Bridge of the Gods [ON HOLD]

Chapter 16 - This Coma

Luke is relentless when it comes to teaching me French. He constantly points out things that we pass, teaching me the words for tree, flower, mountain. At first, I act like I'm grumpy (mainly because he keeps picking words that involves a French r, something I still haven't mastered yet... and most likely never will), but I have to admit that I like it nonetheless. So eventually I lose the grumpy act and enthusiastically repeat every word that Luke presents.

He stays true to his promise, not talking about me or our almost-kiss, and instead focusing on French and ourselves. After our last talk, he kept his distance when we got ready for the night in the tent, but I stubbornly moved over and laid my head down on his chest anyway. "It's not because I need some time, that I don't want hugs anymore," I whispered into the dark, and he had chuckled and tugged me closer. "And by the way, you're warm."
"I'm hot, you mean?"
I had laughed and poked him in the ribs, something that I, considering the dark surroundings, had gotten exceptionally well at.

"What was tree again?" Luke asks out of nowhere, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Arbre." I try to pronounce the word but fail horribly, and shoot him a dirty look as he laughs at my attempt.

"You have to make the sound in the back of your throat. Look." He makes it look so effortless as he produces the r. I don't even get close to the way he says his 'r', and when I do I sound like a cat dying a horrible death due to throat cancer.

"That's... a little morbid and way too detailed," Luke says when I tell him as much.

"Really though, saying that it's in the back of my throat helps not even one tiny bit."
He laughs. "Okay, wait. It's a bit like a ... growl of a dragon or so."

I try it again but stop when I burst into a fit of giggles. "Nope. Nope, not working. Still stuck on the dying cat."
This time, Luke gives up too. "Okay, yeah. I have to admit that it kind of sounds like that. But you're getting closer?" He tries.

"Hah. Don't you know that a good Yoda doesn't lie?"
"Oh, so I'm a Yoda now?" He asks with a grin.

"A Yoda is a teacher, right?" I answer. I'm not sure what term I'm exactly using, but I keep grinning nonetheless.

Luke gapes at me. "You have no idea what you're talking about, have you?"
Still with the same grin on my face, I shake my head. "Nopidopi."

"You have never seen Star Wars?" Luke sounds overly shocked, his mouth open wide.

I scrunch my nose up and shrug. "I tried to, once. But after 15 minutes of the first movie I gave up and went to read my book."

"You read too many books," Luke sighs, and I poke him in the ribs again. "Wrong."

By lunch that day, we reach a little town where we stop to rest a bit and buy more food. Or actually: more snacks. The town doesn't have that many inhabitants, so we search for a more secluded spot at the edge of it to have lunch, and Luke only keeps his sunglasses on. We don't think too much of it, but that night, when I'm reading a book while Luke is calling with Marcus, I'm suddenly (gestoord) by a ghost-like Luke that sticks his head into the tent.

"We have a problem," he says gravely.

At first, I don't notice that he doesn't just look like a ghost because of the light. The colour has drained from his face, and his eyes looked ... tired. "What is it?" I ask, already dreading his answer.

He sighs as he sits down next to me.
"Marcus just told me that someone spotted me. It's all over Twitter." He sighs again and drags his hands over his face. "I'm sorry Robyn. I should have paid more attention. Fuck."

He bites his lip as he looks at me. "People are already speculating about who you are. You're 'Luke's mystery girl'. I'm so sorry."
I move toward him to place my hand on his shoulder. "Don't be, Luke. It's okay."