Free Once Again by Amy Durham Page B

from where I stood, and as I
started in that direction, I realized I was walking the same path
I’d run in my dream.
    The same path I’d seen the woman running on
my very first day in Sky Cove.
    I picked up speed the further I went, until I
was running full force. I fought the urge to shout for him, knowing
he wasn’t there and my fears were irrational – it had only been a
nightmare.
    My breathing was rapid by the time I reached
the outcropping, my legs burning from the force of my sprint down
the beach. The sky was overcast and the cool morning air burned as
I pulled it in to my lungs.
    Salty, damp ocean air stirred around my face
as I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees, trying to calm my
heart rate, all the while glancing back and forth, proving to
myself that all was fine and that no one had been hurt here as I
slept.
    I heard the hammering of feet just before I
heard his voice.
    “Layla!”
    Luke sped around the rocks, skidding to a
halt when he saw me.
    My mind overflowed with questions. I wanted
to ask him how he’d known I was here? Had he seen my car? If so,
what was he doing driving by the beach this early in the day? Why
did his voice ring with the same desperation I felt?
    But when I opening my mouth to speak, the
only thing that came out was a ragged, “Lucas.”
    My voice broke when I said his name, and he
was there, crushing me in his arms.
    His hands traveled from my waist, all the way
up my back and neck, and into my hair. The clip that held it all up
fell to the sand as my hair tumbled down around his fingers. I
snaked my arms around his waist as he buried his face in my hair,
thankful for the warm, solid feel of him against me.
    My mind was spinning, unable to comprehend
what was happening. What had driven us both here, at this precise
moment? And why did he seem to feel the same sense of panic and
urgency I did?
    Gradually, our breathing began to slow, and
he pulled back to look at me. The moisture in his eyes caused the
tears in my own to spill over, the grief from my dream finally
finding an outward expression.
    “You’re here,” he whispered, his eyes locked
on mine. “And you’re all right.”
    “Yes,” I breathed. “And so are you.”
    “I was so scared.” His face moved even closer
to mine.
    “Me too.”
    Gently, so gently it took my breath, he
pressed his lips to mine. Tears ran freely down my cheeks at the
calm, yet profound assurance that Lucas was unharmed and whole. His
mouth moved with such sweetness, and I was torn between the
confused misery I felt and the joy that bloomed in my heart.
    When he lifted his face from mine, he wiped
the wetness from my cheeks with his thumbs. My eyes searched his
face in a desperate attempt to find answers. “What’s happening
Lucas?”
    “I’m not sure,” he said, his hands still
framing my face. His thumbs stroked back and forth on my cheeks and
my nerves began to calm a tiny bit. “I used to think I understood
it all, but I just don’t know anymore.”
    As uncertain as he sounded, it was clear he
knew more than I did. Crazy as it might be, he must’ve had the same
dream as me, and come here searching for the same reasons I
did.
    “What do you know?” I asked.
    He kissed me again, this time with vigor, and
wrapped me up in the warmth of his embrace. I wasn’t sure how long
we stood there, entwined with each other, but when the kiss ended,
he spoke with a quiet voice.
    “It’s a long story, Layla. I’ll tell you
everything I know, but I don’t want to talk about it here. I don’t
think I’ll be able to breath easy until we leave this place.”
    I nodded with major enthusiasm. I couldn’t
have agreed more.
    “Let’s walk back up toward the parking lot.
I’ve got a blanket in my truck, and we can find a spot on the beach
to talk.”
    The romance of curling up with Luke on a
blanket in front of the sea did not escape me, though something
inside me told me the conversation that was coming was more serious
than anything