Page 46 of Salvation

I didn’t know how to handle it. Should I ignore it? Maybe it would go away.

I must have been out there for a while because it started to get dark. Then, I heard heavy footsteps on the trail. I turned and there was Luke. He’d changed into board shorts and a tank top and was wearing flip flops on his feet. His brown hair was sticking to his forehead from the moisture in the air. The sun was setting behind him and he was circled in a glow. He looked like a photo of a teen heartthrob. My heart immediately sped up and I hurriedly looked at the water to prevent him from seeing my reaction to him.

He asked what I was doing, and I told him just thinking and getting some air.

He sat on the ground next to me and crossed his arms over his knees and stared at the water, too. I saw him swallow, and then… he shocked me to my core.

He turned to me and stared into my eyes. I stared back, unable to look away. He asked me what I was thinking about.

I said, “Stuff.”

He asked, “What stuff?”

I replied, “You don’t want to know,” and picked at some dead grass near my hip.

His voice wavered as he said, “I do want to know. I really want to know, Hope.”

My head came up and we stared at each other again. Finally, I whispered, “You. I’m thinking about you.”

He smiled then and gently touched my face. Then, he leaned in and said, “Good, because I’m thinking about you, too. I think about you all the time.”

I squeaked, “You do?” My eyes had to be as wide as saucers.

He nodded and closed the distance between us. Right before his lips gently pressed to mine, he said, “Yeah, I do.”

We kissed softly for a long time that night. It was my first kiss, and it was beyond perfect. We only stopped when we heard someone coming down the path and we quickly pulled away in case it was my dad or Father Matthews.

It wasn’t. It was Gabrial and he had an odd look on his face as if he knew what we’d been doing but was too afraid to confirm it.

We stood up and joined him, all heading back to camp together. Me between both guys, the way it had always been.

The car stops and Luke asks, “What are you thinking about over there?”

Cracking my eyes open, I see the moon reflecting off the lake. Smiling mysteriously, I turn to Luke. “You and the first time you kissed me.”

Smiling sexily, he mutters, “Oh, yeah,” as he leans over the console.

Nodding, I cup his face. He’s millimeters from my lips. I whisper, “Oh, yeah,” and close the distance between us.

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