Embers

Senior Year

"Promise me that you'll never leave..that you won't promise forever and walk away like the rest of them." I gaze up at the stars that seem to dance above our heads in the night sky. I twist my hands anxiously as I await his response.

Keith sighs deeply and runs his fingers gently through my hair. "I promise you that I won't break you. I will never hurt you and baby, even if I wanted to, I couldn't leave you. You're my life support, my reason for existing. You're the air that circulates through my lungs and the blood that pumps steadily in my veins." He leans over to gently brush my lips with his, a sweet, genuine whisper of a kiss. "I'll never want anyone besides you, my queen. For nobody ignites the fire in my soul as you do. And certainly, no one makes my heart feel as whole as you do my love. No one."

I smile as the tears flood my eyes. "I shall love you for eternity my king." Keith reaches over and swiftly moves me onto him and gently rids my flushed cheeks of the rebellious tears that escaped my floodgates.

"I love you Launi. So much." I tilt my head at him and kiss his warm cheek. He slides his hands up my bare legs and rests his hands on my hips.

I feel my cheeks turn redder as I ask him a question that's been bombarding my mind since we arrived in the gorgeous field. "Are you ever going to tell me why you brought me out here so late at night?" Keith smiles mischeviously and gently stands us both up in the bed of his truck.

"Gladly, my love." He reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out a navy blue velvet box. My heart begins to soar as it often does around him. He kneels down on one knee and opens the little box to reveal a blue diamond crested engagement ring. I smile so wide I fear my face will freeze this way, but for the moment I do not care. I stop caring about anything besides the love of my life kneeling before me. "Launi Raven-Marie Smalls, will you please...Wake up?" My face contorts in confusion.

"What?"

"Wake up."

I bolt upright in bed and look around. My roommate Penny Edwards watches me in amusement. I growl in frustration and exclaim, "BLOODY HELL!" She laughs.

"I take it you had the same dream as the night before? And the night before?" She smirks in pure amusement and I regard her with narrowed eyes, hating that my best friend is enjoying my agony. I snap back my Johnny Depp blankets and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

"Yes, Penny, the same damn dream that has been MOCKING me for the last year and a half." I stand up and stretch my achy limbs and glumly walk to the closet that we share. Penny laughs as she ties her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair into a knot on top of her head.

"Although your routinely morning fits are amusing as hell, we have got to do something about the dreams." I poke my head out of the closet and look at her with my signature judgemental look. "What!?"

"As badly as I would love to get rid of these dreams that cause me severe amounts of pain when I wake up, there is no possible way I can cure them." I sigh and go back into the closet to continue hunting for what I want to wear.

I hear Penny sigh as I scan through my side of the closet for something to go with the jeans I picked out. "I just hate seeing you like this. And I hate that he doesn't even acknowledge how you feel about him." I step out of the closet wearing a black hoodie with a quote from Edgar Allan Poe on the front and a Raven on the back, and my faded, torn skinny jeans.