Wildflower [c.h.]

11

"You two are disgusting." Ashton made gagging noises from the other couch. I rolled my eyes and pulled away from Luke, whose lips were swollen and his eyes wild. School ended just hours before we all piled into Ashton's house.

"Shut up, Ash," Katie said from her upside down position. "They're young and in love."

My face turned red and and I hid it in Luke's chest as he chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. Katie and Michael played the XBox while Ashton sat on his phone and looked at the t.v. every once and a while.

Luke and I sat on the loveseat, cuddled up next to each other. We watched them play for a while until he started kissing my cheek, where it quickly escalated. He asked me out earlier and we planned on going to see a movie on Friday. It only being Tuesday, I was quickly growing impatient but I was excited. It had been three days since he kissed me and we've made a habit of it, unfortunate to Ashton.

I peeked out of Luke's shirt to see Michael throw his controller down and glare at Katie. "You're lucky I'm taking it easy on you," he murmured.

Katie laughed at that. "We all know I'm better than you." She looked at me for reassurance, and I nodded, saying, "she's the best." She really wasn't, but I wouldn't tell her that.

"Yeah, right." Michael walked to the console and switched the game, some racing game appearing on the screen.

Luke leaned down and whispered in my ear, "why don't we go outside for a bit?" His lips lingered on the spot just below my ear in a quick kiss.

I nodded and we got up. Ashton looked at us and narrowed his eyes. "Where are you going?" Luke returned the look and replied with, "outside." He didn't wait for a reply as he took my hand to lead me out the back door.

Ashton's backyard held a flower bed that ran along the left side right in front of the fence, the sapphire flowers it held were unruly, the weeds that grew with them were tangled in their stems. The other side held a stone birdbath that was surrounding by golden marigolds. In the middle was a pool that came to the middle of my torso when we walked by it. Luke led me to the tree in the corner of the fenced yard and sat me on his lap underneath it.

I played with his hands and asked, "why did we come out here?"

He put his chin on my shoulder and answered, "I just wanted a moment to sit here by ourselves." His voice was a whisper that got carried away in the wind after he talked.

He nuzzled his head into my neck, his hot breath blowing over my skin. His lips touched the spot above my collarbone, slowly making their way to my jaw and then my cheek. Then he spoke right next to my mouth, "you're pretty."

I giggled at the funny voice he used. "Thanks." We went silent and I watched as leaves fell from the tree behind us. It wasn't quite fall yet, but the leaves were turned into a light brown as they fell. The air was slightly chilly against Luke's warm arms.

The bright sun was hid behind branches, making it feel cool under the shade of the tree. I always loved sitting there at the oak tree my dad planted in our back yard. He put out a hammock, but I preferred the grass, sitting on the ground on hot summer days while drawing in my notebooks that held math equations or science theories.

It was always just me until one day Katie came over and I showed her my favorite spot in the yard. She continued to sit there with me, drinking in the sun since the tree wasn't that tall yet.

"Val, what's your favorite kind of food?"

"Chinese, why?"

He shrugged and held me closer. "I just want to know some things about you."