Fic: All That I Am (8/17)
Title: All That I Am (8/17)
Author: gradgirl (aka Ali)
Rating: PG-13 (what else?)
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Reid, Casey/Ali, Chris/Katie, appearances from Snyder clan and other OCs
Summary: Luke found almost everything with Reid. Is that enough?
Warnings: Sequel to Almost Everything. So you should read that one first.
Author’s Notes: Thank you taking the journey back into this universe with me. Also a huge thank you to reilaroo for your awesome beta work and slayerkitty for letting me give you presents. Constructive criticism and comments are appreciated. Thank you for reading. ~Ali
Previous Chapters: { Chapter 1} { Chapter 2} { Chapter 3} { Chapter 4} { Chapter 5} { Chapter 6} { Chapter 7}
Chapter Eight
A few weeks passed, but the tension was still there. Luke wouldn’t let the topic drop. Every time he tried to broach the idea of children with Reid, the older man would shut down or they would end up in a fight. It got to the point where Reid would lock himself in his office or take on double shifts at the hospital. He couldn’t give in to Luke, and he didn’t want to continually see the hurt on his husband’s face either.
Both men immersed themselves into their work. Reid’s new patient was developing more complications than anyone had anticipated. Reid worked hard to make sure he never lost a patient. Unfortunately, he wasn’t always successful, but the redhead was determined not to lose this one.
Luke was working more as well. Before the topic of having children divided them, they had been working together to ensure Reid’s friend, Mark Cohen, would to come to Oakdale. Mark had served as best man at their first wedding, and he had recently gone through a divorce. Mark was a brilliant cardiovascular surgeon, and Luke had broached the idea of upgrading the cardio wing, which had been floundering for several years since John Dixon had left to go to Johns Hopkins. When Luke had first mentioned it to him, Reid was glad. It would mean his friend could be close to them and another step toward making Memorial one of the best hospitals in the Midwest, which had always been a hope of Reid’s. He had worked hard to make the Snyder Pavilion a success, and Luke had been a part of that. Over the last couple of years, Luke had taken his position on the board very seriously, and his idea to make the cardio wing a success was another sign of that.
Reid and Luke had gone to visit Mark several weeks earlier for a long weekend. Luke had been talking to the board about his ideas, including that the foundation and Grimaldi Shipping would be willing to underwrite the costs. The board was receptive and the next step was to find someone to head up the new wing. The couple had planned a vacation-a rarity for Reid but something that Luke helped to bring out of him. The blonde would tell his husband how grateful he was to help him to find direction and focus, but Reid always countered that Luke had helped him to be a better doctor because he learned how to be a husband and partner with Luke. During the trip to Dallas, Reid insisted that Luke tell Mark about the plans.
“Why?” Luke asked, reaching for the ends of Reid’s tie. They were going to meet their friend in the restaurant of their hotel.
“Because you can schmooze people. All that glad-handing,” the redhead noted. He tried to stand still, letting his husband fix his tie. Reid knew how to tie it, but Luke always liked to do it for him. Even after Reid heard the story of Luke’s first kiss with Noah, he still allowed Luke to tie his tie for him because at the end of the night, Luke always took it off as well.
“Mark’s one of your closest friends,” Luke countered. “And since he lives in Dallas, and we’re going to ask him to come to ‘Podunk,’ ‘the dump,’ and what was that one I love best…?” the blonde teased, repeating all of Reid’s phrases for Oakdale. “Oh, right, ‘the town that time forgot.’”
The older man chuckled softly. “It does have some charms.”
Luke’s hands stilled and his gaze met Reid’s. “If you say the neuro wing-”
Reid reached out and pulled his husband close for a kiss. “I love you, Mr. Oliver.”
The blonde shyly ducked his head. Even after all this time, Luke never got tired of hearing Reid tell him he loved him, and his heart still skipped a beat when he was with his husband. “All right, I’ll tell Mark our idea, but you need to sell him on the joys of Memorial. Got it?”
“Yes,” Reid said obediently. He loved Luke’s take charge attitude with a slight smirk.
*
When Luke and Reid got to the lobby, they found Mark immediately. He was Luke’s height with sandy brown hair and green eyes. The doctor turned when he saw them and smiled. Mark greeted them both with a hug. His divorce had been finalized just a couple of weeks earlier. His marriage had been over for a while, but it was good to get out of the house, away from work, and see his friends. Mark worked hard, almost as much as Reid, and he was devoted to the job and being the best. Unfortunately, when he got married, he wasn’t able to slow down. Reid actually would try to encourage him, tell him about how great it was to be married, to have someone to come home to. But Mark wasn’t able to do that, and over time his wife finally had to say good-bye.
Now, Mark was focusing on his work, so he didn’t have to think about going home to an empty apartment or what he could have done to be a better husband. A part of Mark didn’t wonder though, if he had the type of relationship Reid had with Luke, then maybe he wouldn’t have worked as much.
The three men sat down, made sure to order quickly, so that Reid wouldn’t constantly demand to see the waiter to get their food. After spending a few minutes catching up, Reid looked at Luke and then nodded in Mark’s direction. The action wasn’t lost on either man.
“So, what’s the news?” Mark asked with a chuckle. “You moving here?” A part of Mark almost wished that was true.
“And give up my neuro wing?” Reid asked incredulously.
“Yes,” Luke noted, grabbing Reid’s hand. “Because being close to my family and his family-Katie and her son Jacob-is nothing compared to that neurology wing.”
Mark hid his smile. He never thought he’d see the day when Reid would be this happy. He had some suspicions when Reid had left for the middle of nowhere. There were the occasional phone call, weekly emails complaining about a certain “Mr. Snyder,” and then Reid came back to Dallas for a few days and announced he was marrying “Mr. Snyder.” Mark had had his doubts but seeing his friend with Luke, they disappeared.
“Well,” Mark sighed. “I didn’t actually expect you to give up Luke or that wing.”
“Thank you for saying my name first,” Luke noted, taking a sip of his drink.
“What if you got a neuro wing of your own?” Reid questioned.
Mark sat back in his seat for a moment. He actually wasn’t sure what they were saying.
“I thought you wanted me to handle this,” Luke hissed before turning to Mark with a smile.
“Listen, Mark, Memorial is an outstanding hospital, but the cardio wing could use some work. The board has been looking at improvements.”
“With Luke’s money,” Reid added.
Mark’s mouth fell open for a moment. “Are you serious?”
“Reid, eat something,” the blonde commanded. “And, yes, I’m serious,” Luke said. “What Reid and the Snyder Pavilion have done for the hospital has been amazing. We want that to continue. We want you to head it up. Money isn’t going to be a problem. State of the art, whatever you want and need. The board needs to approve it. They’ll want to meet you, of course, but we want to give you an opportunity to create your ideal work space.”
Mark tried to make sense of what Luke was telling him. The young man was about to make all of Mark’s professional dreams a reality. He was once again reminded of why Reid was happier than Mark had ever seen him.
“Mark, I know we’d be asking you to pick up your life and move, but… Since you and Jill… I’m very sorry for both you. I… Maybe this could help?”
Mark let out a low whistle. “You’re serious.”
Luke glanced at Reid for a moment and both men nodded their heads.
“Yes,” the redhead replied.
Mark had agreed and now he was on his way to Oakdale to meet with the board. Reid was looking forward to the visit, and Bob had noted that if he and Luke were able to get Mark to come to Oakdale, it would go a long way with the board and Reid’s goal to become the next Chief of Staff. With everything that had been going on at home with Luke, the redhead hadn’t considered Bob’s plans. The night that Bob had told him about the Chief of Staff recommendation, had been the beginning of the rift between Reid and Luke.
*
Reid walked into the house around seven in the morning. Luke had just sat down at their kitchen table. He was pulling out the sections of the paper, the ones he knew Reid would want to read.
The older man gave Luke a soft smile before he headed toward the bedroom.
“Another double shift?” the younger man commented, his gaze focused on the paper in front of him.
“Emergency surgery,” he replied, moving slowly towards his husband.
Luke nodded his head, but he wouldn’t allow himself to look at Reid. He’d felt the distance, and he didn’t know how to make it better. Actually, Luke did know how to fix things between himself and Reid, but he didn’t think he could. He would have to give up his dreams of having a child with his husband, and Luke wasn’t ready to do that. And if he blindly gave into all of Reid’s demands, then he wouldn’t be the man that Reid had fallen in love with either.
“I didn’t hear you leave,” Luke noted. He placed his hands flat against the table. His wedding band had caught the overhead light and the blonde found himself staring at the ring. He remembered the day Reid had put it on him. Mostly he remembered looking at his hand, held by Reid’s, and realizing that he was actually married. Before that Luke could pretend it was all business, but he was lying to himself; and the platinum band was proof of Luke’s denial.
Reid closed the distance between himself and Luke. He stood next to the table, looking at his husband. “I was working in my office when I got paged. It was after midnight.”
“You weren’t planning to come to bed last night were you?” the blonde noted miserably. It used to be that Reid couldn’t sleep without Luke. Now he seemed to be doing everything he could to avoid Luke.
“Luke, I’m really tired, can we not do this now?” Reid asked.
“Right,” the blonde murmured. He stood up and put his half-eaten breakfast in the garbage. “Well, I need to get to work since you’re too busy to see me.”
“Luke, I just… I have just enough time for a small nap before I have to go to the airport to pick up Mark. We have that board meeting today.”
“I remember,” Luke replied. His voice was cool, and he wouldn’t look at Reid.
The older man followed his husband further into the kitchen. “Will you be there?” he asked. He longed to come up behind his husband and wrap his arms around his waist, burrowing his head into the space between his neck and shoulder. He knew that Luke loved when he did that. Mostly, Reid just wanted to hold his husband again. He couldn’t remember the last time they had touched or even kissed.
“Of course I’ll be there,” Luke replied. He turned, pressing his back into the counter by the kitchen sink. “It was my idea, remember?”
“Luke…” Of their own accord, Reid’s feet shuffled toward his husband. “I hate this.”
The blonde nodded his head, but he didn’t know what to do or what to say any more. “Me too.”
Reid placed either hand on the counter by Luke’s hips. “How are we going to fix this?” he asked. His torso was pressed against the blonde’s. The younger man’s head was ducked down and he shifted, not able to look at Reid. The top of Luke’s head brushed against Reid’s chin. Gently, the redhead’s hands slid up his husband’s arms until he could cup the blonde’s cheeks in his hand. He brought Luke’s face up to meet his own.
“I love you,” Reid told him.
“I love you back,” Luke assured him, using the words Reid always used with him. “But-”
“No,” the older man insisted, brushing his mouth against Luke’s. “No,” he whispered, kissing him again.
Instinctively, Luke’s hands came up around Reid’s chest to his back, guiding him closer, tugging at the scrub top. They desperately clung to each other, not wanting the moment to end, not wanting to think about the moment after this.
Finally, the blonde pushed Reid away. “We can’t,” he whispered, his breath coming out in heavy pants. “I’m sorry.”
Luke tried to walk past Reid, but the older man reached out, grabbing him by the arm. “Don’t do this.”
The younger man sighed. “I know we have to talk but not now. You’re tired and…” He turned and took Reid’s hands in his. “I promise, tonight, but I can’t right now. Please understand.”
The redhead opened his mouth briefly ready to argue. There was something in Luke’s voice, and he knew that his husband had already come to a decision. Luke wanted to tell Reid something, but he wanted time. Or it was too difficult and Luke wanted to avoid telling Reid whatever it was. The older man’s hand fell away. He didn’t want to hear it yet either.
Luke came back, took Reid’s face in his hands, and kissed him briefly. “I love you,” he assured him before heading out.
But it didn’t provide the reassurance that Reid had expected.
*
From the moment Mark got off the plane, Reid allowed his friend to talk endlessly, about the flight, his work, his hope for this board meeting. He knew that Mark’s enthusiasm was something that Luke would have loved, and he regretted that he hadn’t invited Luke to come with him. But after everything that had happened, he wasn’t sure if Luke would have wanted to be there.
Reid gave Mark a brief tour of the hospital. Mark asked about Luke, but Reid kept his answers succinct and assured his friend that the younger man would be at the board meeting. The two friends were standing in the hall. They were waiting for Luke. Reid checked his watch, and he was tempted to call his husband.
“Who is the hottie?” Mark asked, pulling Reid out of his thoughts.
The redhead glanced in the direction Mark was pointing and his mouth fell open. “That’s no hottie,” Reid muttered.
“I know you’re gay, but you have to admit, she’s an attractive woman.”
“That’s my mother-in-law,” the redhead hissed.
Mark turned away from looking at Lily and glanced at Reid. “Are you serious? I mean, I know Luke was young, but she can’t possibly…”
Lily, who had been on her way toward the board meeting, hesitated when she heard someone call her name. She looked up to see her son come towards her. She smiled and waited for Luke to catch up.
Mark looked back at Lily. “She’s your mother-in-law? The way you talked about her, I expected to see horns and a pitchfork.”
Reid chuckled softly, but it died when he saw Luke. “She’s… We get along better now,” he admitted, his gaze never leaving his husband. “But she was Noah’s, Luke’s ex, she was his biggest supporter. And… she is single. Luke’s parents have been divorced for a few years, but they are still close.”
“Hmm,” Mark said non-commitedly. He and his own ex-wife barely spoke and both seemed better because of it.
Luke and Lily made their way over. Luke couldn’t meet Reid’s gaze, so he hugged Mark. “Mom, this is Dr. Mark Cohen.”
Lily smiled warmly and Mark found himself staring at her. “Dr. Cohen, it’s so nice to meet you. Luke and Reid speak very highly of you; I know the hospital would be grateful if we could persuade you to join the staff.”
“Um, th-thank you.”
Luke and Reid both looked quizzically at Mark. Reid elbowed his friend in the ribs.
“Please, call me Mark. And I didn’t realize you were on the board, Ms. Walsh,” Mark finally replied.
“Oh.” Lily shook her head. “I’m here representing my mother, Lucinda Walsh. She had to be in New York on business. She asked that I come in her place.”
“Lily’s part owner of the Lakeview,” Reid commented.
“Yes,” Luke finally spoke, and he kept his gaze anywhere but his husband.
Mark nodded his head, but he still couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lily. He had heard stories, of course. But Luke always came back and assured Mark that Reid’s stories were an exaggeration. Mark would chuckle and he was constantly reminded of why Luke and Reid were such a good fit together. When he finally tore his gaze away from Mrs. Walsh, he noted that Luke hadn’t greeted Reid with a hug or even a kiss. Normally, they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. They were never too obvious, but Reid hadn’t even reached for Luke’s hand. Also, neither man seemed to make eye contact. He filed the information away, determined to talk to Reid about it at a later time.
The four were greeted by Bob and went to join the board meeting. It was a successful day. The board was excited by the prospect of adding a cardiologist of Mark’s caliber to join their hospital. They were especially impressed by Luke’s ideas for a new wing and the fact that Reid’s connections would make it happen. It seemed that Bob was correct, and the meeting was the right step in the direction for Reid to be the next Chief of Staff. As he accepted warm handshakes and offers to get dinner or go golfing, the redhead was dying to go over to his husband and beg him for help.
Luke made a quick exit, but not before telling Mark, he would meet him and Reid for dinner that night at the Lakeview.
*
Reid had to check on patients and Mark got settled at the hotel. Mark was glad he had come to Oakdale. The opportunity to start over and create a space to his specifications was a dream come true. And he would be close to his friends. It was time to move on with his life. But he couldn’t forget the tension he’d felt between Reid and Luke earlier either.
When Mark went down to the lobby, he found Luke waiting for him. “Where’s Reid?” he asked.
Luke looked around the restaurant for a moment. “Not sure. We… I was working at the foundation all afternoon. And…” his voice trailed off. “Do you want a drink?”
“Sure,” he replied.
The two men talked for a few moments. Luke wanted to make sure that Mark was really excited and that he hadn’t talked him into doing something he wasn’t ready for. “I can be a little pushy,” the blonde admitted.
“Yeah, but I think it works for you.”
Luke chuckled softly but then he realized, “Not always. Reid ever tell you the story of how I got him to come here?”
Mark took a sip of his drink. “Actually, no he didn’t.”
“I blackmailed him,” Luke admitted, his finger rubbed up and down the side of his drink, tracing some of the condensation. “I lied, pretended I had something the AMA would want to know. Things spiraled out of control after that, but…” He shook his head. “I hated myself and then we got married and I couldn’t.” One side of his mouth slid up. “I got Reid, how could I?”
Mark smiled in return. “Hold on to that,” he told Luke.
Before the younger man could respond, Reid was standing at their table. He took a seat next to Mark. Luke tried to hide his hurt and confusion. He knew there was a distance between them, but Reid always sat next to him, even when it was just the two of them.
The waiter came back and took their order. They discussed plans for the new wing. Luke suggested a few places for Mark to look at, neighborhoods he might want to live in. Mark asked the occasional question about Luke’s mom. Reid tried to discourage Mark, and their friend realized rarely did Luke and Reid talk to each other. About halfway through the meal, Luke’s cell phone buzzed. He quickly picked it up and went to answer the call.
Luke returned a few moments later. He told them there was an emergency at Grimaldi-a delay in one of their orders, and he had to make a few phone calls, assuage some clients. Reid started to get up, assure Luke it would be all right, give him a brief kiss good-bye, but the blonde was already out the door.
“What’s going on?” Mark asked.
Reid moved and took his husband’s vacated seat. “What? Luke had an emergency.”
“No,” Mark replied. “Something is wrong. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like you’re off. Both of you.”
Reid signaled the waiter and ordered a scotch. He rarely drank, but he wasn’t sure how to put into words what was going on. “Luke wants to have kids,” he told Mark.
“So?”
The waiter returned and Reid downed half of it before responding. “So?” A bitter laugh worked its way past the redhead’s lips. “It could change everything and it’s already…” His voice trailed off.
“What’s the problem?” Mark questioned. “Your husband wants to have kids; you figure out a way to have kids.”
“It’s not that simple,” the other man said. “I don’t want to have children, I never planned on it.”
Mark hated the thought of this coming between his friends. He’d never seen Reid happier than after he’d met Luke. He didn’t want that to end. “You never expected to get married either,” Mark noted. “And look at how great that turned out.”
Reid shook his head. “How can you be so optimistic? You just got divorced.” He squeezed his eyes shut, immediately wanting to take it back. He and Mark didn’t talk too much about the divorce, but Reid never wanted to throw that in Mark’s face. “I’m sorry.”
“Then maybe you should listen to me. Jill and I didn’t work for a reason, but you and Luke work for so many reasons. Don’t let this be a problem. You love him. Talk to him.”
“Yeah.”
*
Reid was reading a journal in bed when Luke got home. The younger man was tired, but he was grateful to see Reid in their bed.
“Hi,” the blonde greeted him.
Reid immediately put down his journal article. “Hi. Is everything okay at work?”
“Yeah, just tired,” he admitted. “Assuaged the appropriate parties and…” He shrugged.
The older man chuckled softly. “You’re great at that. You know, charming people, getting others to follow whatever you want.”
Luke stood up straight for a moment. Somehow, it felt like an insult. “Not always.”
“Luke, do we have to talk about this now?” he asked. “I just… I want to hold you.”
The younger man let out a breath. “And then what? Tomorrow morning, this thing will still be between us. We’ve avoided talking about it, but neither one of us wants to give in, right? I want kids and you don’t.”
“Luke.”
“Has that changed?” the younger man demanded. He was still hovering around the doorway of their room.
“No,” the redhead admitted. He got out of the bed and started to walk towards Luke. He could see his husband’s eyes dart around as though he were looking for an escape. “Luke, I never planned nor wanted to have children. I don’t see that changing.”
He nodded his head and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “I think I should move out,” he whispered, his voice ragged. He’d been thinking of it for a while. It was as though now that the words were finally there, ready to come out, there was no relief, instead raw cuts as they dragged themselves free.
Reid’s eyes widened briefly and then narrowed, certain he hadn’t heard his husband correctly. “Luke.”
“I want kids and you don’t. And you’re so stubborn,” he replied. After that initial release, the words came out quicker but not any easier.
“So are you,” the older man told Luke. “But that doesn’t mean you need to leave.”
“Yes, I do,” his voice was still raw. “I know how much you hate hotels.”
“Luke.”
He felt tears pinprick at the back of his eyes. “Please, Reid.”
“What?” the redhead questioned. He reached out, pulling his husband’s left hand out of his pocket. He held both of Luke’s hands between his own and gently rubbed his thumb across Luke’s wedding band. “You want me to make this easy on you?”
The breath left the younger man’s body and his shoulders slumped. He wasn’t certain, but he felt as though Reid was holding him up. “It won’t be forever.”
“It shouldn’t be happening at all,” Reid insisted, his grip tightened, and his feet moved.
Luke stumbled backwards, his back hitting the doorjamb. “I can’t be around you,” he finally admitted. “And I don’t think you can either. This is the first night in I don’t know how long that you’re in bed before me or that you’re even here at all.”
Reid didn’t respond; he just continued to look at Luke, holding his hand, rubbing the wedding band.
Luke found he couldn’t exactly meet Reid’s gaze, focusing on his husband’s right ear instead. “I can’t be around you and not think of our future. You working toward Chief of Staff and someday knowing we’ll have kids. I know how important your career is to you, and I just imagined this amazing life that we could have, this family…”
“We are a family,” the older man insisted. He finally let go of Luke and took the blonde’s face in his hands, forcing his husband to look at him.
“But I need more.”
Reid’s hands fell away, a slight moan slipped from his mouth. “How can us not be enough?”
“Reid, it’s… The possibility of having kids, that’s not an option for you. But it still is for me. And until I’m ready to give up the possibility, I can’t be here.”
“No.”
“Reid.”
“No! Damn it, Luke, in a relationship, something bad happens, you’re not supposed to cut and run. I learned that because of you. And now you’re leaving?”
“Yes,” he whispered. He moved around Reid, going to the closet, getting a bag. He blindly moved around their bedroom, throwing a few things into it.
“Why do you have to leave our home?” the redhead asked, tracking his husband’s movements. He stood by the door, ready to block Luke if he had to.
Luke stilled for a moment. “Being around you…I can’t deny you anything.”
“Why is that a bad thing?”
The blonde dropped the bag to the floor and looked at Reid. He loved his husband. He loved everything about him: his brilliant mind, his skilled hands, his quick wit, his hair, his mouth, and all of the life Reid led before coming to Luke. All that Reid was, was the man for Luke.
“I need to be rational about this,” the younger man finally admitted. He bent down to pick up his bag again.
“And moving out is rational?”
The blonde chuckled softly. “You’re an idiot, Mr. Snyder,” he murmured. “I can only imagine the number of times you thought that.”
“I never…”
“Don’t.” Luke held up his free hand in warning. “Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be.”
“Why should I?” he demanded. He hated all the accusatory why questions because he felt like he was pushing Luke further away, but he was angry and wanted to put a stop to this madness. They were having an argument. The first few months of their relationship all they did was argue. But they always came back for more. Why was Luke turning and running away?
“Reid.”
“You’re not my almost everything any more. You haven’t been for so long,” Reid said, and he started to slowly walk towards his husband. He didn’t want to frighten the blonde, so he treaded carefully, letting his words guide him. “You are everything I need.”
He paused, a few steps separated himself from the blonde, but seeing the haunted look in Luke’s eyes, Reid came to a realization. “But that’s not true for you. You need more than me and us.”
For the first time in several minutes, Luke finally met Reid’s gaze without help. “I need to be okay without the possibility of a family beyond us. You don’t want kids, and I know you, Reid. I know you won’t give in to me because I need you to. And it’s kind of ridiculous because I love you so much. You push me to be better than anything I thought I could be. And now I can’t be around you until I’m ready to be more of what you need.”
For once in his life, Reid was left without an argument. He stood, watching as Luke went into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush and medications. When the blonde returned, he stopped in front of his husband. Both men stood, the overnight bag grazed both of their legs and their eyes connected. Pain, fear, and loss reflecting back to each other.
“I love you,” Luke finally said. “I promise, I love you.”
“I love you back,” Reid responded. Luke couldn’t help but remember what that meant. The first time Reid said it to Luke, it was the redhead’s way of telling Luke that not only did he love him, but he was there. Above everyone and everything else, Reid loved Luke. The older man was promising this to his husband once more. Luke longed for it to be enough.
The blonde reached for his husband, pressing a soft, desperate kiss to his lips. Just as Reid was about to respond, to reach for Luke, the younger man pulled away. Luke opened his mouth, but his throat felt too raw and he knew he would give in to every instinct telling him to drop his bag and let Reid take care of him. Instead, he turned, stumbling over his feet, and rushed out of the house.
Hearing the door slam shut, Reid staggered. When the back of his knees hit the bed, he fell. Grabbing Luke’s pillow, he turned, curling his body in on himself. His head burrowed into the pillow, Luke’s scent greeting him and blocking the sound of his anguish.
===========================
Thank you so much for reading. I love reading all of your comments. How many of you remembered Mark? He was first introduced here.
And, yes, I know this sucks, but I promise to make it better. So tell me true, how much do you hate me right now? ~Ali
Onto Chapter Nine...