Whispers of the South Wind

Chapter 8

You smiled as you gazed out at the water, the sun reflecting perfectly off the surface. The waves of the lake lapped gently at the shore, creating a soothing sound, and you couldn't help the happy sigh that left your lips as you glanced around. You were laid out comfortably on the blanket you'd spread out, allowing the sun to warm your back as you relaxed near the shore. You honestly couldn't remember the last time you'd been to the lake now. It had to be over three or four years ago, not since before-

"There ya are. Took ya long enough, thought I'd be waitin' on you forever," a warm voice said suddenly, your breath catching in your throat as you swiftly turned towards the sound. Were you imagining things or was that really...?

Your heart pounded in your chest as you observed him approaching, a large picnic basket swung in hand, and you quickly scrambled up to close the distance between you. He dropped the basket as soon as you wrapped yourself around him, swiftly returning your embrace before picking you up and spinning you around. You couldn't help your giggles as he let out a husky laugh in return before placing you down gently and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"Come on, let's settle in," he said warmly, and you quickly nodded in agreement. Together you both settled onto the blanket, but you really didn't want to eat yet. You wanted nothing more than to just be held by him, to feel his warmth against you.

"Can we cuddle first? Just for a bit?" you asked, and he just laughed before nodding. You quickly nestled yourself into him without any hesitation. He reclined backward, wrapping an arm around you as you laid your head against his chest with a content sigh. It was so nice feeling the steady beat of his heart and the reassuring warmth of his presence. It had been far too long since you'd done either. The sun had just started setting, the water transforming into beautiful shades of pink and orange, and you couldn't help but smile at the scene before you.

"You proposed on a day like this," you whispered, and he let out a chuckle as he tilted his head to look at the lake before letting out a soft sigh of his own.

"I was so fuckin' nervous that night. I nearly dropped your damn ring in the lake," he responded, a hand coming up to play with your hair gently. "I almost cried when you said yes, but I shoulda known ya would. Never met a girl that loves as fiercely as you."

"Loved," you corrected with a sigh, shifting so you could tilt your head back to look at him. "I ain't ever loving anyone but you."

You watched with interest as he sucked in a deep breath, shaking his head before looking down at you with a sad smile. "That ain't fair to you."

"It don't need to be fair to me! I don't want no one else. You're it for me, Luke. I promised ya that on our weddin' day," you retorted, and he let out a large groan, moving you off him gently so he could look directly into your eyes. He gave you a small smile, but it wasn't hard to tell he wasn't kidding. You could feel your heart twisting, tears welling up as the seconds passed before he finally broke the silence.

"You've always been so goddamn stubborn. Took after your fuckin' ma in that regard. Look, I've been tryin' to tell ya, to push ya together, but you're just not hearing me. You're both too fuckin' stubborn for your own good. I need ya to listen, Y/N, do that for me, please. He needs you more than you realize."

A sudden shout caused you both to turn towards the sound. A man in uniform stood at the top of the hill, calling down to the both of you, waving his arm. It took you a second before you recognized him, your stomach twisting sickly at the realization. It was Braxton Thomas, one of Luke's squadmates who died alongside him in the war. Why was he here though? What was he calling out to Luke for?

Luke sighed sadly next to you before turning to meet your gaze again. You blinked in surprise, frowning as you took in his appearance. Had he been in his uniform this whole time? He reached over and gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before cupping your face gently. He gave you another small smile, leaning forward and kissing you so softly you could've melted before breaking it not even a second later. You wanted to cry out in protest, it wasn't fucking long enough.