freefall |[ luke kuechly ]|

|[save]|

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February 18th, 2013
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Luke awoke to the floral smell of Ellen's hair. He stayed the night in her dorm room. He suggested getting a hotel room for himself but Ellen said she needed him with her. They made a bed on the floor and Ellen held tightly on to him for dear life all night. Her head was still resting on his chest and her bony arms were still wrapped around his waist. Her left leg was entangled with his right leg and his arm was around her back. He breathed peacefully, perfectly happy with their kind of relationship and that she was safe. Luke couldn't help but think what would have happened if he wouldn't have drove all the way to Coastal Carolina to make sure she was okay.

Ellen began moving in his arms. She looked up at him and a smile spread across her dreary face. "Good morning you," she said.

"Good morning," Luke cooed back in a cheery tone. He squeezed around her waist tighter and planted a kiss on the bridge of her nose.

"I'm so glad you are here," Ellen gazed up at him brightly.

"Me too," Luke said graciously. He was happy to hear that she wanted him there. Months ago, she would never have admitted to that, she would never have even called Luke in the first place.

"What do you want to do today?" Ellen asked. She sat up from where she was laying and brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"I thought we could hit up the town, I've never been here before," Luke answered. He reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"We could act like total tourists and go to all of the shops and stuff," Ellen added in.

"That sounds great. Let's get some breakfast first and then go do it," Luke said. He was starving, last night he was just about to make supper when Ellen called and he left right after he got off the phone. He hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. He stood up in a hurry and put a sweatshirt on with a pair of dark jeans. Ellen wore a Panthers sweatshirt with a pair of black leggings and gray converse.

As they walked out of the dorm room, Luke instinctively put his arm around Ellen's shoulders to protect her. Ellen was startled by his muscular arm enveloping her into his embrace, but she liked it. She grabbed his hand, which was overhanging from her shoulder, to show him she liked how protective he was.  They went to a cafe that was located right on campus and got a quick breakfast, which consisted of coffee and cinnamon rolls.

"Hey, I totally get if you don't want to talk about last night,  but I just have one question," Luke started. Ellen slowly looked up from her coffee, her eyes signaling for him to speak. "If you didn't really know him, how did everyone else know he was your dad and what he did?"

"It was a small town. Words spreads faster than wild fire. There is no such thing as a secret in a small town. All of the adults remembered him, and the kids picked up on it and made mine and Nicole's life a living hell," Ellen explained shrugging her shoulders.  Luke nodded his head.

"Ellen," Luke said. He reached for her hand across the table.

"Yeah?" Ellen responded. She adjusted her gaze from Luke's deep brown eyes to their entangled hands resting on the plastic table top.

"Thank you for opening up to me. I know how hard it was for you, I just want you to know that I will protect you from everything," Luke said pulling on their hands to get her attention. She didn't know what to say so she just smiled bashfully at him.