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“Hey, Luke?”
“Yeah?’ He looked up from where he’d been leaning against the sink as I washed up.
“The weather’s pretty warm today, and we’ll be out all day. Do you have a t-shirt you can wear? Don’t want you to get too warm,” I said, waving a hand at his full-sleeved shirt, the only kind of clothes I’d seen him wear in all the months of living together. As expected, he shook his head.
“Um, you can borrow one of mine, if you want? It won’t be too big on you, I think.” Luke was just a few inches shorter than me, though he was considerably leaner.
“Uh, okay. Thanks.”
Nodding, I walked into the living room and grabbed my bag from where it rested against the couch. I pulled out a white, short-sleeved t-shirt and handed it to Luke. Then I grabbed some clothes for myself and stood up.
“I’ll just snag a quick shower.”
“I’ll make some sandwiches to take with us?”
“Sounds perfect! We can take a lunch break when we reach the meadow. Explore the area a little before hiking back.”
Luke grinned at the idea, and I smiled in reply before heading toward the bathroom.
As I showered, I processed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Luke felt the same way about me. He wanted to date me. He was willing to fight his demons to be with me. But he wouldn’t have to fight alone now. He’d have me to lean on whenever he needed to. I didn’t usually believe in fate, but a part of me felt as if we were meant to find each other.
After losing my parents and then my godfather, I’d decided that it was better to be alone than love someone only to lose them. I’d believed I’d lost the ability to care that deeply about someone again. And now here I was, feeling so many things for Luke that it made my head whirl. It wasn’t love; I didn’t think so. But I knew that if I stayed on this track, if I continued to care for Luke the way I had so far, I’d get there in no time at all.
Surprisingly, the idea didn’t seem as terrible as I’d expected it to. Yes, I was scared that something would take him away from me once I fell in love with him, but I couldn’t make myself not care either. Luke needed me, whether he knew it or not. He needed someone to show him that he was beautiful and brave and lovable. And I wanted to be that someone. I wanted to see him laugh, and smile, and enjoy life the way he was supposed to. And if I had to put my own fears away to help him deal with his, then I’d be only too glad to do it.
A smile crossed my lips as I remembered the soft kiss Luke had given me. Butterflies fluttered in my belly at the thought of it, and I couldn’t wait to kiss him again. But at the same time, I knew I needed to be careful. I’d probably need to have a talk with him about what he was and wasn’t comfortable with because making him uncomfortable was the last thing I wanted to do.
I turned off the shower and dried myself, deciding that today would be our first date and that I’d make sure Luke enjoyed every moment. I dressed up in the clothes I’d brought, a short-sleeved gray t-shirt and a pair of green cargo shorts. I had no interest in hiking covered in sweat, and though I’d wanted to ask if Luke would like to borrow one of those too, I hadn’t wanted to end up pushing him too much. One step at a time.
When I stepped into the living room, I realized Luke was still in the kitchen. An idea popped into my head, and I snuck off to the linen closet and pulled out a blanket, quickly folding it and pushing it into my backpack. I grabbed out water bottles from our bags and walked over to the kitchen.
“Hey.”
Luke looked up from the counter and gave me a smile that made those butterflies flutter in my belly again. He was wearing my t-shirt, and though it was the correct length, it was loose on his sides by a few inches, and he looked adorable in the slightly oversized shirt. “Hey, I’m just about done.”
“I thought I’d fill up our bottles,” I said, gesturing toward the sink.
His smile widened a little, and he waved me forward. “You don’t have to do that anymore, you know?”
“Do what?” I asked, even though I had an idea what he was talking about.
“Wait for me to invite you in. Unless...are you a vampire? But you haven’t sucked me dry yet,” he murmured mischievously, and I knew he hadn’t meant for it to sound like an innuendo. Before he could realize and start freaking out, because I knew he would, I gave him a wide grin.
“Do you spot any fangs?”
“You can hide those easily.”
“True. But you’ve seen me in the sunlight. I didn’t burn to ash. Or sparkle like a diamond.” His scrunched-up nose made me laugh. “Okay, okay. I won’t wait for your permission from now on.”
Luke nodded before giving me a small smile, “Thank you for doing it, though. It meant a lot to me.”
I shrugged in reply. I’d only wanted him to feel comfortable in his home. I’d known even before he’d told me thatsomething,had happened to him and it had only seemed proper that I did everything I could to make sure he felt as relaxed and safe as he could.
“Okay, we’re all set,” Luke said, grabbing the foil-wrapped sandwiches he’d made and turning to me. I gave him a small peck on the cheek, making him blush, before leading the way into the living room.
We quickly packed up our backpacks before heading out into the woods. The sun was out and bright, the air full of the scents of the forest and chirps of the birds, and with a pleased sigh, I took Luke’s hand in mine and headed off toward the trail.Life couldn’t get better than this.
13
