Chapter Sixteen

"Where'd you go?" John bent forward, resting his hands on his knees to recover from his last sprint across the field. "You were gone forever."

Claire smiled, looking down at her winded boyfriend. "We went to the second-hand store across the street." She looked over to Kaylie, shaking her head at the box of music tapes in her hand. "Kaylie got some more music to listen too."

Kaylie elbowed Claire's arm, nodding to the necklace behind her back. "Claire got you something too." She smirked, turning to Allison as they walked to the bus.

Claire's cheeks flushed, as she pulled out the little leather string and key. "This is really cheesy, but it's the key to my heart." She handed it to him, watching as he hesitantly felt over the leather cord. "If you don't want to wear it-"

"I'll wear it." He stated, handing her the necklace and turning his back to her so she could clasp it around his neck. He had to fight the jolt of fear that went through him as the leather pressed against his throat, the memory of the chain his father would use to choke him still fresh in his mind. He pressed a hand to the key, feeling the intricate patterns cast into the metal on his fingers. He turned back to his girl, a huge smile on his face. "I love it." He swept a hand around her waist, pulling her small body against his and pressing a kiss to her lips.

Claire melted into him, her hands tracing over the hard plains of his chest and up to his shoulders. She could feel his warmth through their shirts, pressing closer to him as a cold wind blew through the park. She felt his hands travel to her thighs and a second later she was suspended in mid-air, with her legs wrapped around his waist. She felt her heart leap, over joyed that his strength had returned enough for him to do that.

She felt him smile, knowing that he was proud of himself for accomplishing the small act. "Not bad for being half-dead a couple months ago, huh?" He asked, his variation of a burner smirk playing on his lips.

She rested her head on his shoulder, the pain of what could have been his last night with her like salt in a wound. "I'm just happy you made it." She breathed in his scent, taking comfort in his presents. "I don't know what I would do without you." She let a tear drop onto his shoulder, feeling his head press against hers.

"I want to give you babies, so we can be a real family." He kissed her neck, remembering the horrors of his own childhood. "I want to fix what my old man did." He closed his eyes, letting himself feel every curve of her body against his. "I want to be better."

She leaned back, looking him in the eyes. "You already are." She looked deep into those eyes, seeing all the pain he'd lived through, and all the joy he had to give, all the love he could feel but never showed. "You are so much better than him."

He blinked, his long lashes fanning over his cheeks for a second. "Only if I can stay sober."

She kissed his nose, taking his face in her hands. "You will stay sober. I know you can and you will."

He pressed his lips to her chin, slowly moving up to her lips. "It's hard."

She nodded, leaning her head against his. "You're stronger than the cravings." She smiled at him, knowing that her words held truth. "You can beat them."

He took a slow breath, taking in the scent of her perfume mixing with her natural smell. "I can't beat my cravings for you."

She laughed, letting him bury his face in her collar bone. "Do get to high. You'll have to detox again."

He shook his head, letting his fingers trace over the seam of the denim pants she was wearing. "Worth it."

"Bender, Standish! Get your love bird butts on the bus!" Chris Clark shouted, herding the rest of the teens onto the vehicle. "We're getting back on the road!"

John let Claire down, taking her hand in his as they walked toward the group. "I would go through detox a million times if I could have only five minutes with you." He kissed her head, squeezing her hand as he touched a finger to the key around his neck. "And even if I never had this key, I would still know I have your heart."

She traced a finger over his scarred knuckles, feeling every callous and crack in his skin. "I love you." She whispered, leaning onto his shoulder as they sat down.

He gave a crooked smile, feeling her soft skin run over his own. "I love you more."