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Luke
Icouldn’twrapmymind around everything that had happened since yesterday. Scott wanted to dateme.Did that really happen? I looked down at the oversized t-shirt I wore, the t-shirt that smelled like Scott and didn't hide the scars on my wrists. Yeah, yeah it did.
I smiled to myself as I followed the trail, Scott keeping pace behind me. I looked back at him to see him playing with a string of vines and shook my head with a chuckle before turning to look forward. My foot got caught on something, and I stumbled. Scott grabbed me before I could fall, steadying me. It reminded me of the promise he’d made to me, of fighting my demons with me and helping me carry my baggage. If this was how it’d feel to have his support, then I’d never say no to it.
“Thanks,” I mumbled with a smile as I tucked my hair behind my ear. I’d decided to leave it open today, and now the breeze was trying to make me eat my hair. Unfortunately, my rubber band had snapped when I’d first tried to rectify my mistake, so now I was stuck dealing with them.
“No worries.” Scott’s easy smile warmed my insides, and I looked away as a blush colored my cheeks. I kept my eyes on the ground as I walked to avoid any more stumbles, and we walked for a while in complete silence before the chirping of birds made me look up. I smiled as I spotted a nest in a nearby tree. My smile widened as I realized the tiny chirps meant there were baby birds in that nest. I heard a clicking sound and turned to look at Scott, figuring he must be taking a picture of the nest but instead finding the phone’s camera pointed at me.
“Did you just take a picture of me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes, unsure how to feel about it.
Scott gave me a half smile before showing me his phone. “I couldn’t stop myself.”
I looked at the photo he’d taken, and my eyes widened, my free hand drifting up to touch the tiara made of leaves and vines he’d placed on my head without me realizing. I stared at the photo in awe, taking in the way the sun was lighting up my face as I seemingly looked up at the sky with a smile, my hair cascading around my face in the breeze. The picture made me look almost...magical, like one of those fae characters I read about. “Wow.”
“This is what I see when I look at you,” Scott murmured, a soft smile on his lips. “Someone strong, beautiful, and so fucking bright. Someone magical.”
My eyes blurred as I heard the sincerity in his voice, and for the first time, I felt as if I could believe him. Because I saw that picture, and I saw everything Scott said he saw when he looked at me. I bit my lip, unsure how to thank him for returning this piece of myself to me that I’d lost somewhere along the way. Like every other time, Scott knew exactly what I needed as he pulled me into his warm embrace. I squeezed him tightly, hoping he could feel my gratitude.
“Thank you,” I mumbled in case he couldn’t.
“My pleasure, Lu.” He held me until I pulled away, slightly embarrassed by my reaction over a picture. But Scott just gave me his usual warm smile and extended his hand, palm up toward me. With a smile, I placed my palm in his, and we continued our hike, this time walking side by side.
The sun was directly above us by the time we reached the meadow, but the meadow itself was like a cocoon, with huge trees circling the small, oval clearing, their branches making a canopy over it. The shadowed meadow was so much cooler than the trail, and I breathed in the sweet-smelling air as we stepped into the clearing. The ground was covered in weeds and wildflowers, the air full of the scents of pine and wood. I could hear birds chirping in the trees nearby, though they stayed hidden in the shadows.
When I finally turned back to look at Scott, he was laying a blanket in the middle of the clearing. He looked up when he sensed me watching him and gave me a bright smile. “Do you like it?”
I nodded as I walked over to him. “We’re having a picnic?”
Scott shrugged with a smile as he laid out the sandwiches I’d made and our water bottles. He also produced two cans of soda from wherever he’d stashed them. Once he was done, I took a seat on the blanket and waited for him to do the same.
“This place is so peaceful,” I murmured as I unwrapped my sandwich.
“Isn’t it? I always loved coming here. I regret staying away for so long.”
I gave him a soft smile, wishing I could do something to take that hurt away. I knew what it was like to lose the person you loved the most, though in a completely different way than he did.
“When I was a kid, my mom would bake this really delicious apple pie. We’d make a day of it and have a picnic in our backyard. Me, mom, and our dog. I miss those times the most.”
Scott smiled, his eyes drifting off to some memory before he spoke again. “My mom wasn’t much of a cook. But shelovedmovies. She’d always take me to the theaters, every other Sunday. We would stuff ourselves full of popcorn and M&Ms, and that’d be our dinner. Dad would tag along sometimes, but mostly it’d be me, Mom, and Pops.”
That’s what we did for the rest of our picnic, swapping memories of our childhood and remembering all the happy times we spent with our families. It felt nice, thinking about my good memories of them for a change. It had been so long since I’d thought of Mom and Dad in a happy context, and it felt good to think of them without the ache of rejection and hurt clouding everything.
Somehow, while we talked, I’d ended up on my back with my head in Scott’s lap. His fingers were running through my hair, which I was starting to realize he loved doing. I looked up at him, and he gave me that sweet smile when our eyes met, his brown eyes darker than usual in the shade, reminding me of my morning coffee instead of chocolate like usual. We gazed at each other for a few moments, content to do just that. Scott’s fingers trailed from my temple to my cheekbone, once, twice, before coming to rest on my chin.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his thumb rubbing against my chin. I blushed at the compliment, my heart fluttering in my chest as I let it wash over me.
I took his hand from my face and pressed a shy kiss against his knuckles, giving him a smile. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” And I meant it, too. I couldn’t imagine my life without Scott now.
“We should be getting back now.” Scott looked up at the sky as he spoke, and I realized the sun would be setting soon. I sat up slowly, not wanting to leave the comforting warmth of his lap but knowing we needed to get going.
We packed up everything and made our way to the cabin, sharing a comfortable silence. It didn’t take as long to get back, considering most of the hike was now downhill and easier to navigate.
Since we were both pretty tired from the day, we ate the leftover sandwiches before taking turns washing up. It was only nine p.m., but we were both ready for bed.
“Good night,” I said, standing in the bedroom doorway as Scott laid out his sleeping bag.
“Night, Luke.” Scott gave him a worried smile but didn’t say anything else, so I returned his smile before getting into bed.
