so we have money." He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, looking down at me and walking towards the doors that lead out of the school.  

"I'm not upset, Jason. You know I'm just worried. I'm scared that one day when you're out on one of your mission's, something bad will happen. What if I wake up one morning and you're not there? Hm?"   

"Don't think like that. You know I can handle myself."  

"No, I don't. You don't know that, either. You might think it because you've been on your own for so long, but you really don't. You're still a human being, and you can't save everyone. Sometimes you gotta look out for yourself, too."  

He sighed and stopped walking, pulling me into his arms. "Listen, baby girl, I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I'm always going to be here to protect you, and you know that. I'm going to be there when you wake up, every single day. I love you, Haven. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I'm not going anywhere." He kisses the top of my forehead, stroking my jaw lightly with his thumb.  

My stomach started tossing and turning as I bit my lip, nodding. He's so perfect. He doesn't know this, and I have no intentions of telling him; but my feelings for him are more than just what I'd feel for my best friend. They're love. And I think that I'm in love with him, but I don't know how to keep them from coming, because every time I'm in his arms, I just fall for him harder and harder.   

I smiled and hugged his waist tightly. "I love you, too, Jase." We started walking again and got to his car. He opened the passenger door for me and I got in, buckling my seat belt before closing the door and walking to the driver's side of the car. He got in and started the engine, then started driving.