Devote [book 1]

35

Lucas' POV

The sun shone on my eyes, I groaned and looked at the clock on the bedside table to see it was only 6 in the morning.

Wait. I don't have grey bedsheets. And they smell new.

I looked around and then turned to see Imogen sleeping soundly. Her hair splayed over the pillow, her breathing slow and steady. She seemed at peace.

Memories from the night before came back and flooded my mind.

I looked at her face and then I saw the love marks I left on her body.

"Stop staring," she whispered.

"I can't stop staring at something that's like art at a museum."

She blushed and slapped my forearm.

"You can't say stuff like that and expect me to not do anything," she laughed.

I pecked her lips and continued to look at her face. I wanted to memorize every aspect of her, her flaws were what made her perfect and unique. They made her my Imogen.

"I love you," I said without thinking.

As soon as those three words came out, I knew that I meant them and even after everything that happened, I still love her as if I had met her yesterday. With all the ups and downs we've went through and the tragedies.

I knew that this was the woman I want to marry, the woman I want to have a family with, the woman I want to grow old with.

"You haven't said that to me in forever," she whispered.

She seemed surprised. Shocked even.

"Mo, I want you. I've always wanted you. I want you to become the person who I marry, have a family with, and grow old with. I see you in my future ten years from now, I have always seen you in my future. I want us to be happily married and at a House with our children playing in the backyard. That is what I imagine with you and what I want to happen with you."

A tear escaped her eye, my thumb wiping it.

I caressed her face, her leaning her head closer.

"I love you too," she whispered with her eyes closed.

"I want you to be the man whom I bear my children with. I want you to be the one who I walk down the aisle for."

I didn't know what to say. So, I kissed her. It wasn't like our other kisses, this kiss had every emotion we were feeling, it had more than passion. It felt like she handed me the world and I gave her my entire being.
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Imogen's POV
(A few days later)

Screams. My ears were being muffled but I could still hear the bone-chilling screams.

My name was being called out but I could still see everything happening in front of me. I could still see the blood, the pools of blood of all those innocent people.

I looked down at my clothes to see blood splatter, my face had the warm blood dripping down my face.

Lucas. He was one of those innocent people. His blood was one of the many that coated my skin.

It wasn't mine, I felt no pain so it couldn't be mine, right?

My body was being pushed, the sun making me squint.

All those bodies, those people, what did they do to deserve this?

The feeling of cold water hit my skin. The sky instantly grey from what I had seen just seconds ago.

Rain is good luck. I repeated as my mantra.

"What happened?" I heard a muffled voice frantically ask.

Were they talking to me?

I couldn't move, I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I felt helpless.

"Are you hurt?" Someone asked.

I turned my head to my right to see a man. Lucas.

I started to cry. Instinctively my hands wrapped around his neck.

"W-who are you?" He asked.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are," he said.

No.

He let me go and left. He left to another woman who was carrying a child. He smiled at her and gave her a kiss.

"Lucas!" I screamed.

My pants filled the room as I sprang up from the bed.

I could still feel the blood on my face. The feeling of it made me nauseous.

I made my way to the toilet, vomiting endlessly.

Lucas held my hair back and rubbed my back while whispering soothing words.

"You- you don't have to be here," I said.

"Shh," He soothed.

More vomit made its way up my throat, burning like acid.

After a while, the vomit subsided to heaving. I brushed my teeth and made my way to the bed with Lucas right behind me.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked.

I shook my head.

I couldn't even understand my own nightmares. They were laced with confusion and fake thoughts.

"Please don't leave me alone," I whispered to him.

"Never baby, never."

With him caressing my back, I soon fell into a heavy, deep sleep.