The Jock Neighbor

Chapter 14

Briar's POV

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF ABUSE

Luke and I finally make it to our destination after the little... adventure we experienced in the car. I step out of the car and into the darkening night, the air caressing my lungs and the wind kissing my cheeks. I take a deep breath before exhaling with a content smile on my face. I hear Luke get out of the car and come over to my side, his soft but firm footsteps reassuring me that he was near.

I feel both of his strong arms wrap around my waist before he places his head in the crook of my neck, our fronts touching each other in a warm embrace. He nuzzles his face into the hair that slightly touches the side of my neck, inhaling my perfume.

"I love the way you smell. I love the way you feel. I love that you're mine and I'm yours." Luke whispers, his lips and breath softly tickling my racing pulse.

I smile softly. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life and as a partner."

Luke pulls back, straightening himself so that he can look into my eyes. However, when he does that it catches me by surprise because of the sudden emotion in them. "Please don't leave me." His pupils swirl with feeling, but the most prominent is sadness.

"Luke..." I start to respond, prepared to ask him what happened, but he pulls away from me.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He rubs a hand over the back of his neck and turns away from me, facing the outlook from the cliff.

I quickly walk towards him and grab his hand. He looks at me. "Luke... I everything okay?"

He forces a smile. "Everything is perfect."

I frown.

"I'll be okay." He says more to himself than to me, looking down at the ground as he fights a silent war in his head.

Without thinking, I quickly pull him to me, wrap my arms around the back of his neck, place his head into the crook of my own, and exhale. He stands there, still, his arms by his side and unmoving. After a second he slowly brings his arms up to my waist and wraps them around my body. I start to feel his body shake and a single drop of something wet fall onto the skin on my shoulder. He's crying.

"It's okay. I'm here and I'm not leaving. It's okay." I reassure him over and over as he cries softly on me.

My heart breaks into a million pieces as I listen to him fall apart. Whatever is hurting him so much is hurting me just the same and I don't know how to make it any better.

***

After about 15 minutes, he calmed down enough for us to sit on the ledge of the cliff and overlook the town as it lights up.

I turn to look at his swollen eyes and red nose. "Will you tell me what happened?" I speak softly so as not to make him fell pressured or close up.

Luke lets out a heavy sigh before beginning to speak. "As you know, it's always just been me and my mom since we moved here and she's the only parent I talk about. Well... there's a reason for that." I sit and listen patiently for him to continue his story. "My father was not a good guy. He was abusive my whole life, and when I was 14 and in 8th grade, he left. He made sure to make life a living hell for me and my mom and it sucked. I was a kid then so I couldn't really fight back which meant a lot of nights of me getting beat up and hearing my mom crying because she couldn't stop him or because she was also getting beat up herself."

A tear dropped from my eye, but I stayed quiet as he went on with his story.

"He was a drunk, so some nights were worse than others. I remember nights where everything would be fine and it was like I had the family I was meant to have, but then the next day he would go get black out drunk and we would have to face his wrath again." A tear slides down his cheek, but he doesn't pay attention to it. "The pain I felt for those 14 years were the worst in my life. Not just because I was getting beat bloody every day, it was also because I didn't have a dad. Sure, he helped make me, but he was no dad to me. I saw somewhere that it takes nothing to be a father, but everything to be a dad and it's true. But the reason I told you earlier that I didn't want you to leave me was because even though he put me through all that terrible shit, I wish I had a father that stayed and was good to us. I'm glad he's gone, but I miss what life could have been for me and my mom." He stops to turn to me, brushing the tear off his cheek. "I can't lose you too. I care about you too much. I always want to be by your side and I always want you by mine."

Another stray tear falls from my eye, down my cheek and to the floor I sit upon. I softly grab Luke's face and have him look at me. "I'm so sorry for what you and your mother had to go through. Neither of you deserved to live a life where you were hurt and not loved. You and your mother have always been such kind and affectionate people and I'm so sorry that I didn't know sooner. But know this, I will never hurt you intentionally and I will always cherish and take care of you for as long as I can. I want to always be by your side and have you by mine too. I can't guarantee the future, but I can promise you I will always make and effort. I care about you too much to lose you and I want us to share our lives together." I finish as another tear falls off my cheek.

Luke brings his hands up to my cheeks and brushes the tears from my face. "You have nothing to apologize for. You have treated me so much better than he ever would. I'm so lucky to have you Briar, so so lucky." He brings his forehead to mine and closes his eyes. Our hands rest on one another's faces and we sit quietly, being in each other's presence and feeling for each other.

After a while, Luke and I pull away and smile softly. There is a new level of understanding between us and it makes us that much closer. Slowly I get on my knees and crawl over to straddle his lap. Luke leans back a bit and places his hands on my waist as he stares up into my eyes.

My hands are placed on either side of his jaw as I stare down at him. "Luke, I have something to tell you."

He looks up at me, puzzled. "What is it?"

"I..." I clear my throat, my nerves getting the best of me. "I, um..."

Luke gently squeezes my hips in reassurance, his eyes shining up at me in encouragement.

I let out a deep breath before finally deciding. "I love you." It comes out as a mere whisper, nothing more than a hushed promise, a murmured moment of confession. Yet, Luke heard everything as if I were shouting it from the cliff we sat upon.

His eyes brighten in excitement, my confession eliciting what seemed to eventually be a core memory in the future. "I've loved you since the first day I met you."

My eyes water at his confession, a smile crawling over both of our lips as we soak in what has just been said. It takes just a split second for our feelings to take over our bodies and our lips meet in a passionate kiss, each unspoken words expressed clearly through every caress, every elicited response pulled from the action. Soon enough neither of us are in control of our bodies, neither wanting to pull back from what happens next. 

*****

So I totally gave you guys a sex cliffhanger but seeing as how I'm pretty caught up in my classes rn, I'll likely write and publish it by today. I already have ideas brewing. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed! Our poor baby Luke has had it rough, did anyone know that he was struggling? See you in the next one!