"Even if we get all your money back, things still won't be okay," she continues.
"Haven, life is about forgiveness, remember?" I’m not coming off as convincing now as I had been trying to sound since I was released.
“I don’t know,” she says, sniffling back her tears.
“Hey,” I stop her from walking and twist her around by her wrist. “Look at me.” She’s right in front of me but won’t open her eyes. “I forgive you for your little white lie, and—”
Haven’s eyes reopen in search of the words to the end of my statement. “And?”
“You are the first woman I have ever loved, and I think I might want you to be the last.”
She gasps at my words, and while I thought I would have a hard time expressing that sentiment to her, I’m relieved to tell her how I feel. “You love me?” she asks.
“Honestly, through the anger I had all those years, every memory and thought of you I had made me fall in love with the person you were and I knew you’d become someday. I tried to deny it. I didn’t see how I could love someone I was so mad at, but I’ve come to realize, we don’t choose how or when our feelings develop for someone. It just happens, and it’s out of our control. I wasn’t sure I could ever look you in the eyes again after being released from prison, but it’s because I always knew if I did look into your eyes just once, I would know for sure that I could never be with anyone but you.”
Haven’s arms fly around my neck, right here in the middle of town where many people are watching. “I love you so much. I’ve loved you for so long, and I tried to make it go away because I thought you’d hate me forever, but my feelings only grew stronger. It hurt to consider a life without you in it.” She pulls back from our embrace and splays her hands across my cheeks as she presses her lips into mine. The whispers and gasps from around us blur into white noise as I focus my attention solely on the incredible sensations gushing through my chest, knowing this girl is finally mine.
