don't you go // lrh

/fourty seven/

Luke and I were still in the same position when I woke up the first time that morning. He was on top of me with his head on my chest, our legs interwoven. My eyes fluttered open. It was barely light out. So I kissed his forehead and went back to sleep, grateful it wasn't all a dream.

I thought the light guitar melody was something in a dream. I turned around, finding Luke in the corner of the room, playing guitar. I saw his dark silhouette, his bare back, humming and strumming, looking out into the ocean.

It takes a second, but then the memories of last night hit me all at once. I've only been conscious for five seconds and I'm already smiling.

I know something now I didn't before.

"Come back to bed." I croak, it's clear I lost my voice.

Luke turns around, "Hey, morning."

"Good morning."

He walked over to me, craning his neck down to kiss me since I refused to even sit up.

"Get in here." I whisper.

Luke spoons me, wrapping his arms around my waist, I never felt so comfortable. He kissed my ear. Our hands found each other. I kissed his knuckles.

I kept waiting for what happens in the books and movies and TV shows. The 'what have I done?' epiphany and regret spiral. But it didn't come.

Maybe because this is the most sure I've ever felt about anything in my entire life. I didn't want to run away. My mind wasn't going a million miles a minute. I'm still. At peace. I wasn't even embarrassed to still be naked beneath the sheets.

"What was that you were working on? Is it new?"

"Top secret."

"Oh really?"

"Yup."

"When can I hear it?"

"We'll see." He teases. 

And then we went back to sleep. The half asleep half awake lazy kind where you simply don't want to get out of bed.

Until of course, Maddie and Jesse were texting me, telling me to come say goodbye.

I changed, Luke changed, for the first time since we undressed last night. It was sort of funny to have clothes on again.

We hugged goodbye as the boys loaded up the car. I don't know why I'm always so sad to see them go even though I'll be seeing them at the end of the week. It was just the end of this trip that was making me so sad.

And after they were gone, Luke made me breakfast, we cleaned up together, I read for a bit on the balcony as he showered. He hummed in the shower. No words.

And then it was my turn to shower. I saw bruises on my body in places I've never seen before. But they made me blush, the proof of Luke, right here on my flesh. On my hips. My thighs. My arms.

Luke was napping when I came out, so I went to the guest room to start repacking my things. And when I was nearly finished, I yawned. So I went back to our bed, and slept.

/luke/

When I looked at Amara last night, after I finally had the privilege of tasting her, and she was laying there with her legs open, panting, blushing, her face all giddy and her hair down and natural and wild, my mind took an instant snapshot.

I know, I'll never forget that perfect image.

And what followed was the best sex of my life. Amara looked into my eyes, reminding me that I'm human. And she was so open and vulnerable and gave me permission to do the same.