AFFLICTION- LRH

Harder To Breathe.

Lukes POV:

The first light of dawn crept through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. My eyes fluttered open, the golden rays drawing me gently from the depths of sleep.

As my vision cleared, I look down toMaeve, peaceful and beautiful in her slumber. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

I can't help but to study her, the rise and fall of her chest, the way her hair cascaded over the pillow like a dark waterfall. The memories that had once eluded me now wrapped around my heart like a comforting blanket.

I remembered everything – every laugh, every tear, every moment that made them who they were.

"Thank you," I whisper to no one, to everyone, to the universe that had given me back these precious memories. "Thank you for bringing her back to me, for bringing me back to myself."

As Maeve slept on, unaware of the silent gratitude spilling from my soul, my mind began to race.

I needed a plan, something clever and convincing to sway the people's allegiance from Burke. The stakes were high, and the game was dangerous,

but with Maeve by my side, I felt invincible.

I pondered reaching out to Ashton and the others, allies in the shadows who could help me weave a web of truth and deception.

I prayed they were still alive, or at least had a phone on one of them.

A wry grin spread across my cheeks.

It's time to be the man they all remember and the man they never saw coming.

Leaning down, I kiss Maeve's cheek softly, before I kiss her nose, then her forehead, lastly her lips.

Her eyes open within a flash, only taking but a second to register what I was doing, and she smiles wide.

"Good morning to you too." She giggles.

"We need to call the boys," I say as she begins to stretch, "we need to get them here."

She stops mid stretch, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me, "how exactly can we get them here without Burke suspecting anything?"

"He thinks I'm still on his side," I say, standing from the bed while throwing the blankets off her, her bare body shining from below, "if I suggest we get them here and lock them up, he will assume we can do what he did to me. We can bring them back-"

"And we can all escape." She smiles wide, "I love when your brain works this well in the morning."

"My brain isn't the only thing working this morning." I smirk, watching as her eyes squint a moment in confusion, only before looking down at me.

"Luke!"

My  heart hammered against his my ribs, a relentless drumbeat as I strode down the familiar path to Burke's home.

With each step, my nerves frayed a little more, the tangled web of deceit and truth clinging to my thoughts. The crisp air did little to soothe the storm inside.

Burke's house loomed ahead, an imposing structure that seemed to hold secrets in its very walls. I paused at the gate, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

"This is it," I murmur, "No turning back now."

Pushing the gate open, its creak a soundtrack to my rising anxiety. The gravel crunched beneath my feet, a countdown to the moment of truth.

Inhaling deeply, I raise my hand to knock, but the door swung open before my knuckles could touch the wood.

"Luke! What a surprise," Burke exclaimed, his face a mask of warm hospitality. "Come in, come in!"