Chapter 3

​Chapter 3

Hannah’s POV

​Not long after leaving Luke on the shore, I heard a soft knock at the door.

​"Uh, hey!" Since the door was already propped open, I saw Luke standing there immediately. I was surprised to see him; usually, I’m the one who heads over to Miriam’s to bring him food since he’s still recovering from his injuries.

​"Hey, come in," I invited, not taking my eyes off the sausages I was frying.

​"Can I?" he asked tentatively.

​"Yeah, of course," I insisted. As he walked in, I realized once again how small our house felt. With only two rooms, a kitchen, and a small living area, Luke seemed to tower over everything. He’s incredibly tall, and he looked almost out of place in our modest space.

​"I didn't mean to bother you or Ash. Sorry for—"

​"Luke, it's really nothing, okay?" I interrupted as I walked over to him. He was settling onto our small couch, and it was almost comical how much he had to fold his knees just to fit. "Ash says he has a soft spot for you, which is weird because he has no idea why. You’re welcome here. Just make yourself at home until your memory returns. God knows we want to help you more, but we’re limited in what we can do."

​I sat across from him at the center table. He looked directly into my eyes. "You've already done so much. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

​"We aren't asking for repayment, Luke. On this island, money doesn't make much sense. We live off the fish we catch, the fruit from our trees, and the rice from our farms. We seriously don't care about money," I said.

​He seemed to let the argument go. Everything I said was the truth—we were far from the city, living a life that was simple, peaceful, and happy. We had the best neighbors anyone could ask for.

​"Then this place is paradise," Luke said, a genuine smile breaking across his face.

​"It is," I replied, smiling back. "Now, let's eat!" I stood up and served the food on the center table so he wouldn't have to struggle over to the kitchen.

​"Can you tell me more about how you found me?" Luke requested politely as we ate.

​"Well, at first, Ashton and I didn't actually plan on going to that island. But when Miriam mentioned it was the second aircraft to crash there..."

​"Second?" he asked, pausing with his fork halfway to his mouth.

​"Yeah. The first one was twenty years ago. It was much more tragic than yours, but there was still a survivor," I said, taking a bite of my food.

​"A survivor? What happened to them?"

​I stared at him, realizing I didn't actually have the answer. We hadn't had the chance to ask Miriam for the details back then. "To be honest, I have no idea," I admitted. He just smiled and nodded.

​By noon, Ashton arrived while Luke and I were caught up in something on the television. "How are the two of you doing?" Ash asked, plopping down next to me.

​"We're fine. He's just... sleeping." I realized with a start that Luke had drifted off right there on the couch. We had been laughing together only moments ago; he must still be tiring easily.

​"What's with that smile?" Ashton asked, poking my cheek playfully. I frowned at him.

​"What are you talking about? I'm not smiling," I defended, but he just smirked. He wrapped an arm around my neck, jokingly "choking" me in a headlock.

​"Admit it, Chloe. You have a crush on him," Ashton teased. I felt my face flush hot.

​"I don't know what you're talking about!" I squeaked, trying to wiggle out of his grip, but he held firm.

​"I know you. Just admit it," he pushed, looking far too smug.

​"I just think he’s cute, okay?" I snapped in defeat. He finally freed me, looking incredibly proud of himself.

​"I told you."

​"I said I think he's cute. No more, no less," I tried to clarify, but he was already mocking me with a silent, goofy grin.

​"If you say so... anyway, have you eaten lunch?"

​"Yeah. Go cook your own," I said, pointing toward the kitchen. He groaned but followed orders—he knew if he didn't cook, he didn't eat.

​As the days passed, we watched Luke transform. He was no longer the lifeless survivor we’d pulled from the wreckage; he was vibrant and healing. We were so happy for him.

​"Since you can walk better now, why don't you join us downtown to visit some friends?" Ashton suggested one afternoon. I had been thinking the same thing. Our neighbors already loved Luke because he was so easy to be around. His wounds had closed, his strength was back... only his memory remained out of reach.

​Luke was still staying at Miriam’s so Ashton could keep an eye on him. The two of them had become inseparable, like brothers who had known each other for a lifetime. I was trying to make every moment count, knowing I’d be moving to Manila in less than a month.

​"I don't think your friends would want me there," Luke said, organizing some of the new clothes Ashton had bought for him.

​"They’d love it. Don't worry, they don't bite," I joked.

​"They don't bite—they just flirt," Ashton added, making us all erupt into laughter.

​"Sounds exciting!" Luke joked back.

​We left around two in the afternoon for Nicole’s place. Nicole is Ashton’s cousin, and our whole friend group usually gathered there. It had been two weeks since we last saw them, and the greeting was loud.

​"Hannah!" Nicole screamed, nearly tackling me with a hug.

​"Ash!" Harry shouted, greeting him with a fist-bump, followed by Charles.

​"And hey there, Hannah. Long time no see," Charles teased. I just rolled my eyes. Charles and Harry were the self-proclaimed "heartthrobs" of our circle. Both of them immediately locked onto Luke.

​"Boyfriend?" Harry asked, looking at me.

​"A friend," I said, rolling my eyes again.

​"Good to know, love!" Harry winked. I gave him a sarcastic smile and dragged Luke inside.

​"Are you still set on Manila?" Harry asked once we were settled. He managed to slide into the tiny space between me and Luke. I hadn't even realized he was following us so closely.

​"Yeah. What about you?"

​"Heading back to the US next month," he said. He had always promised to go back once we finished college.

​"And you, Charles?" I asked.

​"Love, instead of asking about us, why don't you introduce your friend?" Harry suggested. I looked at Luke. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, and I immediately felt a pang of guilt. Bringing him here might have been a mistake.

​I stood up and physically hauled Harry out of his seat. "Are we going somewhere?" he asked with a smirk. I just smirked back and shoved him to the side, taking the seat right next to Luke.

​"What the heck, Hannah?" he protested.

​"Anyway, this is Luke. Luke, meet Harry and Charles." Charles gave a casual salute, while Harry just pouted. I was closer to Harry, mostly because he had the shortest temper and was the easiest to tease.

​"Food’s here!" Ashton and Nicole announced, emerging from the kitchen with a tray of Nicole’s famous cookies.

​"Hannah, aren't you going to introduce me to this blonde cutie?" Nicole asked, batting her mascara-heavy lashes and pouting her red lips. I knew that look—she had set her sights on Luke the moment we walked in.

​"This is Luke," I said. Before I could say another word, she walked over and tried to sit right on his lap.

​Luke stiffened, looking completely shocked. "Sorry," he muttered, quickly standing up so she wouldn't actually land on him.

​"Whoa! I told you, babe—you’re only mine," Charles teased when he saw the rejection.

​Nicole blinked, trying to process what had just happened. She looked at Luke. "Are you gay?"

​"What?" Luke's brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

​I couldn't help it; I doubled over laughing. Nicole glared at me. "What’s so funny, Hannah Martin?"

​"Friend," I gasped between laughs, "I told you. You can't have every boy you want."

​She mocked me, but I didn't care. I was having the time of my life.