Light in the Storm

“Lonnie,” Joe greeted tiredly, coming into view slowly. I smiled at him as I sat in the kitchen alone and returned to eating my muffin. He let out a yawn and ruffled his hair, fixing the glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. “How are you?” I scrunched my nose up and smiled again, giving him a shrug. “Oh boy. Did Nick rub off on you?” he chuckled, bypassing the fridge to plop down next to me. His dark amber colored eyes didn’t hold amusement like I thought they would, his smile forced.

“What do you mean?” I asked softly, clearing my throat before taking another bite of my muffin.

“Nick doesn’t really like talking to me,” he admitted, his eyes darting between my own and my muffin hungrily. I shook my head and handed it to him. He grabbed it quickly and tore a piece of, shoving it in his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, he licked his lips and repeated his actions, leaving me to speak again.

“Yeah he does.” I didn’t know that for sure, but I knew Nick missed Joe. I could feel it. Nick thought Joe was upset with who he was… but that couldn’t be right.

“Well then why doesn’t he?” he asked thoughtfully, taking a smaller bite this time. I stared at him for a moment, using the silence between us to think. Should I tell him what Nick said? Or… did I even have a right to? I bit my lip and looked down at my hands, heaving a heavy sigh.

“You’ve talked about this with him… haven’t you?” he asked quietly, drooping his head a bit. I had never seen Joe so down before; it just wasn’t him.

“Not exactly. Nick doesn’t like sharing his feelings,” Oh how true that was, “but he said that he thinks you’re upset with who he is.”

Joe glanced up quickly, his thick brows furrowed and a frown forming on his lips. “He said that?” His voice was shocked, almost hurt, and he sat up straighter to get a better look at me. I nodded. Joe’s face suddenly twisted with defeat and he set the muffin down, hanging his head a little. “I made him think that?”

“I don’t know Joe,” I tried to comfort, setting my hand on his shoulder. I wasn’t used to comforting people. Nick was the one who had to always comfort me. “Maybe he’s just… confused, you know? He said you complain a lot.” Joe’s lips suddenly twitched into a short smile, his eyes sparking with amusement for only a second before he sighed again.

“I’m just worried about him, you know?” he asked softly, pulling my hand off his shoulder. He held it in his, squeezing to make sure I was listening. I nodded quickly. “He’s had so much responsibility and he never asks for help. I hated how he had to take care of me and Kevin. I hated how he had to help mom out and how he had to make sure Frankie had what he needed. It felt like we were the kids rather than him. I hated that he never acknowledged anything about himself and just stayed blank all the time, hoping that he could just be normal.” I furrowed my eyes at his words, suddenly wondering when Nick didn’t like being a wolf. He had never told me he wanted to be fully human, or if he did I knew he didn’t mean it. This was who Nick was; he was made to be a leader. He was special.

“Normal?” I asked slowly. My eyes met Joe’s and he nodded his head, letting off another sigh. I didn’t understand. “But… he likes being a wolf-”

“I know, I mean… he didn’t at first, but it’s his life now. He likes being in charge, even if he doesn’t show it.” He smirked a little and sent me a wink and I could feel the fire burning in my cheeks again. “But that’s not the problem. It’s-”

“Hey Lonnie-” Nick’s voice suddenly sounded, his feet padding across the kitchen floor. He paused a little, his fist rubbing his eye as he watched me and Joe. His eyes flickered to our connected hands and he raised his eyebrow blankly, letting his arm drop to his side. Joe pulled back slowly, knowing it’d be best not to make it seem like anything--Nick was a jealous person. He looked a little confused though, his eyes flickering back to me in question. I couldn’t help but smile.

“We were talking about you,” I said truthfully. I’d rather deal with his questions rather than his accusations. His eyebrows furrowed and he took a few slower steps forward. He pulled his hand and up and dug his fingers into his curls, toying with the messy ringlets almost nervously. Joe chuckled.

“Hey, there’s a bonfire tonight…” Joe trailed off as he stood, slowly inching himself away from the stern looking Nick. “Are you guys coming?” Nick opened his mouth, most likely to decline, but I smiled and interrupted.

“Definitely.” Joe beamed and nodded, pushing his glasses up as they slid down his nose. Nick sighed a little, taking a few more steps until he was close enough to lean on the counter.

It was silent for a moment after Joe left, the small piece of the muffin that was left sitting on the table was now surrounded by crumbs, and it was almost as if Nick weren’t even in the room. I turned my head and focused my gaze on him, my eyes quickly locking with his intense orbs. He licked his lips and uncrossed his arms, gripping onto the edge of the counter firmly. The drumming of his fingers sounded lightly and I shifted in my seat, rubbing my own tired eyes.

Joe’s words interested me and I wished he would have finished his sentence. If being a wolf didn’t bother Nick and it didn’t worry Joe, then what did?

“Why were you talking about me?” Nick asked suddenly, his voice softer than I expected. I bit my lip.

“I was just wondering what was going on between you and Joe.” I tried to act as if it didn’t matter but we both knew it did. I knew he wasn’t going to tell me, so I decided to ask a question instead. “Were you going to decline the bonfire?”

He tilted his head, his lips turning up into a sly smile; it gave me butterflies. “I was just thinking that we could do something…”

“Okay,” I answered quickly, not even caring that I probably sounded too excited. He chuckled.

“No, it’s okay really. We’ll go to the bonfire instead.”

“But-”

“It’s okay Lonnie,” he cut me off, that sly smile turning into a smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him and stood, crossing my arms over my chest.

“That’s not fair.” I was pouting without even realizing it, but it only made his smile widen.

“Awe,” he cooed, his voice slightly teasing. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist slowly, pulling me into him. His forehead rested against mine and I had to fight back a smile. My eyes trailed away from his and down his covered torso; he was still in his pajamas, just like I was. My eyes landed on the silver chain around his neck and I could see the small rectangular object through his thin shirt. He had never told me what it was, though I had seen it many times, and I was curious. “I didn’t have anything special planned anyway,” he murmured, bringing my attention back to him. I darted my eyes to his and let my smile show while uncrossing my arms. I wrapped them around his torso lightly and leaned forward on my feet, letting my lips stay a few inches from his.

“But did you have anything planned?” I whispered, smiling when he tensed up a bit. He leaned down some and pulled me tighter against him, tilting his head as if he were going to kiss me. My heart began to pound, just like it always did whenever he got too close, and I held my breath. He shut one eye and scrunched his lips together, thinking; I found it adorable.

“No. I was going to let you decide, but you want to go to the bonfire, so we’ll go.”

“You’re so difficult,” I grumbled, though I couldn’t help but smile a little wider. He leaned the short inch forward and caught my lips with his, kissing me gently. Nick was never too affectionate, but I knew he was becoming more comfortable with it. I also knew that he liked being here, home. I smiled and pushed myself forward, deepening the kiss just barely. He slid his hands away from my back and pressed his fingertips into my side, using his thumb to raise the hem of the shirt to glide it over my skin.

I felt so at ease with him, peaceful even though there was so much going on, and I let myself lean into him. He pulled back after a moment, only to press his lips back onto mine for a few more seconds. He seemed to be more comfortable around me lately and I was thankful; I needed him to be okay…

He pulled back, almost in slow motion, and offered me that soft smile. I felt frozen though, a chill running through my body. Things flashed before me, visions, but it was hard to make out. Everything was so slow… but so fast at the same time. I could see myself running through the forest, Nick’s hand in mine as he led the way, but then everything changed. The scenery was dark and I was still running, but Nick was… gone. I could see flashes of different faces, my vision always coming back to Nick in front of me. I felt so blurred, so confused and panicked, but then it was gone… and I didn’t know what to think.

“Lonnie,” Nick’s worried voice barked, his concerned face clearing up. I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood still, doing my best to control all my emotions. My lips parted, almost quivering as I thought of something to say, but my mind stayed blank. All I could do was focus on Nick and clutch to him. Digging my fingers into his arms, I heaved a breath and told myself that it was just Lucas messing with me again. I knew it would happen, but I had to be strong. I had to be strong for Nick because I had to save him. “Lonnie… what is it?” he asked, his voice softer. He bit down on his lip and focused his hard gaze on me, and I knew that he was scared. It broke my heart.

“I,” I tried, my voice barely audible. I shook my head gently and looked down, letting a sigh escape my parted lips. “N-nothing. I just, I…”

He nodded in understanding, though I wasn’t making any sense, and released his grip on me. I watched him hang his head a little and reach his hand up to his neck, but he put on his brave face, letting me know that he wasn’t going to let this bother him. Nick was strong and brave; I needed to be the same.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, but he quickly shook his head.

“You have no reason to be,” he whispered, his voice sincere. It was silent again and I wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was still really there and not just a dream. I didn’t though, afraid that it might be true. I couldn’t handle this. Lucas was driving me crazy. I just wanted to give up, but I knew I couldn’t just by looking at Nick.

“Do you know what I want?” I asked suddenly, doing my best to put a smile on. He looked at me expectantly, cocking his eyebrow a bit. I smiled. “I want some chocolate.” And there it was. His musical laugh sounded and he shook his head, ruffling his curls a bit.

“You do realize how early it is, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I laughed, reaching forward to grab his hand. I kind of always expected him to pull away from me, but he always did the opposite. He curled his fingers with mine and leaned forward, kissing my forehead lovingly. My glow sparked.

“You are something else,” he murmured against my skin, his warmth and intoxicating scent taking me over. I shrugged and curled up closer to him, stepping towards the living room. I swung our arms as we walked, smiling as he rolled his eyes, but he let me. I reached up and gripped his curls, twisting them some, but he ducked away. “That’s enough,” he chuckled, eying me carefully. I huffed playfully and pulled him towards the couch, but he stopped. “I have to do some things today.”

“Like what?” I questioned, truly curious. He shrugged.

“My dad wants to get me familiar with my duties since it’s-” he paused, almost visibly gulping. “almost, the um…”

I knew what he was talking about and although I wished he could just say it, I found it quite adorable that his cheeks were now rosy as he shifted his weight.

“Wedding?” I question. I was noticeably more comfortable than him, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. Sixteen and getting married. It wasn’t really a problem, considering I loved him more than I thought I could love anyone, but I still didn’t know how I would be able to live in this life. I’d have duties of a witch while finishing school, while being married and pretty much doing whatever the council said. I’d fight a little on that.

He smiled sheepishly and nodded, giving my hand a light squeeze. “Do you think you can practice your magic on your own? You have almost all day…” My eyes widened as realization hit me. It was almost as if I had forgotten about my powers and the fact that I needed to practice sometime. Things were going to happen and I needed to know what I was doing.

“Practice by myself?” I gulped, begging him with my eyes. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I’ll have Ryan and Russell keep you company.”

Ryan and Russell. I hadn’t really spent much time with them, none alone actually, but they seemed nice enough. I sighed and gave him a nod, happy when he smiled.

This was going to be a long day.

[&&light]

“Are you kidding?” I grunted, shutting my eyes even tighter. My arms felt like jell-o, but I kept that out in front of me, my burning palms facing the twin wolves. They were faster than I expected, almost as fast as Nick, but they were good at hiding. Luckily they had me practicing on another tree that they were set on keeping up. They were stronger than I expected, too.

“No,” Russell grunted back, obviously the rowdier one. Ryan stayed silent by him, focusing fully on pushing the tree back up as I tried to snap it.

“That’s-not-fair,” I panted, just wanting to give up. We had been practicing for two hours straight, almost 3 hours all together, and I could barely hold myself up. Where the heck was Nick? “There’s two-of you.”

“So?” Russell shouted, his voice strained. The veins in his muscles and neck were popping into view, even through our distance. “You’re-a witch… how is that-fair?” He slipped this time, trying to pull himself back up as the tree began to bend under Ryan’s lone hold. His eyes widened and he yelled, tumbling back as I let out a scream of frustration. I was actually breaking a sweat.

I fell to my knees suddenly, the sound of a large snap echoing through the scattered trees, and then an “ugh” before the slamming of the tree. Dirt flew up into the air and I glanced up with wide eyes, wiping the sweat away from my forehead.

“Oh my gosh!” I squealed, my throat dry. Russell took his time getting to his feet, wiping his dirt covered hands on his gray t-shirt. I ran forward, almost tripping over my own feet, and dropped down beside Ryan. The tree was lying on half of his body, his face squished into the dirt. “Are you okay Ryan?”

“Uhh…” he groaned, his lips squished together like a fish. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“He’s fine,” Russell sighed, stretching out his legs. “Come on Ry; get up.”

“Get the tree off me!” he growled, his words muffled. I sighed heavily and focused my attention on the tree, pleased when it began to lift slowly. He scrambled to get to his knees before crawling away, allowing me to drop the heavy item. It took a lot out of me.

“You aren’t too good at this, are you?” Russell asked after helping his brother stand, blowing the muddy brown hair out of his face. I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my sore arms over my chest, breathing a sigh of relief as the cool wind picked up, tickling my face.

“Nick says I’m good,” I grumbled, not realizing that I was pouting. Russell smirked.

“Nick just wants to get some.” My mouth dropped open in shock and I was prepared to say something, but that smooth voice cut me off, making my heart jump.

“That seems a little desperate, doesn’t it?” Russell’s eyes shot over to Nick and I quickly spun around, smiling breathlessly as my own eyes caught sight of him. He glided forward gracefully, his hands shoved into his tight jean pockets while his curls blew in the wind. His unbuttoned over shirt flowed along with his every step, tiny clouds of dust puffing up under his worn converse. “But I guess you would know desperate.” I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. The creases around Nick’s mouth showed as his smug smirk appeared, his soft eyes dancing with amusement. Ryan choked on his laughter, trying to mask it as a cough as Russell’s cheeks burned. He knew the insult was playful though and began to laugh himself.

“Thanks Nick. I appreciate that.”

“No problem Russ,” he smiled, his eyes trailing over my face when he stopped next to me. “So how’s the practice going?” he asked, his attention directed towards me. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood and I knew he had a good time with his dad. I smiled.

“She’s actually not that bad,” Ryan spoke up, his voice only slightly surprised. I smiled thankfully at him.

“He’s only saying that because she lifted a tree off him,” Russell snorted, pushing back his thick hair; the scar over his eyebrow was only a little more visible.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Nick mumbled, his eyebrows raised. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand, not bothering to wait for him to lace our fingers together. He didn’t seem to mind.

“How’d your little wolf time go?” I asked, nudging him a little.

“There’s a lot to learn about being the great wolf,” he sighed, though his smile was still present. He began to toy with his curls again, though it seemed more like an absent gesture rather than from nerves.

“At least you have someone to direct you.” I meant it as a positive thing, but as the words ran through my mind I realized that I didn’t have anyone to help me like he did. I didn’t have my mom and my dad didn’t know anything.

“Eve will be more than happy to help you,” he said quickly, somehow knowing what I was thinking. I gave him a quick smile, though it wasn’t as genuine as I wanted, and brought up our connected hands. I could feel his other hand grip my chin, forcing me to look at him gently. Our eyes locked and the seriousness was there again. “And you know you have me. I know it’s not the same, but just know you always have someone there for you.”

My real smile reappeared and I leaned forward, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and I felt as if nothing could get to me, like, with Nick, I was safe. I knew I was. I could feel him set his head on mine and I inhaled deeply, feeling calm and warm again.

“Get a room!” Russell cackled, making my cheeks burn with a blush again. Nick mumbled something that I didn’t hear but I knew it was probably some sarcastic comment. I loved how he always kept it to himself, like he was too polite to let anyone hear him.

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” Ryan shrugged, blushing as all of our eyes landed on him. Russell looked at him as if he were crazy. “I mean, they’re soul mates. You remember how Nick was when he first brought her here. Now they can’t go anywhere without each other.” Ryan shrugged his shoulders and kicked at a few pebbles, squinting his eyes in the setting sun. I could see Nick smile. None of us said anything, but I appreciated it.

“Hey,” Russell spoke suddenly, his voice bringing all of us back. “Are you two coming to the bonfire? It’s gonna get dark soon; they should be starting it.”

“Yeah,” Nick answered softly, pulling away from my hold. I sighed; Nick could only cuddle for so long.

“Alright, we’ll see you there oh great wolf.” Russell saluted Nick with a smirk, gaining a wave and a chuckle from Ryan before the two retreated back to their house. The village was surprisingly large for something set in the middle of the forest. It was truly amazing.

Nick pulled away from me suddenly and focused his gaze on the ground. He began to roam around in almost a circle aimlessly, the silence surprisingly comfortable. I knew he had something on his mind. I shifted my weight and turned as he began to roam around behind me, clasping his hands behind his back. I couldn’t help but laugh. He glanced up and shot me a warm smile, his chocolate orbs soft and loving. Those butterflies swarmed again.

“I um…” he started, pausing to think about what he wanted to say. “Joe talked to me.” I was a little confused; Joe and Nick talked… they were brothers. “About a lot,” he added, and then it clicked. They talked about their differences, if there were any, and by the looks of it they got it sorted out. I smiled.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said breathily, adding a nod. He made his way back over to me slowly, his eyes seeming to smile. “He told me you talked to him… this morning.”

“Barely, just before you came in,” I replied, immediately remembering Joe’s surprise. He wanted things to be okay with his brother. I knew Nick wanted that too.

“We discussed a few things and I guess we both had the wrong idea. He… he wasn’t upset with who I was, just worried about how I’d handle things. And we agreed that we could put everything behind us.” I could tell that he was going to get emotional if he kept talking about it, so I smiled and stepped forward, wrapping him in a tight hug… the best I could anyway. He returned it immediately, pulling me closer just as he had before. “Thanks Lonnie, really. Without you I probably wouldn’t have even talked to him,” he whispered in my ear, his warm breath massaging my skin.

“You do a lot for me, so I’m glad I could help.” My voice was a little shaky as he nuzzled his face against me, his smile spreading as he pressed his lips to my skin. The tip of his nose tickled down my skin, the feeling like a feather, and I shivered. He knew what he was doing to me. My eyes fluttered closed when he placed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, my hands sliding up his back to dig into his hair.

“Hmm,” he hummed lowly, his chest vibrating against mine. He lips met mine suddenly and he kissed me romantically. I felt my knees go weak but I clung to him, kissing him back deeply. I didn’t know what I was focusing on or if it was even me who made Nick act so quickly, but he backed me up, lifting me off the ground some, and he pushed me into a tree that I didn’t even know was there. I remembered that we had kissed this way before and I smiled, but all thoughts escaped me once he pushed tighter against me, sliding his hand up my thigh as I locked my legs around his waist. The blood pumped rapidly through my veins and I leaned closer to him, pressing him to me fully. I could hear him groan lowly, but he began to pull back, his eyes still intense. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice softer than I expected, sincere. I smiled through my deep breaths.

“I love you too.”

It still felt a little odd, expressing our feelings, but it felt… right. Just thinking about it made me beam.

“Okay, umm…” a voice suddenly sounded. I glanced up as Nick twisted, both of us seeing Joe and his amused face. “I don’t want to know what you’re doing, so I’ll just go ahead and tell you that mom wants us to eat before going to the bonfire.”

It was only then that I realized how fast it was getting dark. I blushed a little, giggling when I realized Nick’s cheeks were almost a bright red--he didn’t like anyone seeing his private side.

“Okay,” he answered quickly, pulling away so I could stand on my feet. I reached up and kissed his cheek, giggling again once his blush deepened. Joe chuckled and locked Nick’s gaze, and I was happy at how at ease they now looked. It was right.

[&&light]

I didn’t realize how many people were actually gathering around the bonfire until I had dragged Nick outside. Joe and Kevin were on either side of us as I held Nick’s hand happily my eager eyes settling on all the new, and slightly familiar, faces. There were older people and young kids, and there were teenagers with varying ages. I knew all of them were either wolves or family of the wolves, but I had spotted a few vampires. There were, however, no witches. Did wolves really not like them?

As if Nick knew what I was thinking, he gave my hand a squeeze and offered a warm smile, keeping his pace slow to match mine. Chatter filled the cool air and the large fire that in the center of the dirt area just before the trees began to cluster up lit almost the whole place. It was beautiful somehow and I found myself excited just to be here.

The air got warmer with each step towards the fire we took and my eyes were fixated on the blazing orange and red flames. It was beautiful to me. Glancing down at my hand in Nick’s, I realized that my glow resembled a fire. I saw Ryan and Russell from over the flickering flames and they waved, smiles on both of their faces. I nudged Nick and he glanced up, tugging on me a little once he spotted his friends. Joe and Kevin followed dutifully, keeping a distance away from us though. I couldn’t help but notice the way people stared at me and Nick, but he didn’t seem to care so I tired not to as well; it was just hard considering that I was the only witch.

They all said a greeting once we reached the boys, sitting as the prompted. I noticed the way Nick pulled me closer and the way his arm snaked around my shoulder. I liked it. It was just the little gestures that made me feel special, that made me feel like a normal person with an amazing boyfriend. It also occurred to me that Nick was my fiancé, but that was something I had never really thought about before.

“What’s the point of this?” I whispered suddenly, tilting my head that rested on Nick’s shoulder. He leaned down out of reflex and then turned to face me without pulling too far away, shrugging.

“It’s kind of just for fun, a chance for everyone to get along,” he murmured over the loud noises, ignoring the sudden laughter that was coming from Joe and Russell.

“That’s… kind of nice.” My lips twitched up into a smile and he nodded, spreading his legs out in front of him. The warmth of the fire was radiating out, saving my face from the cold. It wasn’t the same as Nick’s touch though.

We sat around the fire for what seemed like hours, all of us seeming to get into a conversation. Even the people I didn’t know seemed to address me or know me somehow. My cheeks burned and hurt from all my smiling and I wiped away the tears, unable to stop a few giggles from sounding again. Nick’s smile seemed almost permanent, the expression sweet, making me smile even wider. Ryan and Russell were funnier than I expected, taking pointers from Joe as he made Kevin spit out his drink.

“Sometimes I wonder how I got caught up in all this,” Nick chuckled, trying to calm himself. I gasped for breaths, following his lead. His hand found mine and he began to scoot over. I moved so he could, smiling down at him as he lied on his back. He focused his gaze on the stars above, his hand still in mine, and I decided to lie next to him. It was so beautiful and peaceful out here… I never wanted to leave. I missed my dad, but it felt right being here. I’d have to ask Nick when we could come back.

I bit my lip and pushed any bad thoughts away, deciding that now was not the time to think about Lucas and the nightmares. Now was the time to live in the moment; now was the time to tell Nick how I felt about him, even though he already knew.

“You mean… everything to me,” I breathed slowly, keeping my gaze on the dark sky. A few of the tiny dots twinkled, almost holding a reflection of the flames. I could feel Nick’s eyes on me and I bit my lip, allowing my cheek to rest on the soft dirt

“Do I?” he murmured, his tone surprised and questioning, though I could hear the smile in it.

“I don’t know how I made it so long without you.” He blinked a few times before lowering his gaze, resting his head closer to mine. Our forehead's rested together and our breathing matched evenly; he smiled.

“You’re only sixteen.”

“I know,” I whispered, “but that’s why I don’t want to lose you. Not now… not ever.” My voice didn’t quiver because I wasn’t trying to dwell on anything, but I was trying to let him know that I would fight for him. I couldn’t be without him.

“You won’t,” he said calmly, his eyes flickering back up to mine. He opened his mouth but let it close back up slowly, a long breath escaping. He sat himself up suddenly and I followed, watching him with curiosity as he dug into his pocket.

My gaze flickered to the object he was now holding in his hand. Something that looked like a chain dangled as he twisted himself around until he was completely facing me, his expression serious yet soft. He heaved a sigh and smiled shyly, holding his hand out. He unclasped his fingers and allowed me to see what was on the golden chain; a small gold heart sat in his palm perfectly, glistening in the many lights around. My eyes widened in awe and I pushed my lips together, taking a glance up at him through my bangs.

“It’s… for you,” he informed me, his voice even, but his eyes were nervous. I felt a wide smile spread across my lips and he relaxed some.

“Why?” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice.

“I just… wanted to give you something. And it’s supposed to make up for my lack of proficiency on proposing.” He gave me another shy smile but leaned forward this time, raising his eyebrows in question. I could feel my glow spark without even looking at it and I managed to turn myself around, ignoring the puffs of dirt that flew into the air by my quick movements. He chuckled lightly as he brushed my hair away, making me shiver as his breath splayed against my skin, creating goosebumps. His warm fingertips pressed against my skin as he pulled the necklace around my neck, quickly clasping it. I glanced down and smiled even wider as it nestled against my chest, right next to the golden orb.

“I love it,” I breathed, turning around to face him. “A lot.” He let off another chuckle, this one seeming a little more relieved, and draped his arm over my shoulders casually. He pulled me into him and used his other hand to tilt my chin up, taking a moment to stare into my eyes with his soulful ones. He pressed his lips to mine warmly and just like that I felt whole. I felt like I had no worries and for a night, I didn’t. I could just lay down with him and not have to worry about anything.

And that was one of the things I needed.