I woke up first, but Luke was sleeping too, facing me, his face a little above mine so his lips were exactly on my forehead. I didn't want to make things awkward, so I laid back, closing my eyes like I was asleep. I heard as he stirred, but didn't quite wake till some minutes later. I heard him give a soft groan as he woke up. He took a few seconds, before I heard him chuckle a little.His fingers tucked a few strands of my hair away, but then lingered a little, tracing the shape of my brows, then my nose, then my lips. As if he was trying to memorize my face.I tried hard to stay still, partly not to make him embarrassed, and mostly because I enjoyed the attention, but convincing myself that I was unaware. It made it easier to live in the moment, and not worry about temporality.Slowly, I felt him move closer and hold my hand a little, his fingers slowly massaged mine, and I heard him chuckle again."How is she so beautiful when she's sleeping?"I fought hard to keep the blush dow
Luke watched me keenly as I walked around, making sure I don't forget anything. I knew I didn't have much to forget, I just wanted to stay a little longer. It would be weird for me to stay, but I knew I didn't want to leave either."Do you really have to leave?" he said, walking up to me. He looked downcast, and his eyes bored into mine."I can't stay, Luke. I have other things to do."He blinked and gave a small sigh. "Just until evening?"I shook my head. "Sorry, Luke."He gave a small smile of defeat and nodded. "It's fine. Nothing to apologize for. I had a great time thanks to you."I smiled and he walked away to pack the cookies he said he would, even though I wasn't sure I would have the appetite to eat them now.I swallowed as he came back, then handed it to me. I stretched my hand to collect it, but he moved it away and pulled me to him instead. He held me in his arms, and I naturally buried my face in his shoulder. He felt warm and nice, and I perceived the beautiful scent
Luke watched me, a deep, swirling emotion filling his eyes as he did. I managed a small, breathless smile.I am falling for him. For a man who's dead. Falling for the image of him from seven years into the past.He mirrored my smile, and I immediately turned away. If I sat there watching him smile, watching his orbs, I couldn't trust myself to be rational. I opened the car door and went out, holding the cookies and my purse, my walk a little staggered."Take care, Karla." He called after me and I nodded and waved, then ran into my house. I closed the door behind me and leaned on it, closing my eyes and letting go of the purse and everything else. "What do I do?" I asked myself, my heart fluttering hard. I could still feel the tingles his lips had left on the side of my lips, the tingles his touch left in my hand, the butterflies his gaze left in my stomach. I let myself reach the ground and I brought ny knees to myself, hugging myself. I can't do this. I can't break my own heart
I let myself slowly sink to the floor as I heard Luke backing out of the front porch. I could feel my heart breaking even before I could let myself be in love with him, the pain filling my mind before I even let the love begin.But that was how we were bound to end up. In pain, in love, in sadness, and in hurt. This was a love story that could never happen, a love story we shouldn't even begin.But he didn't know that. To him, I was just a girl who was here, who helped him, and who, he, probably, slowly, felt something for.I swallowed as Bernice came out of my room and she folded her hands, her eyes watching me sympathetically."Are you that in love?" I looked up to her and shook my head using the back of my hands to wipe my tears away."I have never seen you cry twice for anything. Not me, not your parents...nothing and no one. But you can't even stop crying now."I looked up at her, my chest heaving. "What do I do?"She looked at me with all the seriousness in the world. "Go be
I left the window side and walked back to my bed, feeling like it was the only thing I could do. I felt weak to my toes, and I wondered how Luke would be feeling too. He was shut off by me, and then bashed by my friend, he has the wake of his father to think about...I sighed and reached for my phone. There was no message and it made me sigh again. Maybe I should call him, but I wasn't even sure I knew what to say.Hey, sorry about my friend, but she doesn't know what's between us.I swallowed. Between us?I lowered my head and dropped my phone when it started to ring again. I immediately picked it up, and then pressed it to my ear, my heart beat accelerating rapidly."Karla? Is that you?"I swallowed, the sound of his voice filling my ears. I nodded. "Yes."He went silent for a while. "Did you miss the sunset?"I closed my eyes. "Yes."Another silence. "Luke, I...""Is something wrong with me? Something you are not telling me?""Why?" I asked, my lips parting."I just...after the pho
I leaned on the door, tears welling up in my eyes again. It baffles me how many times I had cried already, as if I was paying the price for not crying much before this. His fragrance and the essence of his touch lingered, long after he was gone, and it threatened to drive me crazy. A little too crazy, more than I already was.Like a log, I dragged myself back to bed, fully intending to let myself just wallow in the sadness my heart felt, at least for today.I watched the sunset in earnest, hoping he was seeing it too, hoping that at least, the hope that I was watching too would heal him. And heal me too. My phone didn't buzz with a message or a call, and I knew he had the right to not call. It still hurt a little and I had to slap my hands every time I reached for my phone. I drifted off to sleep on a cloud of my sadness, and when I woke up, it was already 11 a.m. I sat up on the bed for a while, trying to make sense of my surroundings. My eyes landed on the small calendar on the b
Luke turned to the now upturned coffin, and a small gasp escaped his lips. I swallowed. My guess was right. Luke's father did not have a body, because somehow, just like me...he has been thrown somewhere into the future.I saw Luke visibly pale off all the color he has gotten from yelling and crying so hard and the crowd around him stood."Luke!" Mrs. Catherine said, running around to the coffin and trying to pull it together."Where is my father?" Luke asked, his breath going wild again, his hands slowly going into his hair. "How come there is no body?"Mrs. Catherine could not say a word, and she just stayed on her knees, pulling the coffin to a close. Like it would fix anything."Mum. Where is my dad?" Luke asked again, and his voice sounded like he was using the very last bits of his sanity. Like he was finally losing it."Mum!""I don't know!" She yelled back, as he clutched his hair, his eyes filling with wild tears. I stepped forward towards him, but didn't quite get to him."
"You have now been pronounced husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."I looked at Luke, who swallowed nervously. Even through my veil, I could see his slight apprehension, even though he was trying hard not to make it obvious. He took two steps towards me and slowly rolled up the veil, then gently put it over my head.I saw his fists clench as he leaned forward, bending a little to my height, then moved closer. He watched me a little, and like he had convinced himself, he finally closed the distance and lightly pecked my lips. My eyes were wide open all through and he leaned away and moved backwards. That had been the one most intimate thing between us when we got married. That was the closest we ever got to being a normal couple, and the closest we ever got to being as close as us now...or in the past...or however I was supposed to convey this time zone.So this is how it should have felt like.I felt his lips slightly brush mine, seeking entrance, like a plea. My eyes closed