Holding on to Forever

« eleven »

Luke got the keys to our rooms — we were sleeping in different rooms situated side by side. Close enough but too far for my own liking. I respected him for deciding to to stay in different rooms — but I couldn't help the tiny pinch of disappointment in when I realized that I wouldn't be spending the night with him.

The elevator doors were about to close when someone slipped their leg between the doors to hold it open, revealing two teenagers — a girl and a boy, both drenched from head to toe.

"Sorry, we're trying to hide –" said the boy

"– more precisely, run away –" added the girl

"– from our mentally-disturbed friends." He held on to the railings, looking out of breath and exhausted.

Luke and I glanced to each other before he smiled at them, "No problem." They looked like the ultimate, inseparable power couple — or maybe best friends. The way they were around each other was a clear indication that they were, indeed, into each other without the other's knowledge.

It was then I realized they haven't pressed the button for the floor number. "Which floor do you want to go to?" I tried to ask politely, but sounded stern and cold — the complete opposite of my intention.

The girl glanced at me with her warm hazel eyes, "Fifteenth actually, same floor as you," she smiled and glanced down at her worn up high-top shoes before looking back to me, "I'm Reyna, by the way." She said, reaching out her hand with an innocent smile on her face.

"I'm Norah," I shook her hand, "and this guy over there is Luke."

Luke introduced himself to Reyna and the boy — whose name I learned was Max before the elevator doors opened.

We exchanged numbers, me and Reyna at least, before going our separate ways — us to the right hallway and them to the left. Luke was silent the entire time we were walking, with his eyes unfocused and his mind somewhere far from where we are. I was carefully searching for our room numbers while he was following me — without any help or actually noticing anything.

"There it is." I said with a sigh of relief. As much as I loved to be in his company 24/7, with the way he was acting this moment made me feel anxious and worried. He wordlessly took out his room key and finally looked at me. His eyes slowly focusing and going back to normal.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly, afraid that he would be distant like he was five minutes ago. I was used to be in the company of someone yet alone at the same time — but with him, everything we do was like testing uncharted waters. Both of us completely out of our usual territory and exploring new landscapes we had no idea how to navigate.

He inhaled and seemed to calculate what he was going to say next, "I was worried," came his response after almost forever. "and nervous. And anxious. And completely clueless and is running out of words to describe the current state of my jumbled emotions right now." He inhaled another deep breath and exhaled.

"Why are you worried, and nervous? Do I have a reason to feel the same?" I stopped whatever I was doing and turned to face him completely.

"No. I'm just worried about you after what happened in the car and tired in general. Nervous because I'm complete shit at this boyfriend-girlfriend thing and thinking about my sister at the same time."

His honest reply shocked me. Partially because I realized he never was completely opened to me and for the reason that I didn't think that he was actually really thinking deeply about us — about me.

"Lucas Carson, you're still a complete mystery to me, you know that?" I tiptoed and pecked his lips. An action he mustn't have expected before. He immediately circled his hands around me and kissed me back, more eager and with more emotions than ever before.

We broke apart before our desires take the best of us and opted to hugging each other one last time before we call it a night.

"It's getting late." My head was rested right in front of his heart where I could hear the change in the pattern of its beats per minute. One second it'll be racing and the next, calming beats that could soothe me and lull me to sleep.

"You're right – and I'm driving. Yeah, we need some rest." He lets go of me and kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Norah."

Both of us went to our respective rooms and I lay on the bed, that's too big for one person — thinking about how the rest of this trip is going to end until I fell asleep.
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Author's Note: 
I only have two or three chapters in stock left and it's starting to get a tad bit challenging to get into Norah's head.

On the other hand, I finished writing the epilogue for this and this chapter is kind of a short introduction to the main characters in another book (coming soon) — but in the meantime, please don't forget to vote and/or comment if you enjoyed this chapter!

<3