Revolution- Runaways 3 [EDITING]

Chapter 27: Luke

Daniel's slow, even breaths rose quietly from his bed across the room. He had been asleep for a couple of hours, while I laid here thinking. I didn't want to admit it to him, or to anyone, really, but I still had nightmares.

Every night illusions of Marcus invaded my slumber, and every night I had to watch him die again. Sometimes, Daniel would be thrown into the mix. He would be bleeding out on the grass in California as the camp burned behind him. The possibility of those nightmares returning were enough to keep me fighting sleep for as long as possible. Yet, I always lost out eventually, and the new dreams would plague my memory for the rest of the day.

The clock on our nightstand said it was sometime in the wee hours of the morning. I had climbed in bed three hours ago, but with no intention of going to sleep. I picked up the pen and paper resting beside me. I had found a notebook here, so I had picked up journaling again. Here, I didn't have to worry about hiding it from anyone.

Several pages were already filled with the thoughts I was trying to make sense of. For instance, why had I been given Marcus only to have him taken away before he even graduated high school? Why did I let go of Aaliyah's hand in Apopka? Why did our government have to be so damn stupid as to kill off a good percentage of the country's population on purpose?

Why was I still fighting?

Writing the questions down didn't help me find answers. Nothing did, really. I didn't talk to anyone about them because I was ashamed that I was still dwelling on them. Peyton had found solace in working out, and I went with her sometimes, but it didn't help me the same way. I couldn't cope, and that fact was causing a lot more trouble than it was worth.

I gave up on the idea of writing and rolled over, pressing my face into my pillow. My eyelids wouldn't stay open for much longer. They got heavier by the second, and before long, I would be back in Littlerock helplessly watching Daniel bleed out. I would be back in the bunker telling Marcus he was dying. I would be in some other shadowed place that was much, much worse.

As I always did, I lost the battle with sleep. My eyes drifted shut, and before I knew it, the nightmares were back.

☁

I caught his eye across the room and smiled, blushing slightly. This was our first time seeing each other since we had confessed our feelings. That had been almost a month ago. I was so nervous around him, despite the fact that I had known him for years.

He finally approached me, ignoring the six feet rule. His cheeks were just as pink as I'm sure mine were, and he ducked his head when he spoke. He was being shy, which almost never happened. He asked me how I was. I told him I was okay. The small talk continued for several minutes before I decided to make a bold move.

"Marcus," I started, clearing my throat. I wasn't sure I wanted to say it. "I know our situation is super complicated, but would you possibly—" I edged closer to him so that only he could hear my next words "like to be more than friends, for real? Will you be my boyfriend, Marcus?"

He clammed up, and I worried I had misinterpreted him on that call a few weeks ago. I worried this was all in my head, and maybe he had never liked me at all. But then he gave a tiny, imperceptible nod. "In secret?" he whispered.

"Yeah. If that's okay. I don't think I can be around you knowing that you like me but worrying that you're going to date someone else. Because honestly Marcus, you're the only person I've ever truly wanted to be romantically involved with."

"You flatter me."

And then the scene shifted, and he was on our bed in Kamiah. His breaths were growing shallow, and he knew he probably only had a few minutes, maybe an hour. He looked up at me, and he took my hand. "Luke," he started. "I've liked a lot of people. But you are the only one I ever loved." I bent down to kiss his lips, knowing he would have done the same thing if he could prop himself up to reach me.