Carrying the Torch

Prologue

"I love you so, so much. I couldn't imagine my life any other way. We have been best friends since birth and I've loved every minute of it. We fell in love. I don't want to imagine my life any other way. And I realize standing in the middle of a cow pasture may not be the most romantic place for this, but Autumn, will you marry me?"

"Oh my gosh! Luke. Oh, Luke. Yeah. Yes. Yes, of course. I love you so much. Yes," I say, a few stray tears falling onto my cheek.

He slides the cold metal ring on my finger, stands up, lets out a deep breath and kisses me. "I love you too, babe." I look at my ring and it has a large diamond in the middle and two smaller ones on either side.

"It's so perfect. I love you, so much."

He smiles that slightly crooked smile that gives me goosebumps. His bright blue eyes burning into mine, he takes my hand and pulls me against him. Our breaths mix as he wraps his arms around my waist and  gently kisses me. I tug at his short, brown hair. All of a sudden, reality hits me.

I pull back with tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. "I don't have any idea how to put this... We can't get married. We just can't. We haven't even graduated from college yet. This is too early and, and all of your freedom will be gone. I can't do that to you. We can't do it."

He tilts my chin up to look into his shining eyes. "Look. First, we graduate next week, in literally five days. Second, we've been dating for like six years. And third, we don't have to get married right away. We can wait as long as you need to. You know what else? I'm not loosing my freedom. This just means I want to let everybody know that you are mine. They can't touch you or they will be hunted down. Marriage isn't the end of your freedom, even if it's young. I guess it's really a new beginning. If people think that it's the end of your freedom, they're doing it wrong. I love you and you can't take it back now."