"Mom." I round the corner into the kitchen and try to look her in the eyes. Everytime we talk these days, we fight. She always has something to say about what I'm doing with my life, who I'm hanging out with and "those rags" on my wrists. Parents just don't fucking get what it's like for teenagers these days.

"Yes Nikolas?" Of course, she has to call me by my full name even though she knows I can't stand it. I swear, it's like she tries to piss me off every chance she gets.

"Can we go get Haven, I want her to come over?" I try to keep my tone respectful but when she literally just did something she knows pisses me off, it's hard not to react. She wants me to react but I won't do it because then she won't drive me to pick up Haven.

As soon as Haven's name comes out of my mouth, her lips purse together. My parents don't like Haven, they blame her for my "attitude" which is complete bullshit. My attitude changed when they up and moved us here without so much as asking how I felt about it.

"Haven can't get here herself?" my mom sighs dramatically as if I'm interrupting her incredibly busy day.

"She lives on the other side of the city mom." I counter too quickly and my irritation creeps into my tone. "Please mom, I just want to see her." I force myself not to look away, I hold her stare and I know she can see it on my face, hear it in my voice - my desperation.

When her face softens slightly I know I've won.

***

Half an hour later I join Haven in the back seat when my mom leaves us alone as she runs into the grocery store. I sling my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to my side, my heart races the moment her body touches mine. This girl drives me wild. Without hesitating I lean down and kiss her firmly on the lips. The difference between our first kiss and the many others since then, is night and day. I know what I'm doing now, and I figure I must be a good kisser because everytime I pull away from her she pouts and damn, does that ever make a guy feel good.

"This is why you wanted me to come over? So we can make out in the back seat of your moms SUV?" she questions me with her falsely innocent tone.

"It is one reason." I admit confidently with a grin and I watch as her cheeks redden. Why does that make my heart race even faster? Seeing her physically react to me, to my expressions, fuck it makes me fall for her even more. I don't understand how she can't see that we are perfect for each other, but she is getting there, I can tell.

I gaze down at her hypnotic face, the face that never escapes my thoughts. Waking or asleep. She has that look on her face and I know she's thinking hard. There is a method to Haven's madness, I know there is. I just wish I could understand it. All the back and forth, the games, the highs and lows - it drives me insane but I'd go insane with her any day.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask her, and hope she can't tell how badly I want to know.

She smiles that smile that makes me weak in the knees before replying. "About us, of course."

"Us?" I raise my eyebrows curiously. Haven rarely refers to us as an "us". It's always just "were friends" even though that couldn't be further than the truth. She knows it. I know it. Everyone knows it. All they have to do is look at us when we're together, at least when were not fighting, and they can see it.

"Yes, I still don't know what we should be." I see right past her attempt to sound casual. The way she bites her lip for a split second after speaking, I know she's been thinking about it more than she feels comfortable with. Good, keeping thinking about it Haven. Keep thinking about how you know we should be more. That we need to be more. "In the mean time..." she trails off pulls my face back down to hers.

Her kiss is desperate and I know she is trying to drive whatever thoughts won't stop bouncing around in her head, out. That's fine with me because I know those thoughts aren't going anywhere. With every single kiss, I am reeling her in closer and closer. I'll have her for real soon, I just know it.