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Liv
Thedayaftermybarn date with Charlie, my uncle sent him to Lubbock to pick up an equipment order. There was an issue, so he had to stay an extra day to sort it out. I hoped the time away from Charlie would help clear my head, but it’s like his absence permitted my thoughts of Luke to return in full force.
The lighting is perfect, so I grab my camera. Fiddling with the settings, I meander down the path towards the lake.I snap as I go and by the time I arrive, I have everything set up.
A flock of birds takes flight. Rapid shutter clicks fill the air and I smile at the result on my screen. The sun sinks lower towards the horizon and my mind wanders to Luke. I sigh and begin the trek around the lake.
I reach the other side and see a figure approaching the dock. When he clears the tree line, I know it’s Luke. He looks around but doesn’t see me. Why would my mind conjure Luke at a distance? I head towards him, knowing it won’t matter and he’ll disappear, anyway.
I take my time as I approach while he’s looking away from me. Today’s imagination has put him in jeans, boots, and a blue t-shirt with a ball cap pulled low. One of my favorite looks on him. A heron flies into the lake between us and I snap a picture with its wings outstretched. I keep walking while I inspect the picture on the screen. It’s not bad, only a little blurry. Bird wings can be fast.
I stop moving and my eyes widen when I peer closer at the photo. Luke is in the background. I stare at it, trying to figure out what it means. I look up to find him approaching. His steps unhurried, but direct.
I watch him, my eyebrows furrowed as he gets closer. He looks real. But he always did. I lift my camera up and snap another photo. He’s in that one too. This makes little sense. I keep taking photos and looking at them until he’s only a few feet away.
I suck in a breath when his gorgeous blue eyes meet mine. “Hi.” He smiles, his hands in his pockets.
“Um. Hi.”
“I hope it’s ok that I’m here. If not, I can go.”
I laugh. “I guess I want you here.”
He blinks a few times, his brows pinched. “It’s good to see you,” he says as he takes his hands out of his pockets.
I keep staring at him, expecting him to disappear like a popped bubble. Instead, he steps closer, so he’s only a foot away, looking down into my eyes. I’m not in the mood for this, but it’s hard to turn away when he looks at me like he needs me for air.
His body heat radiates off him. Steeling myself, I glance away and step around him, moving towards the path to the house. For once, I’m the one who wants to disappear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he says.
My eyes close as I attempt to wish him away. When I open them, he’s still there, looking at me with concern.
“Just go. I can’t do this right now.” I continue down the path.
Footsteps on the dirt tell me he’s following. “But you said you wanted me here.”
He falls into step next to me, a comfortable distance away.
“You’re a persistent one.”
He smirks. “Always have been. Well, with most things anyway.”
I try to ignore him, hoping that does the trick. I bring my camera up and start flicking through the photos. He’s still in all of them.
“You’re into photography now?”
“Yea.” My brain already knows this. Why would it ask me what it already knows?
“You took some of me?” I glance up and see him looking at my screen.
“No. I couldn’t have.”
His eyebrows furrow and he reaches a hand to my arm, pulling us to a gentle stop.
“Are you ok, Liv? You’re not making any sense.”
His words register, but I can’t stop gaping at his hand on my forearm. There’s no buzzing, just his warm skin against mine. A whimper escapes me, and I drag my gaze to his. He’s in the photos because he’s here. In person. I’m not dreaming.
