331: RUSTIC ROMANCE ARIEL’S POV Luke remained silent as his gaze shifted towards me. I shifted closer to him, wrapping my hands around his neck, and I laggardly straddled him, giving him a warm smile. But before I could even give him a kiss, a voice broke through the living room. “The both of you should stop that right now. It’s disgusting.” He turned to see that it was just his grumpy great–aunt. What was her name again? Liliana. The look on her face was not a nice one, filled with intense anger, and I kept on wondering why this woman continued to behave like this towards Luke. What was the misunderstanding in their story? With her eyes still fixed on us, not putting an end to her glare, Liliana trod on the both of us. We didn’t shake; it wasn’t like we were terrified of her or something else. It’s just that we were actually surprised. The old lady had gone crazy beyond all doubts. “What’s all this nonsense?” She spat, still not taking her eyes off the two of us. “Nonsense?” Luke responded. I had to release my grip as he rose to his feet. “Yes, w can you both decide to do something so disgusting in public? Don’t you have some respect for the younger ones here?” “And since when did you care about the younger ones?” Luke retorted, returning her hard glare. “You still haven’t changed, huh? I thought leaving you all this time might put some sense in that head of yours, but it seems like those were all in vain.” “Oh, please, save the crap for yourself,” Luke fired back. “I don’t have time to listen to your nonsense. If you don’t have anything better to say, you can go to your room upstairs and get some sleep.” “Are you going to drag me there?” Luke made an irritated face. “I’ll just be displaying stupidity if I do that. There’s one thi great–aunt Lilliana: you’re not worth anyone’s time.” “This is how you’re going to keep disrespecting me, right? Right, Luke?” Luke sighed in frustration. “You’re the one disrespecting yourself.” t I’ve learned, Liliana’s eyes caught sight of me. “And you, just keep on following him. Just wait till I throw him out of this house. The both of you will be begging on the streets since you like following him around.” “Stop talking nonsense. You and I both know that’s not happening.” Luke gave her a comeback. She laughed. “Is that what you think?” “You know what, great–aunt?“I think it’s best if I just leave you here, so you can keep on telling yourself sh t.” Luke turned to me, and he grabbed my arm, not even letting me speak. He dragged me to our room while Liliana kept on cursing the both of us. We have deaf ears. There was no time to listen to a psychopath. That old woman was crazy. The old woman’s behavior was truly bizarre and extremely irritating. And I was glad that we had left her presence. The next day, Luke and I went to a sprawling forest, and right in there lay a tranquil oasis hidden from the hustle and bustle of the world. A winding path led through towering trees, their branches forming a canopy overhead, dappling the ground below with patches of sunlight. Along this path, nestled between gentle slopes, lay a serene lake, its surface shimmering like liquid silk under the gentle caress of the breeze. Holding my hand with a smiling face, Luke asked, “So, do you like this place?” “Yes, I do,” I replied, looking around and smiling as well. “At least we don’t have to hear screams from any mad granny or something.” I joked, and we both laughed. “Sometimes, you just need to be in a place so calm, free from everyone’s stress. And right now, it’s just me and you.” He stopped walking, and I did that as well. His hands found their way to my waist, which he wrapped around. “It’s actually a great thing to be by your side, Ariel,” he told me softly, still putting on his wonderful smile. “I want to create more moments with you.” “Same here, my love.” I slowly placed my hand on his cheek. “I know for a fact that this love of ours will overcome any obstacle. “Because love is strong, and this relationship explains it all.” Luke’s smile widened, and I could see him tightening his grip. The moment I placed my other hand on the other side of his face, he carried me. The both of us were laughing as he began to twirl me. At the edge of the lake stood a quaint wooden cabin, its weathered exterior blending seamlessly with the natural beauty of the landscape. Luke carried me in his arms, twirling me around with laughter bubbling between us. I felt weightless, completely immersed in the moment of joy and love. He gently set me down; our eyes met, and I could see the reflection of our shared happiness in his warm gaze. We made our way inside the cozy cabin, and the crackling fireplace welcomed us with its comforting embrace. I marveled at the rustic charm of our surroundings. Luke guided me to a plush couch by the fireplace, where we sank into its embrace, nestled close to each other. The sound of crackling flames and the distant murmur of the forest outside created a soothing melody, enveloping us in a cocoon of tranquility. Luke reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers with a gentle squeeze. “I’m so grateful to be here with you, Ariel.” 131 RUSTIC ROMANCE I leaned in, resting my head against his chest, feeling the steady rhythmn of his heartbeat beneath my ear. “Me too, Luke,” I murmured, tracing circles on the back of his hand with my thumb. “Being here with you feels like a dream come true.” We stayed like that for a while, lost in our own little world, savoring the simple joy of being together. Wrapped in each other’s arms, we watched as the fire danced and flickered, casting playful shadows on The walls. And we spent hours relishing such a wonderful moment. But, as we all know, things don’t last forever. Luke and I were preparing to leave. After making our way to his car, we entered, and in my head, I was still replaying the beautiful scenes made by the both of us. Honestly, I never wanted that moment to end. 50. It was like we were not part of this world, but apparently we would be going back to the world we came from before we got ourselves lost in paradise. I got a text from Seth concerning the latest project, and I gave him a reply while Luke was driving, fixing his eyes on the road. But I could tell he was taking a peek at me. “Who’s that?” He finally asked. I knew he was dying of curiosity ever since. “Just a friend, I answered, glancing back at my phone. “Male or female?” I looked at him. “Why are you asking?” “Nothing. I was just wondering. But it’s cool if you’re not going to give me an answer.” “Are you jealous?” “Me, jealous? No, why would I be jealous?” I shrugged, and then Luke hit the brakes right away. Our car stopped, and I almost slammed my head. against the front. “What’s the problem?” I asked Luke. “Take a look,” he said, gesturing forward. When I did that, I saw three cars in front of us, and the men standing in front of those vehicles all had guns.
