Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Luke turned to the now upturned coffin, and a small gasp escaped his lips. I swallowed. My guess was right. Luke's father did not have a body, because somehow, just like me...he has been thrown somewhere into the future.

I saw Luke visibly pale off all the color he has gotten from yelling and crying so hard and the crowd around him stood.

"Luke!" Mrs. Catherine said, running around to the coffin and trying to pull it together.

"Where is my father?" Luke asked, his breath going wild again, his hands slowly going into his hair. "How come there is no body?"

Mrs. Catherine could not say a word, and she just stayed on her knees, pulling the coffin to a close. Like it would fix anything.

"Mum. Where is my dad?" Luke asked again, and his voice sounded like he was using the very last bits of his sanity. Like he was finally losing it.

"Mum!"

"I don't know!" She yelled back, as he clutched his hair, his eyes filling with wild tears. I stepped forward towards him, but didn't quite get to him.

"How won't you? What? Did you get rid of him? Was his corpse so despicable that you couldn't even stand it long enough for him to be given a proper burial?"

She stood up and raised a hand to slap him again, but I held it in place. She had no right to, after lying about his father and damaging him from childhood. Luke owed her nothing for growing up to be such a wonderful person.

Luke turned to me, and his lips parted a little. He sniffed and turned back to his mother who yanked her arm away from me.

Luke's brows furrowed again. I could tell he was feeling more than he could yell out, more than he could say.

He turned away from me slowly, then took two breaths to calm himself, his hand dragging on his face.

"Mum...please tell me where he is. I will bury him on my own, you don't need to do a thing. I will do all I can.." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Please. Please."

She glared at me and took a step back. "I don't know where he is. He was confirmed dead, but..for some reason...his body wasn't found."

"So you wanted to just close it up like that without even trying to find it?" Luke asked, his voice disbelieving.

"It's better that way."

"Mum!"

"The burial will go on as planned. His corpse is not a person with a phone that we can track. Let go."

Luke blinked, and he took a step backwards. He turned to me for a second, then at the coffin, then the relatives around, then his mother again. Slowly, I saw his eyes pull to a close and he lost his footing and fell to the ground. I followed him down, protecting his head as I drew him onto my lap and he fell unconscious.

"I will take care of him." I said to his mother as I cradled his head to my body, my hands wrapping around his head.

A relative helped me when I decided to take him back home, and together we lifted him off. His car was packed outside, and I decided to drive. I did hope I knew how it was done around this time, and we put his into the back seat. He still had tears on the sides of his eyes and I got into the driver's seat. His car key has been in his hoodie pocket, so it was an easy find.

I drove him back to my home instead, because I couldn't trust taking myself to his place. I managed to get him into my bed, and I tucked him in, then proceeded to clean up.

I wouldn't want him to wake up to a house this messed up, but I bet he wouldn't care so much either.

I made tea and left it on the pot so I could warm when he woke up, then changed into a more comfortable dress.

He was still unconscious, and I sat around, eagerly waiting for him to come around. His phone rang only once and when I checked it, it was his mum. I let it ring on silent, I knew he would have done the same.

I was starting to drift asleep on the couch when I heard a slight groan. I ran to the bed and he was stirring, even though his eyes were closed.

"Luke?" I said, touching his arm lightly. He stirred a little and I shook him again. His eyes slowly opened, and hell, if that wasn't the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

He had little pearls of tears in each eye, reflecting his black orbs and when he opened them wide enough, they fell down his cheeks like diamonds.

I reached up with my thumbs and wiped them off, but my fingers lingered on his face, my eyes examining him.

"How do you feel, Luke?"

He was staring up at me, slowly blinking at intervals. He said nothing and tried to straighten.

"No, you are still..."

He caught my arm, his eyes boring into mine. "Why am I here?" His voice was weak.

"I brought you here after you fainted at the wake. I couldn't navigate the way to your place on my own."

He stared at me for a while, and a small one sided smile appeared on the corner of his lips, bringing to light his one sided dimple.

"Is something..."

He shook his head. "You know...it feels like a time like this has once been here...in which I fell asleep and woke wishing for someone to be here by my side. And now you are Karla. You are an answered wish."

My lips slightly parted with words I didn't know how to say, and his hand left my arm, then slowly moved the neck, a few fingers moving to my cheek.

He leaned in slowly, like he was skeptical. Like he wanted to make sure I wanted this.

I closed my eyes once I felt his breath fan my face, and with an assurance that did not need to be given, he closed the distance and gently, slowly, took my lips.