Page 11 of Jacob Michaels is Not Here

“I don’t want that either.” I teased.

“They’re going to make my life—our lives—really hard, Rob.” Lucas sighed. “I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

“We both cause trouble for each other.” I gave him a crooked smile.

Lucas returned the look.

“Trouble won’t stop us, though.” He stared into my eyes. “Right?”

“If it does—it’ll only be temporary.”

I held out my pinkie.

It was a juvenile gesture.

Lucas stared down at my pinkie with a wicked smile. Then he pulled me into him and smothered my mouth with his. When he pulled back, he was still smiling.

“That’s how I make promises.”

“I like your method.”

“LUCAS!”

Lucas was out of breath, and his fingers were laced through mine as we slid to a stop behind the tree. The moon was dark, and I could barely see any stars through the skeletal canopy above us. Somehow, I felt like the moon was watching us, tracking our movements through the woods. Hopefully, it knew how to keep its mouth shut. I pushed Lucas against the tree as he tried to control his breathing and not pant loudly so as to not give away where we were. How was I breathing normally and the football player was out of breath after our jaunt through the cold, slumbering woods?

“ROBERT!”

“Oh, shit.” Lucas hissed, his eyes fearful.

“It’ll be okay.” I grabbed his face between my hands and made him look at me. “I promise you it’ll be okay.”

Lucas looked into my eyes, the fear slowly melting away.

“You can run.” I pleaded with him. “Run to the lake. Then keep running along the shore until you get to the road. Keep running until you get home.”

“I won’t leave you.”

“This is only going to end one way, Lucas,” I whispered desperately. “I don’t want you to see it.”

“I can’t let you do this alone.”

“I won’t hate you if you run.”

“You will eventually.”

“Do you think I’ll love you forever if you stay?” I managed to tease though I was terrified as the sound of crisp, cold leaves being stomped sounded in the distance. “Is that why you’re doing this?”

“I know you’ll love me forever.” He responded, then kissed me roughly.

It was a quick kiss, but perfect like every kiss that came before it. Lucas pulled back, his hands on the side of my face.

“Everything is temporary,” Lucas stated firmly. “Everything.”

“Everything.” I nodded. “Are you sorry?”

“I’ll never be sorry.”

“Me either.”