Together We Fall

Chapter 54 | Breaking Down The Walls

After having a dinner together, we both were sitting on the bed in Luke's room, our hairs were dishevelled and I just finished helping him to treat the bruises on his body. The scrapes and bruises I had on mine were no longer painful as I felt earlier this afternoon, perhaps it was a miracle. Or maybe, Luke sprinkled healing magic on it. I don't know. Being with him right now made me forget every single pain I've had felt internally, mentally and physically.

"Wait, so you're actually nineteen?" My eyes widened. "When? I thought we're at the same age."

"First of January," he answered, feeling so boastful of himself. "I feel like I was the first one to get out of my mom's womb on 1998. My birthday is so special."

"Well, guess what, I was born on Christmas Day," I lifted my eyebrows and stuck my tongue out at him. "Even more special than yours."

"And I thought someone who was born on Christmas Day would be so pure and naïve," and then he stuck his tongue out at me.

I curled my lips and called him, "Old man." Then I got off from his bed and went straight toward my dufflebag that he'd brought it up here and kept it in his closet that was situated a few away from the exit door.

"Where are you going?" Giggles escaped out of his mouth.

"I just want to make sure you brought the things I asked you to," I raised my voice so he could hear me from inside his closet.

Well, his closet was way better than mine. I expected it to be messy, clothes were everywhere and unfolded and everything was just lying on the floor but it was far different from my expectation. Everything had been organised very well, the shirts were hung in order of colour and shades, he kept his black suits in a different wardrobe—it wasn't really surprising to see he owned numbers of suits after knowing the fact that he owned a fancy car.

"You know what, I am so envious of your closet," I admitted.

"I just love to organise things," Luke answered, still sitting on the bed.

"Is that a mockery for me or what?"

"Of course, not," he tittered. "Why would it be?"

I crouched myself down in front of my dufflebag that he placed on a spacious shelf under the clothes he hung. The first thing that came to my sight when I unzipped the bag was a framed photograph of me when I was six with my parents, the day dad first bought his dream bike. The last time I remembered, I hid this picture in my drawer because I was afraid that Luke might see it but now, I guess he figured it out.

"Luke?" I sauntered back to his bed.

"Yeah?" He responded and as he caught the sight of me staring at the picture that I held in my hand, he rose to his feet.

"Why did you bring this?" I queried calmly, looking up at him in the eyes.

"I thought...you might need it," Luke's voice didn't sound like he was playing around or making up a joke. He added with an elucidation, "Because to me, it seems like it is highly necessary for you to have it with you everywhere you go."

I remained silent, shifting my attention toward the picture. I wanted to know what made him want to bring this piece of memory that I'd been bearing it around in my head for me? Why did he do this for me? It wasn't like I didn't want him to or anything. I was just curious what'd come across his head when he saw this picture? What kind of questions did he need the answers to? But if I were going to give all the answers to his queries, I had to ask myself...was I even ready to open up?

But then, if I just let everything unexpressed, it would be unfair since Luke had told me some of the things I used to question him about when we were heading to his cousin's birthday. He must had been dying to know the story of my life. I didn't want to put up a fight with him about this anymore, I didn't want to push him away and leave him again after all the efforts and bruises he got to save me from facing death that Ned had brought to me. Maybe this would be the perfect time for storytelling. Maybe this was the time for him to know who I really was behind the wall I'd been concealing myself from everyone.