The Kents

Thirty Three

"Luke?" I call for his attention, he looks over at me.

"Why was there a darker lillium in the middle of all the pure white lilies?" I ask curious.

He stares at me but I can see a look on his face, a look that clearly says he would've been disappointed if I haven't caught that...

"Twenty one white lilies for your previous twenty one years, and one white blemished lilium for the few months you've spent with us..." He says and he makes it sound so simple.

"What?" I chuckle worriedly.

"I got flaws now?" I lower my tone.

"Your life got complicated..." He says and I had to admit it did.

I look away.

"Well no one's years are ever so pure for so long, I saw it coming..." I tell him.

I sigh.

One minute, I was being pirouetted by him in the heart of the dance floor, under his gaze. The other, I'm being clouded by the reality of how unexceptional this year was.

But why didn't it feel like that?

I turn to look at the distant man that sat beside me and conceive...

Would it be better if these couple of months got reversed, and I haven't gotten to meet him, Erik, or Scott?

Would it?

"No it wouldn't." I whisper to myself. Feeling my heart warm at the very few great memories I've already captured in these past month.

"It's getting colder, let's go back." He says and rises, taking me with.

I wrap my arms around myself feeling numb.

"I thought I told you to get a jacket..." He says as we continue to walk up the hill along with a huge crowd.

"I forgot it in your car." I tell him and look around for the others.

"Luke, wait up." I say and he turns to pull me to the top by his side.

"Shouldn't we wait for Erik and the others?" I ask him.

"They'll find their way, come on." He says and starts ushering me forward.

We walk behind the huge slow herd and it gets duller and drainer by the minute. We were barely moving and my limbs ached from the uneven ground beneath us.

"Can't they just walk a little faster?" I sigh.

"You tired?" Luke glances over at me.

"A tiny bit." I inform him out of breath.

He pauses for a second and lets other people pass in front of us.

"Luke?" I frown at him for letting them pass.

"Come here." He says and before I gauge the situation, I'm scooped up in his arm. I stifle a yelp.

"Sleep!" He hisses before brushing his palm over my face and closing my eyes for me.

What was he planning on doing?!

"Luke you are not about to-" I start to say but he interrupts me.

I surrender and shut my lids, acting asleep.

"She's out!" Luke says and I'm guessing that caught everyone's attention because some silence stretches and I can feel Luke moving us ahead and walking farther down the route.

The whooshes of the silhouettes get past us and Luke keeps moving.

I keep my eyes shut but god I'm trying so hard to narrow down my smile.