Farewell and Goodnight || Sequel to Closer to You

Ten

Chapter Ten.

{ E L L I E }

"Auntie Ellie?" Evangeline called as I started to settle into my guest bed room. I missed the snow, but I did not miss it more than home.

"What's up, little lady?" I turned, setting my clothes down.

"There's someone at the door for you." She giggles, hiding behind the door halfway. I smirk, looking back at her.

"Oh really?"

"Mmhmm."

"What does the visitor look like?"

"He's tall. And has dark hair and he's walking up the stairs right now."

I hear a deep chuckle and Evangeline blushes when she looks over at the visitor. The visitor leans down and tickles her chin. Evangeline's laughter rings out in my ears as I pull out another shirt from my suitcase. I turn back around and lean against my bed.

Luke stands before me, hands in his pockets as he leans in the doorway. He looks at ease, and almost rested. He wears an olive green jacket with a dark blue shirt. Navy blue jeans and old sneakers complete the look. I can smell cologne radiating off his body, and it only makes me love him more. His lips pull back into a coy smile. Luke is like a panther in my eyes: quiet but also dangerous.

"Hi." I say, finally able to speak.

"Hi." He says back, sounding just as breathless as I do.

Evangeline giggles before leaving the room. I smile sweetly at her before turning to look back at Luke.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Luke asks me.

"I did. I was torn away from civilization for about two weeks." I said, feigning disappointment.

"In a magnificent log cabin with your family?" Luke chuckles, whole body vibrating.

"I guess it wasn't so bad." I shrug playfully, making the both of us laugh. "And how was your Christmas?"

He smiled. "Tight knit. Sister. Aunts and uncles. Cousins. It was nice."

"Yours sounds nicer than mine."

"That can't be true."

"We always do big trips and lavish getaways, but all I really want is to stay home with the people I love." I find my eyes wavering up to his and then back to the floor.

Luke steps closer to me, hands still in his pockets but from the way they move against the denim fabric, I can tell they want to be freed.

"Then perhaps I'll take you back home to my place next Christmas." He smiles, finally using his hands and tucking a loose strand behind my ear.

"Is that an invitation?" I smirk.

"It is a promise." He smirks back, before pressing his lips to mine in a very soft manner. He is a gentleman. I love him for that.

"Did Meg stop you on the way in?" I ask, turning away to empty my suitcase. He watches me, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"She always does." Luke smiles. "Like a mum."

"You're like her second son, you know." I laugh softly. "She'd take you in if she could."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever need a place to crash." He joked, stretching his arms above his head and leaning back into my pillows. I roll my eyes as he spreads himself out along my bed.

"I'd probably get tired of you real fast." I threw one of my sweaters over his face.

He pulled the sweater away from his face, giving me a playful glare. "Take that back."

"But I'm speaking the truth." I smile to myself, walking over to my dresser and stacking my shirts carefully by color. "Can you handle that?"

"No. Because I know that's not the truth."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I ain't calling you a truther!" He says, making me laugh. I walk back over to him and through my laughter I kiss his cheek.

"Part of the reason why I tolerate you."

"Tolerate?" He scrunched up his nose, pulling my hand as I straighten myself up. "You do a little more than tolerate me."

"Hush." I say, laughing a little more until he pulls me by my hand and gently onto the bed. His arms wrap around me as I lay my head against his chest. We sort of stay there for a while, just being still.

Eventually, we get up, head downstairs, somewhat socialize, then head back outside. He holds my hand when we start to walk around the neighborhood. I squeeze his hand once we past by Roy's old house. It still sits empty across from our house. No longer are there blinds shaking or light flickering in the late hours of the night. The house is still.

Luke and I stop and just sort of stare at the old house. We don't stand there for too long because of the bad memories it had brought. I kiss Luke's cheek as his eyes flicker everywhere but on the house.

"You okay?" I whisper.

"No." He says back in a hoarse voice. "But you understand. And that's all I need. People who understand."

I wrap my arms around his torso, tucking my head under his strong arms as we stare at the house. Eventually, we move along, our hands swinging slightly as a breeze lures us closer to the end of the street.

"This is as far as Lou lets me walk." I say out loud. "Alone, anyways."

"What else is around here?" Luke says softly and then it sort of hits me. When he lived over here, he probably didn't get out much.

"There's a park down that way." I point to the right. Cars gently whiz by, blowing our hair in opposite directions as we find ourselves standing closer to one another. "Main street is to the left and there's a lot of little stores and things a little further down." I point to the left. "I'll have to give you a little tour." I smile in satisfaction and he chuckles.

"Lead the way then."

I showed him everything from grocery stores to the small arcade tucked in the corner of the plaza. He decided on the arcade and we found ourselves alone in a complete room full of retro games. I told him sometimes Liam would take me by here after taking me to the little diner in the plaza as well.

We filled our hands with tokens and accepted the gold coin as another chance at the childhoods that neither of us ever really had. We were all just kids who had grown up too fast. We couldn't go back, but we could just move forward.

When he beat my high score in Asteroids, I smiled. I loved this boy with all my heart. Like lullabies, he would forever be in my mind. The kindness he showed me, would never be forgotten.

"What?" Luke looked over at me, a twinkle in his eye as he laughed. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Because your beautiful." I said, before bursting out into laughter. He joined in, realizing what we had just done.

"Oh my gosh! Stop flirting with me!"

As we left the arcade, I felt like in this game of life, I had been given several lives. Each one had been used accordingly - some sacrificed, others wisely spent. I had past levels and levels, but now I had finally felt like I had won.