In the name of God (Arvin Russellxreader)

Chapter 12- Scandal

(Quick A/N; I've decided to remove the working at the diner part of the story as it is no longer important to the story, and it was honestly just confusing me. Also, sorry for the short filler chapter and the long wait. I can't guarantee regular updates but I'll try get them out.)

Y/N's POV

After a few seconds, I had to remove my eyes from Arvin's for fear that I might tear up any moment, even though gazing into his beautiful brown eyes was very calming and gave me a sense of serenity that was extremely hard to find, like the kind you feel sitting on a beach, just watching the oceans waves come back and forth, like they were hesitating about something or pacing around. "That is the most peaceful I have felt today. Thank you." I muttered, not wanting to bring too much attention to it, but just enough so he knew how helpful he'd been.

"That's alright." He gave me a friendly smile, not glancing at me for longer than a second after we'd separated.

"Arvin, this is gonna sound odd right now, but can you keep an eye out for that new preacher? Please."

"Why?"

"Just in case, you know; he's charming and the last thing this town needs is a scandal to talk about."

He looked at me suspiciously but shook it from his face with a nod. "Sure."

Lord knows, it would spread like a wildfire, just like it did back home.

I remembered one time I was in the grocery store, flitting through the aisles looking for the chocolate that I'd been sent to get for Eliza.

I paced down the shelves, eventually finding the prize of my journey but as I stood up, I heard the voices of two women, gossiping and stirring other people's lives. I hid slightly, behind the stacked items, listening in to them.

"Did you hear about the Williams' girl? Pregnant at 16, such a shame, she used to be such a good girl."

"I can't believe how ashamed and embarrassed her parents must be, if that were my girl, she'd have been disowned." The irony was that her daughter had quite the reputation, you might say, when it came to romance, juggling lovers like a clown in a circus. I resisted the temptation to scoff loudly in the woman's face and tell her everything but then I'd be no better than them, and I refused to stoop to their level.

"How sad though, she was always a beautiful girl and I was thinking of introducing her to my son." Busybody number one said, plucking something off the shelf and dumping it in her basket.

"Good thing you found out who she really was before you became family." The other spoke, more whispered than before. I thought to myself, as if Eliza would ever say yes! She was always too good for everyone. I told her all the time; she deserved the world, she deserved better.

I kept my head down as I walked to the till and handed the cashier my money, leaving a moment later and running home to my family. I had nothing to be ashamed of, so I don't know why I didn't stride through there as if I owned the place, but I should have. I'd have love to have seen those busy Hens fluster as they are caught gossiping and chatting about the sister of someone who was mere feet away.

I shook myself away from that awful memory and back to reality, noting that I was sat with the brunette boy I'd become fond of. "Arvin, why are you here?" I ask, gazing forwards, not making eye contact with him. "Why aren't you asleep like everyone else?"

"I told you, I couldn't sleep."

"I mean really."

"I don't know. It's real peaceful round here." He fiddled with some random, rogue strand of thread hanging from his shirt, an attempt to distract himself from my interrogation.

Arvin's POV

'Because I like you, that's why. Because you calm me and make me feel at ease. You make me feel so many things.' Is what I was thinking when she asked. 'Because you're a mystery.' I didn't know it, but I could tell that if I talked about what I'd been through, she could probably understand, not like Lenora, who tried to but she was so optimistic all the time, so hopeful, but Y/N, she was like me.

"Come on, you should get home. You got school in the mornin'." I muttered as I stood up and offered Y/N my hand, waiting tentatively before she took it. She rose to her feet, looking up at me like she was reading a book, and then, she pulled me in closer to her, wrapping her arms around me tightly.

"Thank you, Arvin." She whispered into my chest, still hugging me. "You're a good friend."

"So, we're friends huh?" The thought slipped past my lips, cast out into the open, but I owned it regardless and held the girl close.

"I mean, we can be acquaintances if you want?" She looked up at me jokingly, still holding her arms around me.

"No, no, 'friends' is good." I patted her back comfortingly, receiving one of her cute little half-smiles in return. "Go home and get some sleep." I didn't want her to go, but she needed to rest, lord knows I did after that insufferable preacher went on whining his sermon.