The Claddagh Ring: And So It Begins

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sunday went by slow, and I couldn’t wait for it to be Monday so I could see Luke. I was up and dressed way before my clock radio went off. I rushed my breakfasted and dad so that I could get to school earlier. Once I got to school I realized that making myself rush wouldn’t make Luke rush.

I went to go lean against the wall next to the front doors of the school. I heard one of the doors open and turned to see who it was. When I looked up at the person’s face, I knew at once it was Luke in all of his perfection. He was wearing a light brown hoody and a pair of old fade blue jeans, which his hands were in. His dark brown hair, almost black but you could still see it was brown, was messy and wavy. Dahl’s chocolate brown eyes looked deep into mine as he went to walk in front of me. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and turned it into an awed look, as I believe I was in too.

“Whoa, déjà vu,” I said remembering my dream from before.

Luke spoke up, his voice urgent, “I need to talk to you, but not here.”

 “What is it,” I asked, but Luke just took my hand and I had to run to keep up with him. He led us to our, now empty, English classroom. Luke yanked open the door and pulled me in with him and shut it behind us.

Luke was panting, with his forehead almost touching the door, his bangs had fallen over his face. Luke’s eyes were shut tight and he was tense all over as his hands clenched the doorknob as the other one was clenched into a fist against the door. He looked as if he was in great pain.

“Luke? Are you okay?” I asked, getting worried.

At the sound of my voice, he relaxed and turned to face me. Luke put his hands on my shoulders and stared straight at me. Luke grabbed my hand left softly, and put it to his chest. I could fell his heart beat fast under my palm. “I can never be happy again unless you are with me,” then he took his spare arm and wrapped it around my waist. Suddenly, Luke had pulled me in close enough to him so there were only a few centimeters between us.

“Luke, I don’t understand what you are saying,” I replied very confused.

Luke didn’t flash me a smile that told me something, instead, he just stared at me. I don’t mean one of those glances; I mean a full on stare. If I wasn’t short on words and wouldn’t dare to move, I would have slapped Luke across the face and said, ‘Never stare at me like that again.’

He didn’t speak as he slipped off my claddagh ring, and then I clenched his hand, knowing what was coming next. “Every time I look at your hand, I notice your ring and how your heart is still free,” Luke takes his hand from my waist and brings it up to my cheek while he put my ring as low as it could go on his index finger. His palm is soft and warm where it sits on my cheek. Luke’s thumb glides swiftly and soundly across my cheek. I tilt my head to rest in his hand, as he continues to stroke my cheek, and wait for him to go on. “It has been eating me alive that it isn’t mine because my heart has been yours since the first moment I laid my eyes on you.” My throat clogged up at what I was hearing. My mouth hung open like a fish gapping for air. “What my sister said, made me want you even more. The way it felt when I kissed you was like magic; the spark was like nothing I could have ever expected. The feeling of your lips on my cheek was like nothing you can imagine. I love everything about you. The way you walk, talk, and play hockey.” I closed my mouth and Luke’s thumb glided across my lips as he continued. “When you say my name, it sounds like music coming from your lips. You’re like an angel from above sent down to give me purpose.” He was still cradling my face in his hand, while my hand was still protected in his other. “You are my best friend, but I want you to be more then that. I would like to ask you right now, yes or no, if you, Emily Dowling, my Em, will be my girlfriend.”

I couldn’t believe that Luke O’Neil, I repeat, Luke O’Neil, my best friend from day one, was asking me, Emily Dowling, to be his girlfriend, it knocked the wind out of me. I looked back at Luke, the question eating away at his happiness for my hesitation making him think I was going to say no. I could see his lips move quickly as though chanting, ‘Please say yes. Please say yes.’ I grasped Luke’s hand tighter (if that was possible), and quickly, I said, “Yes, Luke, I will be your girlfriend.”

Luke smiled like he had never smiled before, as he put my ring back on, but in the opposite direction to show that I had a boyfriend. Luke kissed my hand, and then pulled me closer so that little space didn’t exist anymore.

He brought my face nearer to his and lean in closer to me. When our lips touched, it felt like a firecracker just went off in between us; it was the same as the first time. I closed my eyes and rested my hand in his hair. When we parted, I almost died knowing Luke was mine.

I had wanted to do this for a long time. With my left hand, I reached up and stroked his cheek. It was smooth and very soft; I didn’t think I would be able to stop.

As I did this, Luke closed his eyes to fully enjoy it. I whisper to him, “I love you.”

Luke’s eyes flew open and he pulled me into a huge hug with his lips in my ear saying, “I love you too.” I throw my arms around him.

As I did this, I glanced at my ring and whispered into Luke’s ear, “Thank you for being a great best friend. And you better not start becoming a totally different person because I said yes for who you are right now.”

Luke laughed, “I can tell this hasn’t changed anything about you, which is great.”

A thought came into my mind. “When you saw me outside leaning on the wall, did you have déjà vu?”

   “Yes. Why,” Luke asked while playing with my hair.

“Because that was the dream I had that made me over sleep that Saturday. And I was wondering if that was the dream you had only you saw me,” I answered, then added, “I also had another dream about you the night of our first kiss, where you asked me to be your girlfriend.”

Luke pulled back to look at me, “and then I kissed you. So are you saying that when we dream of each other we are having the same dream only I see you as me when you see me as you,” he said.

“That is confusing, but exactly what happens . . . I think,” I said.

“Cool,” pulling open the door, “Shall we go to class now?”

“Yes,” I replied taking Luke’s hand and weaving my fingers through his, “Let’s.” Then I stopped dead in my tracks.

“What?” Luke asked.

“We have English first period,” I answered.

“Right,” we turned on our heels and walked back into the classroom and grabbed two seats side by side.