Across the Miles of Love

Opening Up

Belle's POV

Luke encourages me to share my feelings, citing his sister's experience with depression. Reluctantly, I begin to open up about the emotional rollercoaster I've been on. "It's just... I thought I wanted something, but now I don't even know what I want," I admit. Luke listens attentively, offering a comforting presence as I navigate the tangled mess of emotions within me.

Luke continues sharing his personal struggles, revealing the difficult circumstances of his family life. As he opens up about his sister's silent battles with depression and his with alcohol abuse, a deeper connection forms between us. It's a raw and vulnerable moment, and I appreciate his willingness to be honest with me. "I never knew," I whisper, overwhelmed by the weight of his revelations.

Luke takes a deep breath, his eyes reflecting the pain of his past. "I've been through a lot, Belle. Life hasn't been a walk in the park, but it's made me who I am."

I nod, realising there's more to Luke than meets the eye. "I had no idea."

He smiles sadly, "Most people don't. I don't like to burden others with my problems."

"But you're not a burden. You're a person, and people have stories," I say, appreciating his honesty.

Luke smirks, "What about you, Belle? What's your story?"

I pause, reflecting on my life. "I come from a pretty standard family. But my love life has been, well, non-existent. Until recently."

"Zach," Luke says, more as a statement than a question.

"Yeah, Zach," I sigh. "He seemed so perfect, but now everything's a mess."

Luke leans in, "You don't need perfect. You need someone who cares about you. Like me."

I raise an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting yourself?"

He chuckles, "Maybe. You haven't given me a chance."

I smile, "Maybe I should."

The weight of the evening starts to lift, replaced by a sense of camaraderie. It's refreshing to be with someone who understands, who doesn't judge.

Luke reaches for the cookies he brought, "Wanna drown our sorrows in cookies and weed?"

I laugh, "Sounds like a plan, Luke." And for the first time in a while, I feel a glimmer of happiness.

Luke's gaze turns distant as if he's revisiting painful memories. "My parents' divorce was messy, Belle. It wasn't just a separation; it was a war. They fought over everything – custody, assets, and, worst of all, us, the kids. It felt like they forgot we were human beings with feelings."

I reach out and place my hand on his, a silent gesture of support. "That sounds terrible, Luke. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah, it was," he admits, looking down at our hands. "But it taught me to be strong, to rely on myself. Trusting people became difficult after that. I didn't want to get hurt again."

"I get it," I say softly, realising how our shared pain has created an unexpected bond. "Trust is hard, especially when the people you love let you down."

Luke nods, "Exactly. That's why I keep my circle small. It's safer that way."

I squeeze his hand reassuringly, "You can trust me, Luke. I won't hurt you."

He looks at me, his eyes filled with gratitude. "I appreciate that, Belle. It means more than you know."

As our lips meet, a current of electricity surges between us. It's not the same as the impulsive kiss on the rooftop. This kiss is different – deliberate, meaningful. Luke's hands gently cup my face, and I feel a warmth spreading through me.

Breaking the kiss, Luke looks into my eyes, a soft smile on his lips. "You know, Belle, you're something else."

I chuckle, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

He leans in, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "Definitely a good thing."

"I'm glad you're here, Luke," I admit, feeling vulnerable yet oddly liberated.

"Me too, Belle," he replies, his gaze softening. "Me too."

We keep kissing and he says, "Are you sure you want to do this Belle? You don't have to do anything. I'm not going anywhere, you don't need to do anything for me...ever. I can wait as long as you want. It's ok if you never want to do more than this. I just really like you, that's enough for me. I just want you to be sure before we take that step. I don't want you to regret me. I don't want you to wake up tomorrow and resent me. You have to tell me what you want, I need you to tell me and I won't ever doubt you, or question your answer. So you have to tell me. You have to tell me what you want Belle."

I kiss him softly and I say, "I'm sure, It's always been you Luke, it was always you,"

He kisses my mouth and he moves his lips slowly along my jaw. He whispers in my ear, "It was always you too, always."

He lifts my shirt over my head, and he stares at me. He's breathing hard, and he looks me over. His hands come up and he runs his fingers over the straps of my bra, then he slides them down my arms, he's looking into my eyes.

"I've waited a long time for this Belle," he says, "a very long time."

"That's so sweet of you," I whisper back.

"I'm going to take such good care of you, you'll see. You'll have to trust me, can you do that Belle?"

Honestly, I'm a virgin and he doesn't know that. I don't know what to do or how to act. But I know I want this. I've never felt the way I do with Luke. So I tell him, "I do, I trust you,"

I'm breathing so hard, and he takes his shirt off and his body is beautiful, perfect. My fingers move to his chest and I run my fingers over his skin.
"I trust you too, more than I've ever trusted anyone," he whispers.

He unbuttons my jeans and he pulls them off, then he looks me over. I can't stop shaking,  I'm nervous and excited. He unzips his pants and kicks them off, he's naked now, and I look at him.

He's looking at me and he asks, "Are you scared Belle? You don't have to worry, we can take it slow,"
"Yes, I'm scared. But it's a good scared," I say and he smiles.

He gets up and walks to my closet and he comes back and hands me a t-shirt. "Put this on Belle," he says, "it will make it easier, you'll see,"
"Ok, but why?

"Just trust me, you'll see, I promise, you'll see,"

I put my old shirt on, and it's big on me, it's long and the sleeves hang over my hands.

He smiles and he says, ".You look so cute,"
He lies down on top of me and he's kissing me, I feel his body through the shirt, and it feels good, so good. He puts his hand under the shirt, and he's touching me, and I'm making noises.

Like, is this natural? Is this normal? Should I be feeling this?

He keeps touching me, and my whole body is humming, buzzing. I close my eyes and I can't breathe, I feel like I'm falling, and it's like I can't breathe.

Then he whispers, "Relax, just relax, you're going to love this, I promise, just relax, let me take care of you,"
His voice is soft, and gentle.

He's nice, he has good intentions. I just haven't done this before. But it will help me get over Zach, right? This is the only way I can move forward. I have to.

So I do, I let myself relax, and then, then something happens. It's like a rush of energy and heat and I'm floating, I feel like I'm flying and I'm holding on to him and I'm making these awful noises. I've never felt anything like this, and I can't breathe and the world stops spinning and my whole body is trembling, and I feel his arms around me, and his lips on mine, and then the room stops spinning, and the world goes back to normal.

"Oh, Belle, you're amazing," he whispers.

He gets off me, and lies next to me. I'm trying to catch my breath.

He looks at me and he asks, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," I say.

I don't know what that is but all I'm saying is that life is good - very good.
"You are so beautiful, so sweet, so wonderful," he whispers.