Moving On Happens To Be The Hardest Thing To Do

Chapter 7

I rolled my eyes, shoving my way toward the forest.

"Analicia!" My mother screamed after me.

"Ana! Wait!" That was Luke.

I couldn't take it. I hated her! I started running, and got past the tree line, and then I collapsed onto the ground, tears tumbling down my cheeks, my bare feet numb.

"Ana!" Luke's voice called, getting closer.

I brought my knees up, and hid my face in my lap, not wanting him to see me crying, but not able to stop the flow of tears.

"Ana..." He murmured, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It's all right, don't feel bad about leaving."

"How can I not?!" I cried. "This is my home, and you didn't help! Making me fall in love with you!"

"Just forget."

"I don't want to! I want to stay, and be with you!"

"I know..." He murmured, sitting next to me and pulling me into his lap.

"I can't take it! I hate her!"

"Sh... I know, it's okay."

I cried onto his shoulder, hugging his neck. Did he not realize, how much he could make someone care about him?

After a while, I took a deep breath, and wiped my face.

"I convinced your mom to let you stay tonight..."

I nod, and look up at him. "I'm going to fall apart without you."

He shakes his head, and brushes some hair off my face. "You won't. You'll finish school, and and go to college, and become a doctor, find a good guy, and get married and have a couple of kids." He kisses my forehead. "You'll be just fine."

"No I won't! I won't! I'll die of a broken heart!"

He shakes his head and kisses my lips.

When I pull away, I stand, wiping my eyes again. "Did you really side with my mother on this!?"

He looks up at me. "I'm sorry, Ana."

I shake my head and rush home, without a second thought.

I ignore my mother's calls for me to stay downstairs, and go straight up to my room.

I'm greeted by an empty room, a bed stripped of its sheets, and a tiny puppy barking, and yipping excitedly.

"Hey, Laci." I fake a small smile, and pat the dogs head.

She whines slightly, and I look at her, sitting on my bed.

"What?"

She whines again.

"I don't speak dog, what do you want?"

She walks over to the door, and paws at it.

I sigh, and grab a leash, and hook it to her collar, walking back outside, into the evening sky.

I see a few people returning to their homes, after long days out and about, and small children coming in from playing.

Laci's barking brings me back to reality.

I look up, and see Luke standing there. I had been so deep in thought, I hadn't focused on anything else, so I hadn't noticed it had started raining, a full on storm.

"What are you doing out in my front yard?"

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"It's fine, forget it."

"I can't. I made your life more of a hell, in two minutes, than I tried to make it perfect in a few days."

I shrugged, only taking a second for me to get cold from the pouring rain. "Look, Luke, I get it, you feel bad, but I'm fine."

He looked at me, and took my face in his hands, bringing my face closer to his. "Ana, I'm sorry." He repeats slower, like he thought I wasn't understanding. "I love you. Don't let her take you away without a fight."

I can feel tears welling in my eyes, and I hug him, tightly. "You can't just let me go..."

He shakes his head. "Never."

I pull away from him, and pull slightly on Laci's collar, making her walk over to me.

"Hey," Luke mumbles, grabbing my attention. "At dawn, meet me on the beach. I have one more thing to show you, before you disappear." He murmurs.

I nod, and run a hand through my tangled, wet hair. "Alright."

He kisses my nose lightly. "I love you."

"Love you too." I mumble, forcing a smile.

He walks away, not seeming to mind the rain too much.

I tug on Laci's collar again, and start walking to the porch.

I kick off my mud boots at the door, and walk inside, and straight up to my room.

I grab a towel, and dry my hair, and then I change into some dry clothes, finally getting out of my swimsuit.

I unhook the leash from Laci's collar, and dry her off, before climbing into bed, and staring up at the ceiling sleepily.

I wake up at dawn, and quickly change into the sundress I was wearing when I first talked to him, and slipped into some sandals. I quickly brush my teeth, and quietly slip out of the house, not waking my mother.

I get to the beach, and frown.

Luke isn't there.

What, I think, he was so broken down he couldn't even show up!?

I sit where I'm standing, and bring my knees up, and bury my head in my lap.

"Ana!" I hear Luke's voice, and my head snaps up, looking in his direction.

He's holding some kind of box, with a bow on it, and he was walking quickly, nearly running.

I stand up, and run to him, hugging him tightly.

He hugs me back, just as tight, and nuzzles my neck.

"You came." He murmurs against my neck.

"Of course I came." I mumble, hesitantly pulling away.

He grins. "Close your eyes."

I do so, and close my eyes.

I feel him grab my hand from my side, and makes me hold it out in front of me.

There's a slight pause, and I hear the box open, and close again. Then he places the box in my hand.

"Okay, open your eyes."

I open my eyes, and look at the box. It was open, but empty. There was nothing in it.

I looks up at him, and raises an eyebrow, but he just grin, and hold up a ring.

I gasp, and my eyes widen. "Luke..."

"Looks like they forgot to put this in there." He smiles.

The ring was beautiful, it was solid, and goldish coloured, and it looked like it had some kind of engraving on the inside of it.

He puts it around my ring finger, and hugs me. "It says; Té amo, Ana por siempre y siempre."

I pull away slightly, and look at him. "What in the world does that mean?"

He chuckles. "It means, I love you, Ana forever and always."