BACK TO YOU (Fully Updated)

Chapter 18: Lucas

Chapter 18

Lucas

Chloe and I had a perfect night... and morning-together.

I watched her peaceful form while she slept snugly in my arms. It had been eons since I did, and the last time was when I was contemplating how I would propose to her.

I would never forget that afternoon. We were entwined in our favorite spot on my couch-she was sleeping, and I was, of course, thinking about my proposal, when I heard her soft voice. She was whispering my name: Luc, Luc babe, I wanna eat ice cream. It was so endearing-that her sweet tooth still bugged her in her unconscious state, and that I was in her dreams. I had never imagined that I could love her even more, and that made me become more determined to marry her.

I had no rest the entire night, and was only able to have a short shuteye while Chloe was in the shower; and woke up the second I felt the touch of her delicate lips on each of my eye. That was a perfect way to end a nap, and I wasn't feeling the least bit tired, anyway. It was the exact opposite, actually. My feet could run a marathon and back. I could climb a mountain, swim for miles-and I won't huff a breath. I was that high.

I knew it was the exhilaration, of the unbelievable fact that she was in my arms once more, that was making me feel this way. Everything seemed so easy for me today. Love, passion, inspiration, hope-they were all converging deep in my chest-giving me this amazing, heady rush.

As I brushed her hair languorously in the early hours of the day, my mind wandered back to that night at the restaurant before the earthquake. The evening was perfect then, too. So perfect, that the tragedy at the end of it came out as a total shock and desolation to everyone. A nightmare coming to life.

There was a saying that when you had reached excessive happiness at one point in your life, there was something terribly bad that would happen afterwards. It couldn't have been truer in my case.

But there was a reason I was still alive. For what purpose, I didn't know. And so I stitched my wound, stood up, and followed once more the course of the circle that was called life.

But now I knew what it was. Who it was. And she made her way back to me.

I wanted to see Chloe happy. To watch her beautiful mouth break into a smile. I wanted to hear her infectious laugh. I wanted her in my arms, to hold her and just keep her with me for the rest of my life.

The hours passed and now I was laughing quietly while I watched Chloe teach Lizzie how to properly fork-twirl pasta. Lizzie's spaghetti was stubbornly sliding from her fork and she was getting really impatient, so Chloe volunteered to help her out. They were finally getting the hang of it after a few tries when I excused myself and called Raul for an update. I couldn't reach him this morning but this time he answered after two rings, and informed me that he had spoken with the authorities regarding the situation and said that they will be making the necessary arrangements, as these procedures take time. I told him to do whatever he could to make the process faster, and he promised that he would. He dictated the contact's name and number, and we concluded the conversation with the assurance that he would be present during the entire process. Now all I had to do was wait. And pray.

And while waiting, I would focus on Chloe and how I could get her to open up to me. I wanted to find out what happened to her during the three years that she was gone from my life. I wanted to know more of the new Chloe, the one who survived the earthquake, the shy one, the one who can cook even with eyes closed.

The Chloe without the memories of us.

And the Chloe who lived under Marc Colton's roof.

Soon, I would discover how she ended on his doorstep. Soon, I would find out how and why she was hidden from me. Why she was kept hidden from her past.