Her Safe Haven

Chapter 16 - Beginnings

Previously on Her Safe Haven: Winter and Rohan started talking through texts. Meanwhile, Jonah suspected that there was something going on between Winter and Rohan, and consulted Seth about it. After Leah Stewart failed to ask him out, Jonah decided to do what Seth advised him to and confronted Winter about Rohan, by cornering her to a wall near the staircase. In the end Winter didn't really say anything about it to him. At the end of the chapter we were given glimpse of Rohan and the puppy he adopted on Chapter 10, and he thought that the puppy should "meet its real owner soon, too."

It was another Saturday morning, and for the second time in her life, Winter was at the Institute of Mental Health for her psychiatric appointment.

Throughout the last hour since she arrived at the Institution and waited for her appointment, Rohan had been kind enough to insist to accompany her, and after having breakfast at the hospital's canteen, the two had been playing cards of '20 QUESTIONS FOR YOUNG ADULTS' while plopping themselves on two bean bag sofas in the Games Corner at the hospital's library.

She thought that ten a.m. was early enough for an appointment, but she inwardly cringed in condolences when she learned that the redhead had been sentenced to seven a.m. volunteer duty every week by none other than the eccentric Dr Switzgerald. She was just glad that her appointment was actually not that early, but an idea of going to the Institution at seven a.m. just to see Rohan secretly crossed her mind, and when it did she briefly questioned herself on why she was thinking such absurd thoughts.

"Favourite food?"

'Anything my older brother cooks,' she answered, taking out a new card and silently snickering as she read, 'tell me about your first crush.'

"Haven't had one yet," he said flatly, and upon seeing her disappointed reaction he cheekily added, "but I might change my answer soon," he smirked suggestively at her.

She scoffed and giggled at him. 'Smooth, Garrison. Feeling romantic today, aren't we?'

He shrugged. "Sorry to have startled you this time. Sometimes I feel my charm is a sinful gift."

'And your height is a regrettable curse.'

He glared at her and she laughed. Sure, he was aware that for a guy he might be on the shorter side, but he was howbeit still taller than her by a hand and he was only sixteen and still growing.

Though, seeing her bright laughter, he decided to just shrug off her comment and snort along, reading the next card. "What is your favourite season— how come you get all the easy questions?"

She bursted out laughing once again and tried to placate him, 'okay, how about you look at the rest of your cards and pick a more difficult one for me? Sounds good?'

He frowned and grunted a "hn" in reply and skimmed through his deck. Winter watched him subtly glaring at his cards and inwardly giggled. Rohan was so cute when grumpy. She hated to admit it but being with Rohan like this did make her insides bubble for reasons she wasn't very keen to find out. She looked down at her cards and waited for him to take his pick, while secretly stealing awing glances his way every now and then.

"How is Jonah?"

'H— What?'

Well, she was sure that question was not on a card.

He looked up from his deck and gave her a look of guileless curiosity that she just couldn't be suspicious. "Jonah. You said yesterday he was being weirder than usual. Is he okay?"