Page 19 of Night Fury
Her eyes flew open so wide he laughed, and then her mouth flew into a little “O” shape that was far too tempting. Luke mourned when it fell into a frown and a sad expression took over her face. He pulled her closer and his heart beat a little faster, satisfaction coursing through his veins when she snuggled into his warmth.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” he murmured.
Gently, because he couldn’t resist, he kissed her forehead while his fingers softly massaged the knots starting to form in her shoulders. “I was thinking, maybe I could call Greg and Dani. They might be able to help you with your amnesia.”
Johanna sighed softly. “I don’t know if that would help, plus…” She trailed off, stiffening in his embrace.
Luke tilted her chin up to make her meet his eyes. “You don’t have to guard yourself ever again, especially not around me. Whatever you’re feeling or thinking, I want to know. I’m not going to judge you.”
She averted her eyes, a small blush tinting her cheeks before she settled back down, tucking her head under his chin. She didn’t speak for a few moments, but then a soft whisper left her lips. “I’m scared of remembering. I don’t know what happened to me to get me here, but I know there are some things I wouldn’t want to relive again. To block out my grandmother’s death and force myself through this grief all over again, means that whatever is tied to it is worse than what I’m feeling right now.” Johanna shivered, so Luke pulled her closer. “I don’t know if the people I … love are safe, or if I’m missing other important details. I realize that b-but…”
“It’s okay,” Luke whispered back. “It’s okay to be scared. What you’re feeling is completely normal. Anyone would feel that way. No one’s going to force you to remember anything. If I ask Greg and Dani for their help, the most they could do is try to track down your … loved ones and at least make sure they’re safe while you’re healing.” His hand slipped under her hair to rub the back of her neck until she melted into him. “You don’t have to save everyone, sunflower, and you especially can’t if you don’t heal.”
She was quiet for a while, and Luke’s mind spun with ways to help her feel better about the situation. He was so deep into his thoughts that he almost missed her say, “Okay.”
“Okay?” he repeated.
Johanna nodded against his chest. “Please call them. I’d like to try.”
* * *
Luke leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed as he waited for Johanna to get ready. He was worried about her. It hurt him to see her in so much pain, and he hoped that his family would be able to help her.
She stepped out of the bathroom in one of his shirts tucked into a pair of shorts. Her hair was brushed over one shoulder, spiraling down the length of her body, and he had to take a deep breath when her eyes met his.
“I’m ready,” she said with a small attempt at a smile, but the slight tremble to her wrist, the way her shoulders rose closer to the top of her head as she tensed her back, and each stiff step she took told Luke otherwise.
He stepped closer to her, and she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as he stepped into her space, but she didn’t shy away from him.
“Can you trust me, just for a second?” Luke asked.
She nodded softly, so Luke cupped her cheek. As he did so, Johanna’s eyes fluttered closed. Soft as a wisp, he trailed his fingers down over her jaw to her neck, until he fit the back of it in his hand and drew her to him. His other arm slid around her waist, and he held her. She was tall, Luke guessed somewhere around 5’10”, but even so her head only came to his chest, right over his heart and exactly where it was supposed to be.
In no time at all the tenseness flew away from her body. He took it until she too held him in the embrace.
“Better?” he whispered into her hair.
She nodded again before taking a step away from him. “I’m sorry.”
Luke captured her face in his hands, making her meet his gaze. “Don’t be sorry. Don’t ever be sorry for needing a shoulder to lean on. I know”—his voice grew softer—“I know that all of this is strange and new for you. I know that you don’t know me, but that isn’t going to stop me from being here for you. I want to be here for you, and I will be, anytime you need me. There’s no shame in having someone you can lean on, is there?”
Tears gathered in Johanna’s eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Instead she shook her head and cupped his hands, giving them a soft squeeze. “Thank you.”
They stepped away from each other. Johanna wiped her eyes and tilted her head toward the door. “They’ll be here in a couple of minutes. We should go.”
“They can wait as long as we need them to,” Luke huffed.
Johanna looked at him for a moment, and then she laughed. It was a small hiccup of a thing that seemed to surprise her as much as it did him. Then it grew louder. Her hands went to her eyes again as she wiped at them with the backs of her fingers. Luke cautiously wondered if she’d crossed over into hysteria, but then she asked through a fit of giggles, “Are you always this argumentative?”
His eyes widened and he snorted. “I am not argumentative,” he said, looking away.
Johanna laughed again, and even though he was embarrassed, it made him smile. “We will have to work on that. Come on.” She held her hand out to him, and for a moment Luke stood dumbstruck at the action.
We.
The simple word shot through his heart like lightning.
A worried look came over Johanna’s face and she began to draw back her hand.
