《Until I Met You》28 | "i'm ready."

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It doesn't take long to get home. I step out of the car after thanking William for the ride, telling him to go ahead and take off the rest of the night. I'm hit with a rush of cold air the second my sneaker-clad foot hits the driveway, my breath clouding in the inky dark sky.

The neighborhood street lights brighten the area around me, though not much. I can see the stars twinkling above me as I look up, a million little dots that spread on forever in an infinite sea of light.

Across the street, Luke Bradford makes his way down his driveway, wrapped in a black jacket as he heads for his mailbox.

The second I see him, I'm on the move. I walk down the street with purpose, holding my jacket to my chest tightly. Luke glances up after closing his mailbox, a few envelopes in hand. He hasn't seemed to notice me yet. By chance, he tilts his head slightly, spotting me out of the corner of his eye.

Before I know it, the boy with the cold eyes is facing me, lips parting to ask some sort of question. Only, he doesn't get the chance. The moment I reach him, I don't hesitate or think. I simply wrap my arms around his neck and pull him toward me, lips meeting his and capturing him in a passionate kiss.

For a moment, Luke stands before me as stiff as a statue. The next thing I know, he's dropped the envelopes in his hands, letting them fall to the ground as he grips my waist, pulling me into him. I lose myself in him the same way I get lost in his eyes. I drown in Luke's warmth and lips, succumb to his embrace, giving him all that I am. I've finally realized the truth. The boy I once found to be a mystery I would never be able to solve was never really all that hard to read. I just wasn't searching hard enough. It wasn't Luke who wouldn't let me into his heart, it was the other way around. It'd never been Luke who wasn't ready for us to be together. It had been me, too afraid to admit that the same boy who drove me crazy was the same boy to make my heart race.

I've been lying to myself for much too long now. I'm finally ready for the truth.

I tear apart from Luke, inhaling a sharp breath as I rest my forehead against his, raising my eyes to his blue irises. I notice that his icy eyes seem to have completely melted, warm just for me.

"I'm ready," I whisper against Luke's lips. "I want you. I'm yours."

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Luke's grin is undeniable, the biggest I've ever seen him wear. He wraps his arms around my waist tightly, kissing me once more. Even when he pulls away, I'm left breathless.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that," he whispers against my skin.

I cup his face in my hands, kissing him once more. It seems as though I can't get enough of him, wanting to close the space between us entirely.

A cry of surprise escapes me as Luke leans me over toward the ground, as if we've been dancing and he's managed to pull off some effortless dip. He smirks down at me, causing my entire face to radiate with heat despite the cold air. Leaning over me, my hair cascading over my shoulders, Luke take my hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of my palm. He then releases his grip, my breath hitching as Luke whispers to me, "Now, we can do this." Then his lips meet mine all over again.

"Are you cold?" Luke questions once we break apart, helping me stand upright.

I suppress a smile. "Why do you ask?"

Luke smirks right back. "Because I want an excuse to invite you inside."

I mirror his expression. "Like when you lied about losing your house key so you'd have an excuse to come inside my house?"

Luke's smirk doubles wryly, shrugging as he admits, "Guilty."

"Well, you're definitely not innocent," I tease response, taking a step backwards to Luke's front door, shooting him a coy glance.

"And you won't be either if you keep looking at me like that," Luke taunts back, casually retrieving his mail from the ground before joining my side.

I take another step backwards. "Is that a threat?"

"No." Luke shakes his head as he lunges for me, grabbing my waist and spinning me around, pinning my back against his front. My heart races as he lowers his face to my side, whispering in my ear, "It's a promise."

»»----- -----««

The class bursts into applause and laughter once Emma and Ashton conclude their skit, and even I am hardly able to stifle my giggles. My friend and her not-so-secret admirer chose to perform the scene where Juliet wakes from the potion she had taken to make herself appear dead, only to find that Romeo had killed himself while she'd been unconscious. I don't know how they did it—and I don't think they intended to—but somehow Emma and Ashton made such a tragic scene comical.

Even Ms. Edwards appears to be struggling to hold back laughter as she says, "What a . . . spin on things. Please take your seats, and let's all welcome Jade and Luke to the front of the classroom."

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I exhale slowly and turn to glance at my boyfriend, only to find him already looking at me. I watch Luke wet his lips before mouthing to me, Nervous?

I shake my head, though I can tell by Luke's eye roll that he's caught my bluff. I rise from my seat and head to the front of the classroom with him by my side. Before we begin our performance, Luke leans down to whisper in my ear, "You'll do perfect. You always are."

I bite my lip to contain a smile.

Luke and I take our places within in seconds, waiting for the class to settle down to begin our skit. To start off, Luke clears his throat, the sound deep and raspy. His eyes then meet mine, and I force myself to focus on the task at hand.

When Luke starts speaking, his voice captures the attention of the entire class. He's a natural speaker, amongst other things. He has a confident aura about him that seems to easily draw you in. One look at him and you know you'll risk thousands more.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

With a shaky breath, I open my mouth to respond. "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

Luke takes a slow stop toward me, and eyebrow raised in question as he asks, "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

A small smile dances across my lips as I meet his gaze. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

"O, then, dear saint. Let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

I edge closer to him, feigning slight indifference. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

Luke's gaze is almost lustful as he mutters, "Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."

I've almost forgotten that the class is watching us, or that I'm being graded on this performance. The lines come easily to me, as if I've somehow been programmed to live this moment effortlessly.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from they lips? Oh trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again." Luke speaks in a low, husky tone, making my heart race. He slowly edges closer, his face right next to me. Though the scene doesn't necessarily call for this, Luke and I both agreed we wanted to share a kiss to make the scene more authentic. (And because we get to kiss each other.)

Our lips meet, and Luke takes his time to make our kiss sweeter than words. The second his lips are on mine, a few of our classmates release whoops, and I hear others gasp.

I bite my lip as we pull apart, ignoring the commotion going on around us as I whisper, almost inaudibly, "You kiss by the book." This has Luke smirking down at me, as I've basically just said he's a good kisser, which is the last line of our scene.

When we've completed our skit, Luke and I turn to face the class. I glance at Emma first, who looks at Luke and I knowingly, shaking her head through a smile. Of course, Luke and I told our friends when we finally got together, to which all of them majorly overreacted to by screaming in the middle of the school hallway how much they couldn't believe us.

I then risk a glance over at Ms. Edwards, as I'd been kind of on edge about kissing my boyfriend in front of our teacher. Two other pairs performed the same scene as Luke and I, though neither of them kissed.

Fortunately, she doesn't seem upset. Ms. Edwards merely smiles like she knows something I don't, clapping along with the rest of the class. After a moment, she mutters, "Go on. Take your seats, lovebirds."

I blush, heading for my desk with Luke a pace behind me. Taking my seat, Luke leans forward in his and extends his hand, and I lean back in my chair to take his in mind. Tucking my hair behind my ear, Luke whispers, "Told you you'd do great."

The compliment makes me smile. Ms. Edwards then starts to talk about the end of the quarter and when we'll receive our skit grades. As she does, I lean my head backward to look over at Luke, who meets my gaze with a faint smile. Abruptly, he leans forward and kisses me quickly while I'm still upside down, whispering, "Just like Spider-Man."

I shake my head as I sit upright, thinking: That is the boy who stole my heart.

»»----- -----««

a/n: i'm out of school for two weeks and have absolutely no idea what to do with myself so i updated twice in one night. go me? also my back hurts.

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