Sempre (Forever)

by JM Darhower

  “Wow, that's... deep.”

  * * * *

  After leaving the diner, Dominic stopped by the Harper residence to pick up Tess. She threw a duffel bag into the back of the car and crossed her arms over her chest, her usual scowl on her face as she sat in the backseat in total silence.

  Once they reached the house, Tess pulled out a shopping bag and thrust it at Haven. “It’s a swimsuit. Figured you didn't have one.”

  She was taken aback. A gift? “Thank you, but I don’t need one.”

  Tess looked amused. “If you’re going to the lake with me, honey, you do need one.”

  “Lake?” Haven asked. “What lake?”

  “We’re heading down to Aurora Lake for the day,” Dominic said. “It’ll be a blast.”

  Haven glanced at the bag. “And I’m supposed to wear this?”

  Tess nodded. “Yes, you can put it on under your clothes.”

  Haven headed inside and went straight upstairs to her room. She stripped out of her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor as she pulled out the swimsuit. It was a black one-piece that tied around the neck, the bottom cut like shorts. Haven put it on and tied it the best she could, tugging at it to make sure she was covered.

  She was running her fingers through her unruly hair when Tess walked into the room. “I’m glad it fits,” she said, pushing Haven’s hair out of the way to tighten the top. “Come on, throw your clothes on and let’s go.”

  Aurora Lake was located in a valley ten minutes south of the Durante city limits. The community of Aurora surrounded it, a few hundred residents living along the 27 miles of isolated shoreline. It wasn’t the most popular lake in the state, nor did it have the clearest waters, but to the locals, it was their definition of tranquility. Although the lake was man-made, much of the land beyond the homes had remained untouched by civilization.

  Haven climbed out of the backseat of the car and glanced around, seeing the water in the distance. It went as far as she could see, wildly tall trees bordering it on all sides. Despite its enormity, something about the place instantly put her at ease. Beyond the grassy lot they’d parked on was tan colored sand, reminding her of the desert ground she’d been used to all her life.

  “Welcome to paradise… or as close as we get around here,” Dominic said, juggling some folded-up lounge chairs under his right arm. They headed toward the water, setting up on the sand in an area partially encased in shade. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the warm summer breeze felt nice on Haven’s skin.

  Dominic set out into the water while Tess stripped out of her clothes. Haven pulled hers off carefully and sat down, watching the few people who were already playing out on the lake. Someone started a game of volleyball after a few minutes, and Dominic and Tess joined them, while Haven just relaxed under the sun’s rays.

  It didn’t take long for the temperature to raise, sweat trickling down Haven’s face. She grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and was taking a drink when a familiar voice rang out. She coughed, gasping for air as the liquid went down her windpipe.

  “Excuse me?” she sputtered, coming face-to-face with Nicholas. She took a deep breath that burned her chest. “What did you say?”

  He stared at her as he plopped down in Tess’s lounge chair. Haven glanced over at where they were playing volleyball, worried about what they were going to think.

  He kicked out his feet, getting comfortable. “I said I didn’t think Carmine would let you come down here.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t tell me what to do.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I’m surprised you’d come here when he can’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if I know Carmine like I think I know him, he won’t be happy about you being here since he’s banned from the area. You know, because of trying to kill me and all.”

  It hadn’t even crossed her mind. “This is where you live?”

  Nicholas nodded, pointing behind them. Haven turned to see a white two-story house about a hundred yards away. It stuck out among the others, the paint fresher. “That would be my home,” he said. “So technically speaking, you’re sitting in my yard.”

  “Oh, well, you don’t know Carmine like you think,” she said. “And he didn’t try to kill you. It was a misunderstanding.”

  He laughed dryly. “You call shooting at me a misunderstanding? He has seriously clouded your judgment.”

  “No, your judgment’s clouded,” Haven said. “Carmine made mistakes, but he’s a good person. You shouldn’t sit there and pretend like you’re innocent. It’s stupid! I wasn’t even there and I know you’re both being ridiculous about this… this… rivalry thing. So get over yourself, because you can’t talk about him like that to me.”

  She stood up and stomped away, passing Dominic.

  “Haven, wait,” Nicholas called out, but she ignored him and walked to the edge of the water. She heard him behind her but didn’t acknowledge him. “Look, I just have a hard time believing he cares about anyone, but I didn’t mean to offend you. I don’t like the idea of him taking advantage of you in your situation.”

  She glared at him when he stopped beside her. “You know nothing about my situation! Carmine’s supportive of me! He’s putting himself on the line, so how dare you judge him when he’s braver than you’ll ever be!”

  Haven caught sight of movement in her peripheral and saw Dominic watching them. “He’s not bothering you, is he?”

  Nicholas spun around. “Come on. You know I wouldn’t—”

  “I wasn’t asking you,” Dominic said. “I was talking to Haven.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “We were just talking.”

  Dominic gazed in her direction for another minute before turning to Nicholas. “Be nice to her. I like you, you know that, but I’ll hurt you if you upset her.”

  “I got it,” Nicholas said. “I didn’t mean to get her riled up.”

  Dominic jogged away to join the game of volleyball again as Haven and Nicholas looked back out at the lake. “Are you getting in the water?” he asked.

  “No way.”

  “Why not?”

  “I can’t swim.”

  “You don’t have to know how to swim to get your feet wet,” he said, pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the sand. He took a few steps into the water, stopping to look at her when it reached his knees. “What are you waiting for?”

  She gaped at him. “I don’t think so.”

  “Trust me.” She let out a sharp, cynical laugh the moment the words came from his lips, and he immediately started backtracking. “Okay, don’t trust me then. But do you really think I’m stupid enough to let you get hurt with Dom watching like a hawk? I told you before—you seem nice and all, but I don’t plan to die over you. And I guarantee, if you drown, Dom will kill me.”

  She stood there for a moment longer before taking a few steps into the lake. The warm water felt good against her hot skin, her bare feet sinking into the soft earth. She took a few more steps but stopped before it reached her waist. “This is far enough.”

  “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded, holding her hands out on the surface of the water. It was so calm, peaceful in a sense. “It must be nice to live here.”

  “It is. I’d stay in the water forever if I could. It’s my favorite place. Used to be Carmine’s too before he went insane.”

  “He didn’t go insane.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. He’s always been insane. Crazy bastard used to jump off the dock after dark. Water has to be fifty feet deep.”

  “Did you jump off of it with him?”

  Nicholas hesitated. “Of course I did.”

  An awkward silence surrounded them as Haven glanced over at the long wooden dock that jutted out into the lake. She was well aware of how Carmine felt about Nicholas and would never do something to deliberately hurt him, but she wondered if she could help bridge the divide between the two of them. They were both hurt, b
ut she saw no reason they couldn’t move past it. Carmine had done so much for her, and she couldn’t help but think this was her chance to do something in return.

  “So why is six afraid of seven?” Nicholas asked, breaking the tension with a joke.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Because seven, eight, nine.” He smirked. “Get it? Seven ate nine.”

  She nodded. “I get it.”

  “But you didn’t laugh. You never laugh.”

  “It wasn’t really funny.”

  He let out a heavy sigh. “Why did the boy throw his toast out of the window?” She shrugged. “He wanted to see the butter fly.”

  “See the butter fly?” The joke dawned on her when the words came out of her mouth. “Oh, like a butterfly.”

  “Yes, a butterfly. Why did the guy get fired from the orange juice factory?” Another shrug. “He couldn’t concentrate.”

  “Like the orange juice that’s made from concentrate?”

  He ran his hands down his face. “Yes. You’re hard to crack, you know. I’ve never failed at making someone laugh before. I may as well have asked you why the chicken crossed the road.”

  “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

  “To get to the other side, of course.” She smiled at that one, and he threw up his hands. “Well, damn. You’ve never heard that one before?”

  “No.”

  “You need more comedy in your life. Carmine’s draining you of a sense of humor.”

  Before she could say anything, he disappeared under the water, and a splash flew in her direction. He resurfaced after a moment, and she groaned. “That wasn’t funny.”

  Nicholas stepped out of the lake and grabbed his shirt. “Apparently nothing I say or do is.”

  Haven hesitated but followed behind, not wanting to loiter in the water alone. They strolled over to the lounge chairs. She grabbed a towel while he plopped his wet body down.

  She dried off and sat down on the edge of the chair. Part of her hair was wet from being splashed so she pulled it over her shoulder and ran her fingers through it. She glanced at Nicholas, wondering why he was so quiet, and saw he was gawking at her exposed back. Embarrassed, she covered the scars again.

  He didn’t say anything about them, simply remaining silent as they sat together in the shade. It started to get awkward so she opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. “So, you guys really are in love? It’s not just bullshit?”

  She smiled. “We are.”

  Nicholas grabbed Tess’s purse. Haven watched in shock as he started rooting around in it. He pulled out a pen and an old receipt, scribbling something on the back of it.

  “Here’s my number,” he said, holding it out to her. “You call me if you ever need anything. I promise to not say anything bad about your boyfriend… not a lot, anyway.”

  She took it and glanced at the number. 555-0121. “Uh, okay.”

  “It’s not a crime to have people to talk to,” he added, standing up. “I’ll catch you later.”

  * * * *

  Once again, at a few minutes after seven in the morning, Haven awoke to Dominic’s relentless pounding. She pulled herself out of bed and trudged over to the door, finding him standing in the hallway with a grin. “Hey, twinkle toes. I’m proud you remembered your pajamas this time.”

  They went to Crossroads Diner again, sitting at the same booth and ordering the same food from the same waitress as before.

  The week passed in an equally repetitious haze, mornings at the diner and afternoons with Dominic and Tess. Dia would occasionally stop by to play a game or watch some television, and evenings were Haven’s to do as she pleased. She spent them in the library, reading under the moonlight shining through the window. She studied relentlessly for the GED, doing practice tests Carmine had printed out for her before he left. Very little cooking or cleaning got done, except for the occasional sandwich at dinner or a load of dishes. She felt bad slacking off on her duties, but whenever she attempted to clean, Dominic dragged her away. She was afraid of what Dr. DeMarco would think, but the truth was he didn’t even seem to notice. He worked during the day and would disappear at night into his downstairs office, rarely resurfacing while she was still awake.

  It was the afternoon of the sixth day when Haven sat in the family room with Dominic, staring at the clock on the wall. She counted the seconds as they ticked by, each one bringing her closer to Carmine’s return.

  The clock struck four in the afternoon, and she smiled to herself—only twenty-four more hours to go. She got up to scour the kitchen for something to eat but returned empty-handed. “We really need groceries.”

  Transfixed by the movie on television, Dominic absent-mindedly reached into his pocket for his keys. “Here, take my car.”

  He tossed them at her, but she hadn’t been prepared. The keys hit the wood floor with a clank. “What?” she asked, picking them up.

  “You said you needed to get groceries.”

  “I said we needed them, not that I was going to, you know… go.”

  “What, you don’t want to go?”

  “I don’t have money,” she said. “And I’ve never…”

  “Nella vita: chi non risica, non rosica, remember? If you can take it upon yourself to make out with my brother, shopping should be easy. Save ‘N Shop is a lot less scary than Carmine.”

  Before she could respond, Dominic was tossing a credit card at her. It landed on the floor by her feet, and she stared at it for a moment before picking it up. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. You’ve seen one of those cards used, right? Just swipe it and scribble your name on the bottom of the receipt. They never really check.”

  Smiling, she scurried from the room and slipped out the front door. Her body vibrated with excitement, a tinge of fear nagging at her gut. She drove across town to the grocery store, taking deep breaths the entire time to keep herself calm.

  Going right to work, Haven grabbed everything she knew they needed at the house. She was picking out a box of Lucky Charms when she sensed the person approaching from down the aisle. Her heart raced as she turned, seeing Nicholas with a basket full of groceries. “Are you following me?”

  He laughed. “I was here before you. I’m already done.”

  He held up his basket to make his point, and Haven eyed it peculiarly. It was mostly junk food, chips and candy and soda, with a few microwavable meals thrown in. “That’s not a lot of groceries.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t cook, so this is the extent of my diet.” He surveyed her cart, his eyes falling on the Lucky Charms in her hand. “I might know some Leprechaun jokes.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me,” she said, tossing the cereal into the cart. “You never seem to be at a loss for a joke.”

  “Every guy has to have his thing to attract the ladies. Carmine makes them swoon with the Italian, and I get them laughing.”

  “And that works? Telling jokes?”

  “Are you asking if it’s gotten me laid?”

  She flushed, realizing that was exactly what she’d asked him. He laughed at her reaction. “Yes, it’s gotten me plenty over the years, thank you very much.”

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that.”

  “No big deal. I’m not ashamed,” he said. “Speaking of doing people, when does your boyfriend get back? Carmine’s gone without for a week? That has to be torture for him.”

  She gaped at him. “I’m not talking to you about that.”

  “You can ask me, but I can’t ask you? I’m just curious about how he’s faring as a one-woman man.”

  “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

  He gave her a doubtful look. “I don’t have anything to say to him.”

  “For someone who claims to not care, you sure seem interested in his life,” she said. “And he’s faring well, thank you very much.”

  Nicholas laughed. “I barely know you, but I can tell you’ve changed. Something tells me that girl I tried
to flirt with at the football game wouldn’t have sassed me like that. Hell, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Carmine’s good for you, after all.”

  She hadn’t expected a concession like that. “He is good for me.”

  “He’s still an asshole, though,” he added, nudging her shoulder. “I have to get going. Take care.”

  He started walking away, but she called after him. “You never told me a Leprechaun joke.”

  “Uh, what happens when a leprechaun falls into a river? He gets wet.” She stared at him, not seeing what was funny about that. “Yeah, that one’s lame. I guess this is one time I don’t have a joke.”

  * * * *

  “Fuck!” Pain shot through Carmine’s wrist, and his fingers instantly grew numb. He shook his hand, trying to get rid of the sensation.

  “Shake it off, DeMarco!” Coach Woods bellowed. Carmine groaned, flexing his fingers. What did it look like he was doing?

  To say he was having a bad week would've been the understatement of the century. He hadn’t wanted to leave Haven, but he knew he had to if he wanted to keep his position on the team. He psyched himself up the entire trip to Chapel Hill, telling himself that camp would be a breeze.

  By the time he pulled into the parking lot at the University of North Carolina, he almost had himself convinced, but every ounce of confidence he’d gained during the drive went out the window the moment they told him he was sharing a room with Ryan Thompson. They expected Carmine to stay in a ten by fifteen-foot room with him for an entire week. He was certain then. He’d driven straight into Purgatory.

  And that was just the beginning. First day out on the field, Graham got the bright idea to pick a fight. He goaded him, and Carmine kept his mouth shut for as long as he could, but after hours of it, he lost his cool. Carmine lunged at him, catching an elbow to the face during the scuffle, but it was nothing compared to the double black eyes Graham ended up with.