Page 80 of Falling Backwards
“Come here,” is quiet on the air as Luke’s arm encircles me.Without question, I move close to him and clamp my arm around his waist.
On the inside, though, I kind of explode.
My breaths go shallow and my pulse goes skywards.I’m instantly blushing again, this time all over my body.As we round the corner of the building, I try to process these moments of how he’s taller than I am and how solid yet comfortable he feels and how shakyIfeel—and how that last thing doesn’t actually have much to do with the thought of Kyle being out here somewhere again.
“You’re all right,” Luke assures me.“I’ve got you.”
‘I’ve got you.’
‘I’ve got you.’
‘I’ve got you.’
The words ripple through me in time with my heartbeat.They send full truth rippling through me too:I’m not even completely scared.I’m overwhelmed by you touching me.
He clears his throat.“We’re almost to my car, see?Plus, I’m keeping watch even if it might not seem like it.I even know there’s no one behind us.”
And your voice isn’t completely calm,I think to him.I hear the little tremble in it.You’re overwhelmed, too, aren’t you?
These thoughts don’t get spoken.
My eyes lock onto his sedan sitting nearby among a few other vehicles, none of which have anyone suspicious in them.A quick count tells me they very likely belong to other Lucent staff, as they should.
That does make me feel safer even though I already feel safe tucked against Luke.
Dizzyingly stirred, but safe.
“Yeah,” I find the voice to finally reply.“Okay.”
“Everything’s fine.”
“Mmhmm.”
We get to the car, get buckled up, get on the road.Things are still fine.
The only vehicle that comes out of the night and follows us does so two blocks from Lucent, then turns into a gas station nearby and shows its driver as a woman.Everything is fine.
Including me.
I can feel it.
Thank God.
I’m soon able to loosen up enough to notice Luke still isn’t using his turn signals.I watch him forgo them again, again, again.
And Ialmostbring that topic back up.
The words are on the tip of my tongue.
But…I swallow them back.
Even though his habit—or lack thereof—is irksome to me, I find myself wondering if, in truth, it’s fine too.
After all, he isn’t driving in a way I’d label reckless.He’s respecting the speed limit.He isn’t following other cars too closely or turning in front of any and risking them crashing into us.He hasn’t run the red lights we’ve caught.
The longer I study his choices, the more I think I’ll be okay to leave the turn signal thing for another time.Heshoulduse them, but….
He’s got me.He wants to keep me safe.
