Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27 NEOLA The wind is cold. I tighten my grip on Luke's arms as we slowly trek down the mountain with the moon as our only source of light. The mush of snow soaked our jeans, making me shiver. "Don't worry, " Luke's voice trembled as he speak, he puts an arm around me and pulled me close, "I know a place nearby…" He says as he held the trunk of a tree that is weirdly marked with a circle. We pass another tree with that same symbol and he smiled. "We are almost near, do you think you can handle it?" I nodded, not having the voice to speak. The wind is cold. Thunder occasionally rumbled, I look up the sky to see the moon covered by clouds. I hope we can reach the shelter he's been talking about. Luke tighten his hold on me as we struggled up the mountain. I couldn't feel my feet because of how numb they are. Luke is breathing hard like I am. After a while of trekking, Luke spotted the shelter and he happily pointed at it, "Look there. Can you see it?" The huge shadow of the building loom over us. It seems deserted and a little bit scary. I nodded at him and he swiftly plunge on the snow, quickly walking towards it, " We are almost there, okay? We can do this." I might not survive all of this if he doesn't encourage me. I folded my hand on his as we both struggled. Snow is quickly falling around us as the wind pick up its pace, whistling. We reach the door. Luke took a card from his pocket and swiped it in front. The whole cottage light up and we enter it. Snow is still piled by the front door, Luke have to shovel half of it so we can enter. I breathe out a sigh of relief when we are finally inside. It was a simple cottage, studio type with the bed and the kitchen in one. It was cozy. I took off my coat and quickly throw some wood on the furnace. Luke gave me some matches from the cupboard and together we light it up. Once my body heat has normalized, I roam around the small space and ask, "How did you know about this place?" Luke did not answer. Instead, he showed me the card he used to open the front door. Only then did I notice the official stamp of Canadian Monarchy. I shake my head at him and he chuckled, "Has its perks, huh?" "Many perks." We both smiled at each other. He lied down on the carpet and I was surprise when I saw the blood stain on his shoulder. "Luke what happened?" I bolted up from the bed and touch his wound. I went towards the cupboard and search for a first aid kit. "Why did you not tell me that you are wounded?" he tries to get up from the carpet but I hold him down. He sigh. "It's a small wound, no biggie. I can survive more than this, remember?" He gave me a smile but it did not reach his eyes. His lips were so pale and he is trembling. I cut his shirt, cleanse the wound, inject some anesthesia on it before I start stitching it up. As I was doing so, I notice that he was actually smiling, " It's such a relief that my ex fiancée is a nurse. No matter what emergency, I know you can save me. It was such a waste for us to break the engagement, you know?" I shake my head at his words. This is probably an after effect of the anesthesia. It will wear off eventually. I took some pillow and put it under his head as he continue to lie down on the carpet. I drape the blanket over him as he watch me move around. "You brought your phone right? Maybe we should contact them so they won't worry." I search for his phone and finally found it nestled in his chest pocket. I was about to contact them when he held my hand, "Don't, please?" "Why not, Luke? They are worrying about us. We need to tell them we are safe." "Tell them tomorrow." He pleads, eyes teary. "Why tomorrow, Luke? We can just tell them we are safe and then we can go back. Don't you wanna go back?" he shakes his head at my question and sniffed. Tears quickly fell on his cheeks and he wipe it, "I want to but not yet, " I sat beside him and he quickly pull me down, making me lie next to him. "I am afraid that once we go back, I wouldn't have any chance to do this anymore." His lips were chapped with the cold wind but it felt warm. He slip his tongue on mine, his hand caressing my cheeks. I can feel his tears falling on my face and couldn't help but cry with him. Oh, this is so tragic. I let him kiss me. I treasure every kiss, keeping it in my memory. Once he was done, he settled next to me and hug me close, "I don't want to let you go, Neola. Please don't go." I look at him to see his eyes focused at me. Turning towards him, I said, " I don't want to go. Believe me, I wanted to stay but you have her, Luke. Fleur is the perfect queen for you. You will do better with her and the king knows it. I do not want to interfere anymore." "But I chose you. You are my choice." "I know. Still, Fleur weights more in the king's decision." He bit his lip as he cried. "Okay then, Fleur it is. I will make it official as soon as we go back." I sat up, tie my hair before I went towards the bed and lie down on it. A couple of minutes have passed between us. We did not talk. The wind blew harshly, snow sticks to the window, battering it. The lights were out in an hour and I sigh. " Would you give me the chance then?" his voice startled me. I crawled at the end of the bed thinking that he was only sleep talking when I see him looking at me. "What chance?" I cleared my throat and sat up. He followed my example and sat up. His other arm supporting his weight as he lean back, "The chance to imagine my future with you. Can we just talk about that since it would only come true in my dreams?" He sounds like a love sick puppy I had to sigh. "How tragic our love has come for you to hope only in a dream; to wish that you will be with me again. We shouldn't have suffered this ill fate if we hadn't met in the first place." I noted, earning a sigh from him. I got up from the bed and sit next to him, "Put your head on my shoulder, Luke. You must be tired, " he complied, snuggling close. I put my arms on his waist and we stay like that. "I imagine…you by my side, pregnant after a month of marriage." "Really?" He nodded looking at me, "how many kids would you like to have?" "If possible, I want three kids. A boy as firstborn and two little girls following him. I will train him so he can protect his sisters and his mom. It would be so cute to see you playing with them. " he lie back down on the carpet and offer his arm. I lie beside him and snuggle close. "Three?" I shake my head at him making him say, "Why, you don't want to have three?" "I would love to have five." I blushed, keeping my face from him. We both laugh at how silly we are. Luke lean closer and sigh, "I would love to see you growing old with me as we rule the kingdom. You are so sassy you can easily please the royalties…" He shakes his head at me and I pinch his thigh making him laugh. "What do you mean 'please the royalties'? Making me as your queen will surely result to a world war 3. No one will want to negotiate with us." He laugh out loud making me pinch his thigh again, "You should really stop that or else I will tickle you, " he whispered and I laugh at him. We stay like that for a while. I was about to ask him a question when he turn towards me. He was already asleep, his lips open. He looks adorable. I tried to memorize his features. His pretty eyebrows; bow shaped lips, a balance of thick and thin, red in this cold; his sharp jaw and pronounced cheeks; his pretty and thick eyelashes; his golden hair…I will miss everything. Oh Luke, I wish you won't open your eyes yet. Stay asleep. Let me look at you without restrictions and make up for the time I was away from you. I don't have the courage to do this when you are awake and wouldn't even ask to do this once you are awake. I haven't looked at you like this and I probably won't have any chance. This way, you will lie there, as innocent as you can be. No lies lingering between us. You don't have to hide anything if you just stay like this Luke, beside me, asleep and in peace. So don't open your eyes yet, stay like this for a while. Having the courage, I lean close to kiss him. My forehead touch his and only then did I notice how feverish he is. I touch his forehead once more and sigh, he has a fever. I took some basin and fill it with water. I took the towel from the cupboard, rinse and dip it before putting it on his forehead. I did it for a couple more times and lie sat next to him. "Stay like this for awhile, Luke." I watch him sleep, storing it all in my memory. I was about to remove the wet towel on his forehead when he open his eyes and look at me, "Are you okay?" He did not reply, instead he continue to look at me. I remove the wet towel and felt his forehead, "You are not as hot as before, " he sigh and sat up. "Who told you to do this kind of things? Why care for me when you really don't care? You should go back up on the bed. It's cold down here." He tries to avoid my eyes as he fix the blanket on him. "You say that but you wish that I would stay next to you, right?" he looks at me eyes hard, "no matter how much you tell me to go, 'I'll stay. I know deep down you long for me. This is the only thing I can do. I will care for you while I am here.' This is what you want me to say, right?" his eyes are so intense I have a hard time of focusing on him. "I'll stay. No matter how hard you'll push me away, I will stay. I'll stay here beside you until they come to take us away." I smoothen his hair and continue, "So don't be angry about not being able to say what you want and just say what you really want to say…" he sigh before bowing down his head. "Tell me all of it because we are all alone here. Let's just say that this is our only chance to experience a happy ever after. " 계속 Aww. Hey guys, how are you? So, what can you say about this chapter?