How... by Bethany Cook (primary phonics .txt) 📕

"You're asking me on a date aren't you?"

"No....ummm... well... you could say that..." I laugh as he turns a bright shade of red.

"You are one of the most awkward people I have ever met." 

"So will you?"

"Sure... just don't try anything..." He smiles and takes my hands as he stands up. I stand up in front of him and look up at him. He looks away and smiles. "Are you going to stand here or walk me over there?" I ask. He lets go of my hands and slowly moves one arm behind me. I take his arm and wrap it around me to save us an hour. "Ummm... let's go..." We walk four doors down to Archer's room. I open the door and see Archer standing on the balcony again. I untangle myself from Blaze's grip and walk over to him. I take the ring from my pocket and touch Archer's shoulder as I take his hand. I open up his hand and place the ring in his palm, then I close his fingers over it. "One day, Archer, one day." I hug him as he starts to cry.

"But you were perfect to me, please, don't go..."

"I was not perfect for you, no one is, no one is perfect for anyone, we just accept their flaws."

"Goodbye, my sector girl."

"Goodbye, soldier." I let go of him as I walk away. I walk into Blaze and hug him. "Let's go, Blaze." He nods and wraps his arm around my waist. We walk to one of the fountains outside the building and sit on its ledge. "I can't do it anymore, I don't think I can trust anyone who tells me they love me." He smiles at me as I look into the water. "I can barely even trust myself, I keeping falling but the ones I think are there won't catch me." 

"Let's continue walking, Lyds." I look at him as he takes my hands and pulls me to my feet. He lets go of me as we head towards the large field behind the building.The trees are beautiful with their orange and yellow. I drag Blaze up a hill and we slump against a tall tree."I still can't figure out how you do that with your mechanical leg..." I laugh as I curl up against him. "How have I still not fallen for you? You're the nicest guy I've ever met." He smiles down at me as I realize how cold I am. I shiver and without a second, Blaze gives me his jacket. "You have a leaf in your hair. Let me get it." He runs his fingers through my hair as I look away in embarrassment and blush. "Wait you have something there too." He points to my cheek, "let me get it." He leans down and brushes his lips over my cheek. I turn a bright shade of red and look up at him. "I...I need to go..." I pull myself up and collapse on to the floor. 

"Lyds, wait." He lifts me up off the floor and embraces me. I pull away from him and start walking down the hill. Why do I fall in love this easily? Why couldn't I be one of those self-centred people who push everyone away? "Lydia, come back." I start to jog, then I break into a run. All of a sudden I feel myself falling as I land on my back on the hill. Really, am I that stupid? I hear footsteps as someone picks me up in their arms. Everything goes black...

 I awake to the bare walls of the room and the moon shining in through the balcony doors. I sit up and walk out onto the balcony. The moon reaches its silver tendrils out onto the land. "You look beautiful in the moonlight, Lyds." I turn to see Blaze's piercing blue eyes looking at me.

"Everyone does, it's the moon that is beautiful. Not me."

"You, Lyds, are beautiful. You might try to push me away, but I'll never give up a split second where I can be with you..." I blush in the darkness but I then remember that falling means breaking, so I look away. He walks up to me and hugs me from behind. He kisses my cheek then works his way down to my shoulder. Blaze then rests his head on my shoulder as we look out onto the fields. "I love you, Lyds. I really do."

"That's what Archer said and Blake, Ace and Sebastian. No one means it."

"You mean it... if someone can get you to say it, they know they're lucky..." I smile at him while I move his hands so that they rest on my waist. "What would you say if I have already fallen for you?" I ask with a small smile.

"Then I'd say I'm the luckiest person on the planet..." I turn around and face him. He strokes my cheek as I smile at him. I wrap my arms around his neck as he kisses me and runs his fingers through my hair. He kisses me more meaningfully every time. I love him too much to leave him, like the rest. I break away as he smirks at me. "I knew you loved me, you just didn't know how to say it... I love you Lyds."

"Blaze... I..." I start, but he puts a finger to my lips to silence me. He kisses both cheeks then my forehead. Then he picks me up and carries me to the bed, he lays down as I curl up next to him. Then I fall into a beautiful, dreamless sleep.

"Lyds, wake up." I hear Blaze's voice as I look up and see him looking down at me with a wide smile. "Thank you for yesterday, Lyds. Actually every moment I have spent with you. I love you." I sigh and sit up. I think that he loves me too much to do anything to me. He is to afraid of driving me away to do anything. "Blaze, I love you too." I hug him and he blushes. "What happened to your neck, Lyds?" I wonder what he is on about until I look in the mirror. A necklace of bruises decorates my neck. I sigh as I wash my face. When I walk out again, Blaze hugs me as I look into his beautiful eyes. "I'm fine... really." He lets go of me as I stroke his cheek. He kisses my forehead softly and when I close my eyes, he kisses my eyelids as I smile and he kisses my cheeks and then finally, he kisses my lips lovingly as I smile against him. "I love you, Lyds, so much." 

"I love you too..." He smiles at me as his blue eyes glow. Why do people do this to me? They say they love me and expect it back. Then they break me. But I don't know about Blaze, he seems different... But they were all like that to me... once.

   "Lyds, wake up." I smile as I stretch and yawn. Blaze laughs at me as I finally sit up, I punch him on the shoulder lightly. He looks down at my necklace of bruises and traces them lightly with his hands. I look at him as he strokes my cheek lightly. He frowns at me as I wince from the pain of the bruises. Kissing me softly, he lays me back on the bed and breaks away. He proceeds to stand up and make his way into the bathroom and return a minute later with a bottle. He lays next to me as he applies it to my neck. I frown at him but he waves it off. Sitting up, I kiss him softly and then pull him back down with me. We both smile as we start to kiss, but then I remember Archer and push him off of me. Quickly, I sit up crying, Blaze sits next to me and strokes my hair. "Lyds, it's ok, I understand... it's about Archer... I don't mind."

"Sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I just won't take it that far...ok?"

"Thank you... I love you..." He hugs me close to his chest as I cry into the fabric of his shirt.

"I love you too, Lyds, now let's get up." He doesn't want to hurt me. He didn't know that about me... So I still love him. Smiling, he stands up and takes my hands and pulls me up so that I stand facing him. "I'm going to go talk to Archer, if you want to come with me..." 

"Sure..." He wraps an arm around my waist as we walk out of the room. I kiss him softly on the cheek just before we open the door. He smirks and I blush, he laughs at me and I punch him lightly on the shoulder. When I open the door...I see Archer... That's when I feel the knife go into my side. I scream in agony as I fall to the ground. Blaze looks down at me and picks me up in his arms. Resting my head against his chest, I close my eyes and smile. "No...no... Lyds... you're gonna be fine...no..." I reach up and stroke his cheek as I look into his tear-filled eyes. I let out a half-hearted laugh.

"That's what everyone says..." My vision fades as the world turns black...

I wake up to a sharp pain in my right side. I go to touch it and find a scar there. I wince in pain as I place my hand on it. "Lyds?" I look up and smile, it's Blaze. I laugh.

"Yeah, still here, well some of me." He goes to hug me but knocks my scar. I grit my teeth and he takes his hand away from me. "You're okay, right?"

"I've been through worse, I'm fine... really... I am." He strokes my cheek as I smile at him. "Love you..." He leans down and kisses my forehead as he strokes my hair. "Love you too, Lyds. You need to rest, I'll leave now..."

"No...please, stay with me." He sits on the bed and lies next to me wrapping his arms around me as I curl up against him. He runs his fingers through my hair as I slowly fall asleep...