Everlasting Bonds - COMPLETE

Chapter 16

I was so wrong.

The way Luka captured her, it looked like she was filled with silent joy. The tiny curve of her lips and the angle of her head as she rested it against the wall, made it look like she was relishing in a memory that the rest of us only wished we could share with her. The wild curls that adorned her head were perfectly lit up with the fluorescent light from above.

It was a beautiful shot.

"Luka this is gorgeous. I wish I could see like you.", I hoped my compliment didn't sound generic. He was so talented.

"Thank you. You just see differently than me. Remember all those journals you used to have that were filled to the brim with stories you created. I just look a little deeper into what's in front of me. You turn what's in front of you into something bigger.", he replied. Luka brought his lips to my forehead and let his lips rest there for a moment.

Being with him like this brought tears to my eyes and tried to blink them away before they spilled over onto my cheeks.

When our train came, we climbed inside and found seats together near the back. We almost missed our stop because I was so enraptured with the photos he was showing me on his camera. We were still laughing about it when we finally made our way back up to the street level.

My apartment was only a few minutes away and I realized that none of them had been there before. I was suddenly worried about if I had food left out and I couldn't remember if I had made my bed before I left.

When we finally got to my building I turned to Luka. The way the streetlights highlighted his bone structure in this light took my breath away for a moment and I suddenly forgot all the words I had planned to say.

Clearly, the crushes I had on them didn't go away after nine years of being apart. I finally got a hold of myself, but not before a knowing smirk appeared on Luka's face."Something distracting you Lark?", he asked sarcastically. His smirk turning into a breathtaking smile.

"Yes, actually I just cannot believe how weird your face is. It still surprises me every time I see you", I joked. His roaring laughter echoed into the night and I was glad he allowed me to play it off without embarrassing myself. I had been caught checking him out and he knew it.

"But, I was wondering if you were planning on coming up. I don't want to distract you from taking photos." I hoped he couldn't hear the desperation in my voice. I wanted him to come up so we could keep hanging out. Every interaction I had with them felt like a drug.

Having lunch with Aidan earlier was amazing and I hadn't wanted to leave him. Which is how I ended up agreeing to spend some time at his place.

Luka's response broke up my reverie.

"Yes. I'd like that", his reply was soft and he looked at me wistfully.

I turned around and nodded at him to follow me. When we got upstairs and I unlocked my door, I suddenly felt exposed. This was my space and I hadn't been alone in a room with someone since being in Italy.