Chapter 52
Luke
I fucking hate running.
My body moved through the streets with ease only because of the absence of people. Rain hit my waterproof jacket, and my breath billowed softly in the crisp, cool air.
I was good at running, I just didn’t like it.
It helped me with the chaos in my brain, which had started after Portugal.
Usually, stress or challenges didn’t affect me that much; I could compartmentalize just fine.
It actually motivated me. But now my thoughts were tangled in the memory of the tiny pearl necklace twirling between her fingers and the slight tilt of her head when something amused her.
A distraction big enough that it had started to disrupt my work.
Two days ago, in a staff meeting, I yelled at a colleague for choosing a ridiculous font for our presentation to a big client. In my defense, it was Papyrus. Nobody approached me that day. The only one was Ethan, who brought me a coffee that Hazel had made me.
Even after I... after we...
I exhaled heavily, trying to push thoughts of her away.
After all, I had started to run so early for that sole reason—to clear my head, to regain some control.
Or at least, that’s what I wanted to believe.
And I’d lied to myself about the empty streets.
Deep down, I knew that every morning, I had this strange, aching certainty that I’d woken up too late for some reason.
My shoes splashed through the puddles as I turned for the park, my breathing paced and controlled.
Fucking rain.
My shoe caught on some rocks on the way, making me stumble, and just like that, an image of her smile when she talked about her mom flashed in my mind.
Fuck.
It would be like this from now on? Every smallest, the most ridiculous thing would remind me of her?
The pebble was the same form as the one I gave her. The rain smelled the same way when we sat together on that beach. Even the girl far in the distance looked like Hazel.
I shut my eyes, ready to ignore everything and sprint past, but that girl... It really did look like her. Lush hair, small, delicate nose, rosy cheeks. Her hand raised to her neck, twirling the...
I wiped the rain from my face, blinking, and slowed down. The girl was holding a yellow umbrella, partly blocking the view, and there was something tied to the handle.
I approached. She turned, and my heart skipped a beat.
My Hazel.
She noticed me and gave a small smile. Her presence made the hair on my arms tingle. I couldn’t have confused it with anything else. I closed the distance, trying to steady my breathing. The rain streamed down my face, but I couldn’t have cared less.
“Hi,” she said with a soft voice.
“Hi,” I said back. “How did you know I was going to be here?”
“Norah told me where to find you. Although I would’ve found you anyway,” she said, and my heart stirred, flooding my soul with hope I wasn’t ready to embrace yet.
“I hate running,” I said, filling the silence and looking around.
“You do?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
“Yeah, but it’s good for me,” I said, and she nodded. “It’s no cliff jumping, though,” I added, remembering how much energy I had spent fighting it—the jump, all this, her—and yet how much I had actually needed it. It made her smile, too.
“What do you have there?” I referred to the object tied to her umbrella.
“A balloon,” she said, untangling the ribbon. “It’s erm... the first one in a balloon arch,” she said with a shy smile, sowing seeds of hope in my heart. “Because, you know, everyone deserves a balloon arch once in their life. A wise person told me that.”
I averted my gaze to hide the emotions coursing through me. It was 6.47 AM on a Sunday, and Hazel was here with a balloon in her hands.
“And love, too. Everyone deserves love,” she continued, the light gray sky illuminating her blue oceans as she held my gaze. “You deserve love, and I deserve one, too. I think I know that now.”
Hazel lowered her gaze, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Her face deepened with emotion. I fought the urge to pull her into my arms. I needed to let her say her piece.
“I promised myself that nobody would break me anymore, because people always showed their colors if you watched them long enough. But I broke down as soon as I reached Mady after the airport.” Her eyebrows furrowed together. “I watched and watched and watched you, but instead, I just fell for you.”
My heart was ripping at the seams as this gorgeous girl stood in front of me, overcoming her fears, her insecurities. Being braver. Bolder. For me and for herself, too.
“You make me feel safe. And my heart, it’s safe with you too, I think.”
I came closer, my eyes on her, offering a promise with unfailing certainty.
I’m here.
I will always see you.
I will always be listening.
“Ask me, Hazel,” I said, feeling love pouring out from every inch of me. “Ask me to stay and I will. I have to know you want it, too.” I brushed her cheek with my thumb, and she leaned into it, closing her eyes for a second.
“Please stay with me. Be with me. I love you.” Her voice cracked, and I finally felt it. The love everyone always spoke about. The love I’ve hated for so long. The love that was supposed to be for my parents, but was just a made-up word for them.
A small seed of sadness crept into my mind for them.
That they haven’t experienced how it truly felt, maybe at some point a long time ago.
But feeling is not enough; it’s what you decide to do with it, it’s the choice you make.
And it was theirs, not mine. Mine was standing in front of me, telling me how much she loved me.
I smiled, and a small laugh of relief escaped her. I cradled her soft cheeks, now wet with tears, and pressed my forehead to hers. We both closed our eyes as the rain pattered on the umbrella above us.
“So, you’re gonna go all rom-com and kiss me in the rain?” she asked, her eyes sparkling in the early morning light, grinning from ear to ear. The expression on my face matched hers.
Two idiots in the rain. Two idiots in love.
“Some of the best things happen in the rain,” I murmured, and my mouth landed on hers. Softly. Once.
“My girl,” I breathed out. This time, it was true. Or maybe it always had been, from the very start.
“Your girl,” she whispered back, and we sank into each other again, our tongues meeting, as I pulled her in for another kiss. Fierce. Urgent. Consuming.
She let go of the balloon and the umbrella, letting them fall to the ground. Hazel’s hand found its way around my neck, and mine wrapped around her warm, soft body.
In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think I would ever feel something like this.
I’ve noticed traces of it over the years towards someone, but it hadn’t even been close to what I felt for Hazel.
This kind-hearted girl who loved others and the world as much as she deserved to be loved in return.
I didn’t think I could ever earn her, but I was willing to try.
My lips parted from hers, leaving just an inch between us, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I could finally draw in a full, steady breath. My mind was clear as a day.
“So...” I said, softly brushing my thumb over her lower lip. “It’s Sunday.”
“Yeah? What do you want to do today?” she asked, tilting her head into my palm, as rain was dripping down her face. A tiny moan slipped out, and I bit my lip at the sound, smiling.
“Do you want to go to the bookstore with me?” I asked, knowing it was probably her favorite place. Or maybe now it was being in my arms, sinking into my pillows. Safe and sound.
Her face lit up, giving me the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.
“Ohh, my love language.”
Hazel closed the distance between us once more, and I knew, without a doubt.
Mine was Hazel.