Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

59 | Slow down

Hi!  

Some of you noticed that it took longer than usual to get this out. On the last chapter, 1 out of every 16 readers voted. It takes me a while to write each chapter, and a second for you to vote. So if you're enjoying the story, let me know by voting. It's the feedback that keeps me motivated <3

Thank you to @_.drishxti._ for the poster!

Chapter 59: Slow down

I stood in the middle of a desert. Sand filled the landscape as far as I could see. A small line split the sky from sand, and it made me feel like I was one grain in trillions. One life out of billions. People have come before me and people will come after me.

How much of the world will I see?

I stared at the desert like it was one giant hourglass. I could see the group in front of me, taking in the instructor's speech. I guess I was just going to wing this.

Or ask Luke.

I watched him half listen to the instructor, his arms crossed over his broad chest. The sun glinted off his skin and created small shadows under the curves of his muscles. That desert heat made him hot. Made us both hot.

He turned his head to look back at me and seemed surprised to catch me already staring at him. It was a cute look though, and his lips curled into an even cuter smile.

He turned his back to the instructor and walked towards me, bridging the empty space between me and everyone else.

Something about the desert and today being the last day of the year made this different. The space between us and the golden ground beneath us felt like he was crossing worlds. From his to mine.

I used to feel so incredibly lonely. Despite going to school every day and being surrounded by people, I felt like I was living in a desert. Which is ironic, since I am in an actual desert right now, feeling anything but alone.

It sounds crazy to say, but Luke disrupted my lonely world without even realizing it. He saw me instead of seeing through me and that stunned me.

Luke kissed me, taking me partly by surprise. His lips were smooth to touch and my eyes fluttered shut. The wind wrapped around us as the sun beat down overheard. The heat created such a dense air between us that his soft lips felt like water on my chapped ones.

He tilted his head to kiss me so that his red cap wouldn't get in the way.

I pressed my fingers against the tip of his cap to pull it up slightly so I could see his vibrant blue eyes even better. Strands of his black hair fell loosely over his forehead.

It felt unbelievable to stare at him and have the desert landscape behind us. One year ago, I would never have imagined the two of us to be here, like this.

"Smile!" Oma called out to us with camera raised to take pictures.

We broke apart from our kiss, but his arms stayed around me. While she snapped a photo, we could see the instructor standing irritated behind her.

Luke said to me, "You not paying attention is cute until you crash into me on your quad bike."

His hand slipped into mine.

"You're not paying attention too," I argued, wrapping my fingers around his hand.

"I have a driver's license," he answered as we started to walk back towards the others.

"So do I!"

He scoffed at that.

**

~Luke's POV~