My heart didn’t know whether to explode or dance with joy or catch on fire, from the love, so it just sort of glowed softly, creating a tingly all over feeling. Everything with Luke was my first time, was always going to be important to me. And everything with me was always going to be important to him too, even though I wasn’t his first anything because I was his first Ryan and that was better.
Damn, he might win in the romantic sentiment department. I would have to figure out a way to beat him. Later. When I didn’t feel all stunned and happy. I could always be counted on to words, but it didn’t look like he was expecting any. Good, because I had very little to say. Which, yeah, impressive.
Luke just watched me fondly, seeming comfortable, fond smile on his face. He just seemed so matter of fact and easy going about it. Wow.
We’d already said the love words, theIand theyouand thelove, obviously. But this, what he was saying now, hadimplications. It wasn’t just a now thing. I love you in the present moment. It was, I see myself loving you still, in the future.
We had a lot of future ahead of us. We were really young... Seemed like he meant it anyway. Maybe everything that awaited us was uncertain, but he wanted to find a way to make whatever was next include me.
“What’s the knife for?” I asked. Focusing on that was grounding. There were a lot of emotions in here and I didn’t want to swoon or cry or something lame like that.
Luke looked away for a moment but then met my eyes again, smiling. “Figured we could do something totally sappy and romantic.”
“That is our way.” The sappiest saps to ever sap… except for trees. What?
“Yeah, no matter what happens, we’ll have this to show how much we mean to each other now.” My boyfriend picked a spot on the wall, near a corner and pointed to it. “Thought we could carve our initials there or maybe there?” He gestured to another spot. “And just to be clear, I haven’t done this with anyone else before.”
“Oh yeah?” I couldn’t fight a smile. This was sappy and silly and I loved it.
“Seems like a thing you don’t do with everyone, you know. That would take away all the meaning.” Woodcarving was serious business. No, it was the symbolism.
“And you’re using this experience on me?”
“I want to,” he replied instantly. “That is, if you do too.”
“Definitely.”
Luke’s smile was pleased and small but still very bright. “Cool.”
We both moved at the same time, joining our mouths together. Just a soft, sweet kiss but the sun was setting and there was symbolism and fond feelings in the air and everything felt perfect. Felt like it was just the two of us but in the best way, not like in a survived the apocalypse way.
Finding the right place on the wall, we were going to carve our initials, RM and LC, and a heart around them. I held the knife in my hand, biting my lip in concentration, like a surgeon preparing to make the first cut.
Then I gave Luke a goofy smile. “This is super romantic and meaningful, not just because our initials will last, because you’re also trusting me with a knife.” And not in a dinner or survived the apocalypse way.
He looked at the knife in my hands like he was seeing it for the first time. “I could do the carving,” he rushed to say.
“Nope, too late now, you already promised.” My brain cackled gleefully.
“I didn’t, and it doesn’t count if it happened in your head.”
“Debatable but it was an implied promise when you told me the activity of the night.”
The silly bickering had just started but Luke relaxed and ended the fun early. “You know what? I will trust you.”
Aww, okay, I would forgive him for cutting the bickering short. “You’re very brave or you love me a lot.”
Luke smiled. “The second one.”
This was really sweet, but I had to say, “You’re right. I’ve seen you watch a scary movie before.” No bravery at all.
“Hey!”
15. Believing in Fairies
Zach!
Luke
