Under the Gazebo

In the middle of the night in July, the air is sticky and thick; the heat coils itself around your throat making breathing nearly impossible. That night the atmosphere was bitterly cold between the two teens under the white gazebo.

Morgan was fifteen; she had long blonde hair and deep emerald green eyes. Her skin had been lightly kissed by the summer sun and was lightly tanned. She was wearing a white cotton night gown and sat at the wrought-iron table, across from Luke.

Luke was sixteen years old. His hair was dark with a few highlights from summer, and his skin was considerably darker than Morgan’s. Luke had on blue jean shorts and a white muscle shirt.

Morgan knew she would never forget the way he looked that night. Luke knew he would never sear the image from his mind of how the moonlight danced across her soft skin, the same night his life with her would come to a grinding halt.

“Ya know I can hardly look at you in this light.” Luke stated.

Morgan smirked a little, “Why?”

Luke smiled at her sadly, “Because you’re beautiful.”

Morgan returned his sad smile, wishing he wouldn’t tell her things like that. The teens sat in stillness with not even the tops of trees swaying.

“Please, tell me you love me.” Luke begged.

“I care about you, Luke.” Morgan stressed, feeling like a beaten dog because he looked like one.

“Morgan, please, tell me this isn’t for nothing.”

It was all Morgan could do to keep from screaming the truth, that she couldn’t take him back and wouldn’t.

Desperate and heartbroken Luke leaned his face to Morgan’s. His lips touched hers, and she felt his body tremble. It had been so long since they had been this close. Morgan demanded her body angrily to remain cold to his sad and loving touch and to not close her eyes and kiss him back.

Luke pulled only an inch away sensing her determination.

“Please, Morgan, please, kiss me if you haven’t let go.”

The whole time he spoke, his beautiful lips graced her own, making everything she was going to do, so much harder.

He continued, “Just kiss me if you haven’t let go.”

Luke’s eyes pierced pleadingly into hers; Morgan turned her head, unable to withstand the stare. His sad dark brown eyes remained steadily looking upon Morgan, expecting her answer.

In later years Morgan would refer to it as some of the most difficult minutes of her life, for now she felt heartless, and she could only imagine what Luke was feeling.

Morgan fought herself to keep emotion from her eyes; she would get him to believe everything they had was over, forever.

She straightened her back and pulled further away from him, no longer close enough to breathe his intoxicating scent.

Luke was confused, “So…is that a yes? Have you let go?”

Morgan was begging herself to not cry; Luke was pleading with Morgan to answer him.

She waited and looked up, her eyes devoid of feeling, “Yes, I have.”

He weakly gasped for air and unmasculine tears welled in his already slightly swollen eyes. He pushed himself backwards to lean on the back of his chair.

Morgan turned down every instinct she had to hold him until he smiled and the clouds in his eyes had cleared, revealing his sparkling character. This vulnerable creature that sat, sobbing before her was not the boy she knew. The boy she knew and loved was strong and willing.

“But I suppose six months of being strong and determined takes its toll on someone.” She thought to herself, recalling that he’d been stubborn and resolute since February. “How on earth could this pitiful person be Luke?” she wondered to herself.

Luke shook his head, disbelieving what she had told him.

“No, there’s no way. You haven’t let go.”

Morgan’s mouth gave way to a sad smile, “Yes, I have. I’m sorry, but I have.”

“No, no.” He was in denial, refusing to believe her.

“I had to.” Morgan said, instantly regretting her words.

“Why?” Luke questioned, reenergized. “Why did you have to?”

Morgan was speechless and the only sounds she heard were the insects and her beating heart. She knew she didn’t have an answer to give him because she was lying. She, Morgan, who always had all the answers, for once, did not. She was lying to him, and she was lying to herself.

She found her voice and could only lamely give him, “Because, I don’t know, it’s just easier.”

“But how? Like…”

“I don’t know okay!” Morgan vehemently cut him off.

Luke replied to her meekly, “I’m sorry.”

Once again they sat in silence, uncomfortable and yet, not awkward.

“God this is killing me. Of all the things we’ve been through, and how much love we had, it all comes down to this, this one heartbreaking moment. He makes it harder to say ‘no’, but each time I do, it somehow give him a hope for a future, a future that will never be.” Morgan thought to herself all in a split second.

“But Morgan, I love you. I want to be with you. I promise I will make things right we can argue but not fight. Please, please, Morgan.”

Tears still slipped down Luke’s cheeks as he made more vows to his one and only love.

Morgan could only gently shake her head to him as they both heard thunder rolling towards them across the empty pastures.

Quietly, Morgan told him, “You probably should leave; the sky’s about to open up on us.”

“Unlike your heart.” Luke mumbled so she wouldn’t hear.

Morgan let whatever he’d said, go. It didn’t matter.

She watched Luke stand; she was no longer restricting the emotion in her eyes. He wasn’t looking at her anyway. If Luke would have looked he would have held her close and not left until she gave into him and her own heart. Morgan watched his beautiful silhouette walk through her backyard; the last beams of moonlight dappled his summer-tanned skin.

When Luke was out of earshot , Morgan collapsed onto the hard gray cement under the gazebo; she was releasing deep, heart wrenching sobs. However miserable this may seem, she was not unfamiliar to it, but this was a different type of heartache.

Minutes later she gathered herself and as the rain began to sprinkle the warm summer earth, Morgan stepped out from the gazebo’s shelter, leaving behind so many memories, and letting her body become drenched in the rainfall; she walked, condemned to despondency, to her backdoor.

A/N: This is just a one chapter thing. RR please