Love in the Darkness

DaphnieMy best friend Amber and I made plans to go to an outdoor concert downtown to listen to some rising rock stars. We didn't usually go to amateur concerts, but we decided to start trying new things.I looked in the mirror as I finished putting on my makeup and looked over my outfit one last time. I was dressed conservatively yet stylishly. My makeup was simple: medium-brown eye shadow, black mascara, and dark pink lip gloss. I wasn't a fan of dressing up fancy or wearing a lot of makeup. Also, I wouldn't say I liked exposing my body for everyone to see. That was something Amber never understood about me. Nobody did.I heard my phone ring and took it out of my pocket. It was Amber."Hey.""Hey, girl! I'm outside.""Okay, I'm coming."I hung up and headed towards the front door."Where are you going?" I heard my father say with an aggressive tone."Out," I said without looking at him or stopping. I wanted to leave the house as soon as possible before he could stop me; I practicall

Daphnie"Are you okay?" Amber looked concerned as she drove"Yeah... I'm fine." I continued to look out the window."Daphnie, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I should've done something when I saw those guys move toward the door.""Amber, it's not your fault; you had no idea what they were doing. For all you know, they could've been two stupid kids roaming around. The second one could've tried to hurt you; we'd both be screwed. Just thank God Adam was there.""So that's his name? It suits him.""Yeah, it does." I smiled. Amber looked at me again."I hope he gives those idiots what they deserve; he looks like he could easily beat the crap out of them.""I need to find a way to thank him.""You could ask him out." Amber smiled and looked at me, raising her eyebrows."No way," I said as my eyes grew wide. "I don't want to sound desperate."Amber shouted, "he rescued you from being assaulted! How would asking him out sound desperate?"My heart stopped as Amber swerved out o

BenI had wanted to chill with Adam, but I wasn't sure how long he'd be gone on his brunch date. I decided to spend some time in Millennium Park. It had been a year since I was there. That's sad, considering Adam and I only live a few blocks away, but that's life when you have a job.While Adam was a businessman, I worked as an assistant to the District Attorney. It wasn't easy getting this position. While Adam was in the Marines, I attended Saint Xavier University as a Criminal Justice and Political Science major. I took classes during winter break, the May term, and the summer, so I graduated with my Bachelor's in three years. Immediately after achieving my Bachelor's degree, I went to law school. A month after graduating, I became an assistant to an attorney. We worked as a team.Adam came back a few months after I got the job. By some miracle, I balanced out taking care of Adam and working. Once Adam left for Yale, I became a court-appointed attorney, and it wasn't bad. Just a yea

Adam"I wish you'd let me pick you up," I told Daphnie over the phone as I took out the ingredients for our lunch."Come on. You shouldn't have to drive here to take me back to your place and then drive again to take me home.""Daphnie. I told you I don't mind driving, and it's not that far if I take the expressway.""Adam, I'll be fine. Would you feel better if I shared the status of my Uber with you?""Actually, yes.""Okay. I'll let you know when I'm in the car, and then I'll send you the link for my trip status.""Fine," I sighed.I didn't like that Daphnie wasn't letting me pick her up. She was one stubborn woman, almost as stubborn as me. Shortly after our call ended, I received a text from Daphnie that she was in the Uber, followed by another text with a link. I immediately clicked on the link to watch Daphnie's trip status.A roll of thunder caused me to cringe as I cut the jalapeno peppers. I looked out the window and saw a storm moving in. I was worried about Daphnie; there

AdamI was getting ready to go back to the hospital. I needed to sign some paperwork and go over things with Ben's doctor before he went into surgery.As I was shaving, a scar on my shoulder caught my attention. It was a scar from a bullet wound. It's a miracle that the shot didn't kill me.I turned around to see all the other scars I had. Most were on my back, but I had some on my side and leg. Some were long strips from getting whipped. Some scars were small or medium in size from getting stabbed. Some wounds were from getting burned. It's strange how I forgot about them; I suppose I was just used to them.I put the razor down and leaned over the sink. My mind was all over the place. Ben was in the hospital, and the memories from my past addiction started returning.Ben's gonna be okay.I had to stay strong for Ben; he had always been strong for me. Then there was Daphnie; I would eventually have to tell her the truth about my time in the Marines.Then there were the memories coming