freefall |[ luke kuechly ]|

|[highway]|

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April 18th, 2013
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Nicole was walking through Bank of America Stadium. She had a packet of papers that she had to take to the locker room. The players had just gotten back to the stadium for OTA's so she figured that they would be on the field and practicing.

Nicole walked into the locker room to place the packets on Coach Rivera's desk. She wanted to know what information was contained in the packers, but obeyed her orders and set them on the desk. The locker room was empty. Except for one person. One very familiar person. "Luke?" she asked. He was facing the lockers and his head was in his hands, his leg was shaking nervously. She sat next to him on the bench that sat in front of all of the player's lockers.

Nicole knew the situation between him and Ellen almost religiously. Ellen spilled the details to her on the phone as she drove back to Coastal Carolina a week earlier than she had originally planned. It had been nearly a month since they stopped talking to each other and this was the first time either of the sister's saw Luke. "Shouldn't you be out on the field?" Nicole asked compassionately.

"Coach sent me back in. He said I was in no condition to practice. He told me to just go home," Luke mumbled. He didn't look at her, he just kept his head down and focused on the rugged carpet that covered the locker room floor. Nicole nodded her head and tightened her lips, she understood exactly what he meant. She had no idea he was still torn up over everything. And there was absolutely no way that Ellen knew.

"Have you talked to her?" Nicole asked carefully. She knew the answer, but asked anyways. She didn't want to make him upset but figured he needed to talk. Luke shook his head. Nicole placed a comforting hand on his back. He was wearing his football pants and a tight compression shirt. "Do you want to?" she asked him. He finally looked up at her. His eyes told her everything. They looked sad and droopy. They looked glassy, indicating he might have shed a few tears, his lips stayed in a perfectly straightened line. He barely nodded his head. "Luke, I'm so sorry," Nicole responded to the movement he finally made. She never knew Luke to be this quiet. Luke was the kind of person that could pick you out of a crowd and make you feel comfortable and important. This Luke was a stranger, he was not the charming, confident, talkative Luke. He was a quiet, heartbroken, and neglected Luke.

"It's fine. I better go," he said in a melancholy tone. He stood up from the wooden bench. Luke tossed his duffle bag on his shoulder, shoved his hands deep in his pockets and left the locker room.

Nicole went home from work that night and she couldn't decide what to do. After pacing back and forth in the hallway of the apartment for a while she landed on the solution to tell Ellen. "Hey sister," Ellen answered the phone in a cheery voice. Totally opposite of Luke.

"Hey," Nicole said. She was disappointed that Ellen wasn't as upset as Luke was. "I hate to interfere with your love life but we need to talk," Nicole said harshly.

Ellen just got back to her dorm room. "Oh boy. What is it?" Ellen asked sitting at her swiveling desk chair with a knee brought to her chest and the other spinning her around.

"I saw Luke today," Nicole said in a serious voice. Ellen's heart sank. She missed Luke and. Thought about him all the time, but she hadn't let it control her life like he had. The truth was Ellen was hurting just as much, if not more than Luke was she just didn't show it like he did.

"And?" Ellen asked.

"He's not handling it so well," Nicole answered. Ellen stared at her notebook, contemplating hanging up the phone to do her homework but deciding that Luke was more important than her essay.

"What should I do?" Ellen asked. She needed to prove to Luke that she could love him. Forever. Maybe not with a commitment like marriage but she didn't want to live without him. She knew she could never find a person that she had a stronger connection with.

"You should go to him," Nicole said. Ellen wasn't surprised. It was the only logical solution. How could she fix everything if she didn't see him?

She pushed her notebook aside and reached for her keys hanging on the metal hook. Ellen got in her Altima and began driving. This is how she knew she loved Luke. She had said it before but didn't know if she meant it. She was driving three hours to make sure he was okay. That's love.

The more she drove the more guilty she felt. She should have called him. Why didn't she call him? She should have known how her hurt he was. All she could see in her mind was Luke looking miserable, all alone in his apartment. She knew how he was, and he shouldn't have been left alone.

She finally saw her exit sign on the highway. But to her it didn't feel like an exit sign, it was like an entering sign. She was finally home and where she belonged.

She pulled into the apartment complex and she suddenly felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She finally knew what love was and it was an unbelievable feeling.

Luke had surprised her a few times at her dorm room, but she hadn't done this to him since the first time they called it quits. Usually Luke knew she was coming and met her running with wide open arms. This time was different.

She went to his front door and began knocking impatiently. She couldn't wait any longer to see him. It was late at night, almost 1 in the morning. She was afraid he wouldn't answer but then the door slowly creaked open. "Ellen?" Luke asked groggily.

"Luke," Ellen said. Unwelcomed tears formed in her eyes, Luke looked rough. "Can we talk?" Ellen pleaded.

"Please come in," Luke's sullen face suddenly lifting and a minuscule smile playing across his lips before he ushered Ellen into the dark apartment.
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