I run down the stairs, two steps at a time. I changed into a Nike long-sleeved black top with a zip paired with the matching leggings and trainers, all that Luke brought me. My loose curls out, hitting my waist. I walk back into the living room and Luke sits on the sofa with his arms on his legs, hands threaded together, conversing with my mum and his head pops up when I stand in front of him. He takes in my outfit with an appreciative smirk and he bits his lip.
“Are you ready?”
“Ready when you are,” I say with a grin and a raised eyebrow. He stands up and pulls me into a hug, rubbing his chin against my head and I flush all over. We part and he grabs my hand and we bid farewell to everyone.
“7:30,” mum shouts before we leave the house.
We walk to Luke’s dark grey car, sharp and shiny just like him. This is new, I haven’t seen it before. Luke taps at his car keys and the doors lift up. I glance back at him, blinking with my head drawn back. He is so out of my league, I’ve always known that but now it’s so glaring clear.
“Do you like it?” He smirks at me, slightly smug.
“Flashy for sure,”
“Of course,” he says with sparkling eyes.
“I like it, It’s suits you,”
We get inside and his scent surrounds me with warmth as he brings the car to live with a roar and rap songs fill the space.
“Where are we going? To the cinema?” I ask.
Luke drives with one hand on the wheel and glances at me with a crease in his brow with lift to his mouth. “To the cinema? Come on, I can do better than that.”
“Okay, where?”
“You have to wait and see.”


“Paintballing,” I say with a gasp. Fitting. Luke glances at me with a smirk and grabs my hand and pulls me along.
We go through the safety procedures and demonstrations with people sticking to Luke, snapping photos, snap, snap, snap until our phones get taken. Thank god.
Before we know it, we are outside in the field, on opposite teams in green army pullovers, black padded vests and masks.
My gun rests nestled in my arms as I sit behind a tree, with my back resting against the rough edges of the trunk. I’ve been ducking, crawling, diving, and shooting. My adrenaline is at its peak, and now I'm just catching my breath. Brown fallen leaves, grass, and dirt lay at my feet with branches hanging over me. I scan the dense thickets and green bushes jutting out from the ground, with my gaze darting, searching for any movement. My blood pressure spikes and my heart beats in various ways as my forehead sheens with perspiration. Branches creak as I hear the shuffling of feet against dirt, and I quickly turn, high on alert with my eyes widening. Relief seeps through me when I spot Sheila coming into sight.
"Laura, are you okay?" Shelia says, with a heavy breath. She’s on my team, and we’ve been helping each other, watching each other's backs.
"Yeah, I’m good. I've had a close call," I say, breathing...