Chapter 48 - Match 48

Bathed by the moonlight Luke looked even more charming. Staring at him with those hurt eyes Alex felt like his heart was about to break. He had been waiting for him and he honestly didn't want to be moved by such a simple gesture but he couldn't. As he watched his raven hair get swayed by the wind and him taking of his leather jacket, running towards and giving it to him without a second thought he couldn't help but feel like a love struck fool. 

"I think it's my time to leave" Mark said 

"No wait." Luke stopped him " Sorry that I treated you like that today. You did nothing wrong, I acted like a jerk." 

"It's okay I guess." Mark said scratching the back of his head. 

"I mean it Mark; I am really sorry."

"I know dude stop it. It's fine. I'm going to go to my room and sleep. Goodnight" he said. He couldn't stand the tension between these two for another minute. 

"Will you come with me? I would like to talk to you" Luke told him now that they were left alone. 

"Can't you tell me here?" Alex asked him.

"No, I want to show you something." He said and tended his hand for Alex to take it. He didn't though. He just started walking letting Luke take the lead after a while. 

He left the compound getting over the empty road and entered the endless forest that was beginning. As they walked he could hear twigs breaking and the crunching of dry leaves underneath their shoes. In the silence they had created the sound of the night were louder. Owls and wings clasping as they flew above their heads. 

Soon the scenery changed and the forest stopped for a while, the thick trees revealing a little clearing with a small river dividing it into two. Everywhere around them there were fireflies that subtly lit up the place and Alex looked around in awe. He had never seen such a mythical scenery and it was only fifteen minutes away from him, hidden. 

At the other side of the small river was a huge plane tree with enormous leaves. Standing strong and throwing its shapeshifting shadows around. What triggered his attention was something behind that.

The clearing had a circle like shape only with the river separating it in two and the tree standing there like its guard. Behind it just a few steps away, maybe three or four the forest began again but there were trees should be, a small empty space existed and on that space was a frame. It looked like the frame you could see on one of these doors that huge Victorian mansions had, made from pitch black iron it had the shape of what Alex reminded him of a bullet. That bullet frame had vines surrounding it, wrapping around the thin iron bars and on those sensitive vines, leaves, dark green grew and also flowers. Bright white flowers that smelled like jasmine and vanilla with wide petals almost looking like lilies. 

He had never seen flowers like that. Beautiful, everything around him was so beautiful and he instinctively approached the imaginary door. It was like something was pulling him towards it. The forest continued leaving only that small gap and even if you looked from that door you could see it spreading even further. Peculiar but also so mysterious. He tried to touch the flowers. He needed one of them, to touch it, feel the soft petals but Luke's hand stopped him.

"Be careful. They're poisonous. Those are Veil flowers" he explained. "This is a portal to the Veil" 

He should be shocked but it seemed very natural to him. A mystical iron door frame with beautiful but deadly flowers surrounding it in the middle of nowhere, of course it would be a way to another world. 

"Why did you bring me here?" He asked as he moved away from the portal. 

"This had always been my thinking place. When I feel confused or in need of some space I come here. I find peace and peace is what I need now, so I can talk to you."

"I don't want to hear any more apologies Luke." Alex told him, getting back into reality

"I know. I know. I just want you to know how sorry I am. Sometimes I act without thinking. I've always been trying what I think it's the best for you without asking you. I never consider that I might be wrong. I look like I am trying to control you, make all the decisions for you but I am just scared. Scared that you will leave me" he confessed

"Why would I leave you?" Alex asked him. 

How could he tell him though? That he was scared Alex would remember and for that reason he was losing his reasoning. 

"I don't know. This is the first time I feel this way and it scares me." He said looking at the ground. 

"Luke, look at me." Alex said and cupped his face gently. "I am here now. After what you did I was stupid enough to come back. I won't leave you because what I feel for you, I can't even explain but what has been happening is wrong. I can't deal with this. I am not a baby that needs to be nurtured or some damsel in distress that needs constant protection from the truth. If I get to be with you I want to be with you all the way. Listen to your troubles, your thoughts be near you. I want to be you equal not just someone you view as weak and fragile to know the truth."

"No, I never saw you as that. I just want to make you happy. About your father I swear I didn't know. I would never do something like that if I knew what the consequences could be. I swear." He said and placed his palms on top of Alex's hands, getting lost in the green eyed boy's gentle touch. 

"Please from now on, don't lie to me anymore. I know I am forgiving you too quickly. I should curse you more, hit you and shout but I am too tired Luke. Of all of this. I want to leave everything behind so please for the last time I beg you stop lying to me. Because next time I won't be coming back." He warned him and felt his whole body tensing. He didn't want to scare him or make him even more anxious but he needed to know that he was serious. 

"I will do better. I swear" Luke told him and Alex nodded with a small smile.

"I trust you" he said and Luke hugged him tightly, like he hadn't seen him in years. 

Maybe he was too kind. Forgiving and forgetting too easily. Maybe he was being once more deceived by his loving heart but he couldn't do something else. He couldn't look at Luke in the eyes, while they stood in that beautiful place and break his heart with mean words. He felt calm in his embrace and that's all that mattered now. 

"Your secret place is beautiful" he told him while admiring the little fireflies that were surrounding him.

"I want to give it to you" 

"You want to give me this place?" Alex asked surprised. 

"Yes. Every fear, every trouble I ever had had been calmed down in this place so I want to give it to you. To calm you too" he said with a shy smile. 

"Thank you. That's very sweet." Alex told him and took his hand in his. 

Luke brought their intertwined hands closer to his lips and kissed Alex's hand, making him blush. It was so easy for Luke to be forgiven and Alex knew that later he would feel mad at himself for giving in so easily but at that moment in such a romantic place he couldn't be upset. Maybe that was Luke's plan from the beginning to manipulate him like that, but still he decided not to think of that.

"Should we head back?" Luke asked him.

"Yeah but I want to ask you. What are these flowers?"

"Those flowers kind of guard the portal but there is another meaning to them. A story."

"Really? What kind of story?"

"They are called a Lover's Tears. It is said that those flowers bloomed from the tears of a prince while dying in the embrace of his lover. He so desperately wanted to leave something for him behind that his tears created these flowers. It's a story they've been telling us since we were kids."

"It's a shame they're poisonous."

"They say it's because those flowers are only for his lover. He can only touch them."

"That's really romantic."

"I don't know. To me it was always just a story." Luke said and they started waking away. Alex felt a bit sad that he had to leave this beautiful place behind but he was feeling really tired at the same time. Too many emotions and too much running in two days. 

"Sooo, I may have an idea." Luke told him with a devilish smile.

"What kind of an idea?"

"Would you like to take a shower with me and then maybe come to my room to spend the night?" Luke asked him. 

"Hmmm, I don't know. I need to protect my virtue." Alex joked. 

"I will protect your virtue, I swear" Luke said and placed his hand on his chest gaining a chuckle from Alex.

"Okay then. I need a shower anyways." 

"Alex, thank you for forgiving me. You will see. I will do better."

"I know" Alex told him.

He wanted to be better. Stop lying and treat him the way he deserved. But still he had so many secrets that no matter how hard he was trying to overlook them they would begin again eating him alive and Alex was not stupid after all, he would notice.

One day he would find out the remaining truths. Of how Luke did not have a mark or who he truly was

Maybe soon.

...

Thank you! I know some of you are mad at how easily Alex forgave Luke. There is a reason so read to find out ! 

Soon!

Guys do you think my story is boring? For some reason I am starting to get insecure xD I want the book to proceed smoothly like normal stories so I am bit perplexed.