Page 19 of Saving Luke

"Ahhh, sometimes it's best to let things settle," Lexi nods.

"Yeah. Hey, is Easton around by chance?"

"He is. Hang on." She picks up her phone, and her fingers go flying across the screen.

"I found him. He's in the library. Do you know where it is?" She asks.

"Yeah, I remember passing it recently," I say.

She points to my left, "Take this hall, and it’s right next to the PT room."

Going down the hall, I pass the dining room before I get to the library. I haven't been in this room before, but it's amazing. On my right and left, the walls are nothing but floor-to-ceiling bookcases, as is the wall with the door I just came through.

In front of me, most of the wall is glass, with French doors that open to a courtyard shared with the lobby windows. In the center of the room are desks with computers, and along the windows are couches and chairs.

I spot Easton with his wife, Paisley, over there, and he waves when he sees me.

"Hey, man. Everything okay?" He asks.

"Can we go outside? I'd like to talk," I say, not wanting to disturb the people in here.

"Sure. You okay here?" He asks his wife.

"I'm good." She holds up her book.

We walk outside and sit on a bench where he can still see Paisley.

"Paisley was your best friend's sister, right?" I ask, trying to remember some of his story.

"Yeah."

"Was there ever a point where you had to choose between the two?" I ask.

"Ahhh. When her brother found out, it wasn't pretty. He saw it as a betrayal on my end. By that time, I was already in love with her and couldn't walk away from her. So, that’s what I told him. Then I said not to make me choose because if he did, I'd choose her. He wasn't very pleased, but when he saw how happy she was, he came around. Having trouble with your sister?"

"Yeah," I say and go on to tell him about the winter carnival, my sister going to Lexi, and the fight we had just now.

"I think you both need to cool off. Now, she’s afraid of losing you in a whole new way. You are the only family she has left, and I'm willing to bet she had plans of you two living together and being a family. If things with Brooke get serious, those plans go away. At the same time, you are right that she can't keep babying you if you are going to recover. Though, you need to heal in more ways than one to be good for anyone."

He's right. I need to get my life on track to be worthy of anyone, especially Brooke, and to prove to her that I'm worth taking a chance on.

"Channel what you are feeling right now into your recovery. You will be shocked how fast your progress is," Easton says.

It's time to put that to the test.

Luke

All my resolve leaves me when Brooke walks back through the door for the first time in a few days. I had planned to respecther wishes and keep some space between us for now, but the moment her eyes lock with mine, I know that was a fool’s dream.

I need her so much more than I want to admit to myself.

"So, I hear you are up and walking," She says with a forced smile.

"I can walk around the room. I'm still not very steady, but anything outside of that, I'm still in the wheelchair," I say.

"Can I see?" She asks.

This right here.

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