Faith and Hope Chapter 9
So I'm thinking of tying this one up and then doing a follow-up from Elle's perspective. Vote in the poll or leave a comment telling me what you think! And as always, thanks to everyone that did!
PS> Special thank you to Diana and Alyssa
Hope's POV:
I already missed him, even though it had only been a few minutes since I had said goodbye. I walked into our room and saw Elle playing Sorry with my mom and Jack.
"Look who's back." My mom said in a sing-songy way.
"Hey." I said, giving her, then Elle a hug.
"Aunt Hope, you got me wet!" Elle pouted.
My mom, Jack, and I laughed. "I'll go change into some dry clothes and then play with you, okay?" I asked.
"Yay!" Elle answered.
I walked into the bedroom and closed the door. I grabbed some dry things and changed out of the clothes that got soaked in the rain. I threw the wet clothes in the hamper, and towel-dried my hair. I wondered what Adam was doing right now.
_______________________________________________________
Adam's POV:
As soon as she was out of sight, I ran to my room and flopped on my bed, unable to stop smiling at the magical day I had with the girl I was in love with.
I changed into a dry t-shirt and shorts. I couldn't stop thinking about Hope, and I really wanted to see her and be with her right now.
I ran upstairs to the third floor, and knocked on the door. My uncle answered it.
"Adam! Come in, son." He said. Just as I entered, Hope walked out of the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel.
I grinned at her. "Hey."
"Hey yourself." She said, putting the towel away, and sitting next to Elle.
I sat next to her, and saw that the board game Sorry was out.
"Adam and I are playing as a team, since we both came in late." She announced.
My uncle took his turn, sending one of Elle's pieces back.
"Grandpa Jack!" She whined.
"Sorry." He said.
As Elle made her move, Jill, my step mom, asked, "So what do you guys think of a nice family trip to the beach tomorrow?"
"I don't go near beaches or anything that requires a swimsuit." Hope answered in a tone that meant end of conversation for her.
"Oh." I saw Jill 's face fall.
"Sorry, mom, I meant I'll think about it." Hope said, apologetic. I knew that she tried extremely hard just to keep everyone else happy, although that could mean even more pain for her.
The game ended soon and Jill and my uncle took Elle downstairs to watch a movie in our home movie theater, leaving me and Hope alone.
_______________________________________________________
Hope's POV:
After they left, I cleaned up the game with Adam's help.
"Why do you do that?" He asked.
"Do what?" I didn't meet his gaze.
"You hurt yourself trying to keep the people you care about happy."
"Is that so bad?" I asked.
"No, but sometimes you're allowed to do what you want." He answered.
"I answered her question irrationally. I stay as far away as possible from anything involving arm exposure, so I said no a little bit harsh when my mom asked. It's not a bad idea, and it's not like people haven't seen my scars before." I told him.
He reached for my arm. I held my breath. The last time he saw my scars, he had freaked out a little bit.
He rolled the sleeve up gently, examined the scars, and leaned down to kiss them. My heart beat faster, as he raised his head and looked at me.
"Hope, your scars are beautiful, just like you are." He whispered.
I shook my head, and tried to look down, but he tilted my face back up gently.
"You're the most beautiful person, inside and out." He said.
"You're wrong." I protested, hiding my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt safe and secure in his strong embrace.
"Maybe I am, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with you." Adam answered. I pulled back so I could look at him. He smiled gently, moving a few strands of hair off my face.
"Why do you love me?" I asked, so confused. I had nothing to offer that hadn't been taken away from me at one point or another.
"Because you're fearless. The first time I met you, you were like no one I've ever met, and then when I got to know you a little bit better, you were this girl who was so honest and so strong to be able to pick yourself up over and over again to take care of the people depending on you, even though no one ever took care of you."
"And I want to be able to take care of you. I want to be the one that you turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on, and I want to be the one that you love." He finished.
A tear rolled down my cheek. He wiped it away with his finger. "And it doesn't matter that I have nothing to offer that hasn't been taken away?" I asked.
"Not in the slightest bit." He answered.
I leaned in a little bit to kiss him. The kiss was sweet and full of love.
"I love you too, Adam." I whispered when we pulled apart.
He held me and wrapped his arms around me. "I was so scared that you wouldn't." He said.
"Why wouldn't I? You're this amazing, sweet guy who always knows what to do and what to say when a girl who has so much trouble needs help. And I love you because you're real. You're not one of those guys that just say things to say them, but you say them because you're real. And that's what I need." I told him.
He hugged me tighter. I leaned up to kiss his cheek.
We spent a lot of time like that. Just sitting and hugging and kissing.
Hope's POV:
I already missed him, even though it had only been a few minutes since I had said goodbye. I walked into our room and saw Elle playing Sorry with my mom and Jack.
"Look who's back." My mom said in a sing-songy way.
"Hey." I said, giving her, then Elle a hug.
"Aunt Hope, you got me wet!" Elle pouted.
My mom, Jack, and I laughed. "I'll go change into some dry clothes and then play with you, okay?" I asked.
"Yay!" Elle answered.
I walked into the bedroom and closed the door. I grabbed some dry things and changed out of the clothes that got soaked in the rain. I threw the wet clothes in the hamper, and towel-dried my hair. I wondered what Adam was doing right now.
_______________________________________________________
Adam's POV:
As soon as she was out of sight, I ran to my room and flopped on my bed, unable to stop smiling at the magical day I had with the girl I was in love with.
I changed into a dry t-shirt and shorts. I couldn't stop thinking about Hope, and I really wanted to see her and be with her right now.
I ran upstairs to the third floor, and knocked on the door. My uncle answered it.
"Adam! Come in, son." He said. Just as I entered, Hope walked out of the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel.
I grinned at her. "Hey."
"Hey yourself." She said, putting the towel away, and sitting next to Elle.
I sat next to her, and saw that the board game Sorry was out.
"Adam and I are playing as a team, since we both came in late." She announced.
My uncle took his turn, sending one of Elle's pieces back.
"Grandpa Jack!" She whined.
"Sorry." He said.
As Elle made her move, Jill, my step mom, asked, "So what do you guys think of a nice family trip to the beach tomorrow?"
"I don't go near beaches or anything that requires a swimsuit." Hope answered in a tone that meant end of conversation for her.
"Oh." I saw Jill 's face fall.
"Sorry, mom, I meant I'll think about it." Hope said, apologetic. I knew that she tried extremely hard just to keep everyone else happy, although that could mean even more pain for her.
The game ended soon and Jill and my uncle took Elle downstairs to watch a movie in our home movie theater, leaving me and Hope alone.
_______________________________________________________
Hope's POV:
After they left, I cleaned up the game with Adam's help.
"Why do you do that?" He asked.
"Do what?" I didn't meet his gaze.
"You hurt yourself trying to keep the people you care about happy."
"Is that so bad?" I asked.
"No, but sometimes you're allowed to do what you want." He answered.
"I answered her question irrationally. I stay as far away as possible from anything involving arm exposure, so I said no a little bit harsh when my mom asked. It's not a bad idea, and it's not like people haven't seen my scars before." I told him.
He reached for my arm. I held my breath. The last time he saw my scars, he had freaked out a little bit.
He rolled the sleeve up gently, examined the scars, and leaned down to kiss them. My heart beat faster, as he raised his head and looked at me.
"Hope, your scars are beautiful, just like you are." He whispered.
I shook my head, and tried to look down, but he tilted my face back up gently.
"You're the most beautiful person, inside and out." He said.
"You're wrong." I protested, hiding my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt safe and secure in his strong embrace.
"Maybe I am, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with you." Adam answered. I pulled back so I could look at him. He smiled gently, moving a few strands of hair off my face.
"Why do you love me?" I asked, so confused. I had nothing to offer that hadn't been taken away from me at one point or another.
"Because you're fearless. The first time I met you, you were like no one I've ever met, and then when I got to know you a little bit better, you were this girl who was so honest and so strong to be able to pick yourself up over and over again to take care of the people depending on you, even though no one ever took care of you."
"And I want to be able to take care of you. I want to be the one that you turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on, and I want to be the one that you love." He finished.
A tear rolled down my cheek. He wiped it away with his finger. "And it doesn't matter that I have nothing to offer that hasn't been taken away?" I asked.
"Not in the slightest bit." He answered.
I leaned in a little bit to kiss him. The kiss was sweet and full of love.
"I love you too, Adam." I whispered when we pulled apart.
He held me and wrapped his arms around me. "I was so scared that you wouldn't." He said.
"Why wouldn't I? You're this amazing, sweet guy who always knows what to do and what to say when a girl who has so much trouble needs help. And I love you because you're real. You're not one of those guys that just say things to say them, but you say them because you're real. And that's what I need." I told him.
He hugged me tighter. I leaned up to kiss his cheek.
We spent a lot of time like that. Just sitting and hugging and kissing.
Post Comment | View Comments
