Home Away From Home

Chapter Twenty Two

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE
Greta:
Luke,
It seems like it hasn't stopped raining since I got back, but the sun's been out every day. It doesn't feel right, though; you feel like sunshine, and anything else feels like betrayal. I've been sleepier since we've been apart. You're like a personified adrenaline rush. I've always been living, but I'm alive with you. I miss the way your eyes squeeze shut just before you laugh. And I miss the way you look so soft in the morning. My mornings have been cold. I miss the way you'd nuzzle your nose into my cheek when I wasn't paying attention. I miss the way you talk. I miss your voice every second of the day. I hope you don't miss me as much as I miss you. I wish you'd have sung to me more so I could remember better. Pictures don't do you justice because I'm afraid I'm forgetting all your most important features-like what your hands look like when you're driving or the way your ears attach to your face and especially what your lips look like just before they touch mine. Your sweatshirt stopped smelling like you months ago, and I still sleep with the stuffed animals you gave me. I just really miss you. I miss us. The horizon is crooked over here.
How are your parents? When is your first day of classes? I miss your eyes. How's Ashton and Michael and Calum-they never tell me if they're ever doing anything other than fine. I worry. I worry about you, too. A lot.
I love you seems like the biggest understatement. I love you. I adore you. I care about you. I cherish you. I need you. I want you. I long for you. I'll meet you at the beach.
All my love and truly yours. xxx

Luke:
Greta,
You've taken my breath away countless times, but this is a new breathlessness. I can't breathe without you. You're my oxygen. I'm sorry I've ruined the sunny days for you, but I can't look at grey skies without seeing your eyes. I miss the way your eyes would change with your mood, but they'd always find their way back to me in the same slate grey that I see just before it pours. Your eyes seem like an impossible adventure. Green like the trees and blue like the mountains and gold like your heart and grey like the deepest depths of the moon. I found your star. I miss you more. I miss the way you smell in the morning-like soap and girl. There's no other way to explain it. I miss the way your hair falls into your eyes, and you don't bother moving it because you know I will. I miss the innocence of your face just after we'd kiss. I miss the way you never stop humming or singing or whistling. I wish you'd have sung with me more. You're my favorite song.
My parents are well. They miss you too. Classes start next week, but I doubt I'll accomplish anything because your absence has taken over my thoughts. Everyone is doing well. They'll all start classes with me, except Ashton will be in different courses and stuff. I worry about you. I worry about how you're doing at uni, and I worry about your parents missing you-I worry that you don't call them enough to tell them you love them. I worry that you spend all your love on me. I'm not complaining, I just worry.
I love you, and I'll meet you at the beach.
stay golden xxx

Luke and I exchanged our billionth heart-felt text-- each end with the same two sentences that kept our promises.

He attached a picture of the beach in front of him, and my heart raced as I thought of him in our spot.

I walked slowly, quietly across the way and sat down.
"Sorry it took so long." I whispered, tears already stinging.

Luke looked up, startled. It seemed like a lifetime before he realized that I was actually here. I'm really here.

"I've missed you so much!" He exclaimed, and he pulled me into him.
My arms wrapped around his neck, and our lips connected immediately. I was practically in his lap, but I wanted to be closer-- needed to be closer.

"What are you doing here? I love you." Luke still looked at me like I was a precious stone.

"As soon as I got home, I applied to Sydney and got a transfer set up as soon as possible. I'm going to school here now. Classes start next week." I smiled brightly, lacking all self-control.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to keep our promise."

"So we'll be together?" Luke's eyes grew to those of a 5 year old, and I wanted to drown in his irises. His eyes were red and glossy with tears, and I started cry joyfully.

"We'll be together." I spoke softly and rested my head on his.

He kissed me again, and I threw my head back as we laughed for no reason.

"Marry me." Luke demanded politely.
I stopped laughing, but I couldn't stop smiling.

I searched his eyes. "Luke, I'm 17."

"I don't care. We'll wait. But let's get married." His eyes tracked my every move, and my entire body buzzed.

"Okay." I whispered, sneaking kiss after kiss and repeating my answer. I don't care if it's naive. I know what this is. I don't understand why people would wait to spend the rest of their lives with the one person who makes them sure that they're actually alive.

Luke and I skyped nearly every day, and by Skype I mean we just left our computers on Skype whenever we were home just so we could "be together." Actually being together is pure euphoria.

"I think my favorite thing about us is that, to me, you're sunshine, and to you I'm grey skies."

"I love grey skies."

"I know."

"We'll make new promises. They'll write books about us."

His kissed my nose.

Luke is everything, and being loved by him is worth more than gold.
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THE END.
suck ending, but thanks for reading! It's been real; it's been fun. xxx