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Chapter 67: He Said

The minutes crawled by with the monotonous hum of the plane's engine. We were flying above the clouds on a red eye home. The cabin lights were dimmed, and I was watching a movie with the plane's headphones on. I was getting drowsy and my mind started to wander.

I thought of Lara on her yacht and then of Chad's villa now empty.

I thought of Cearra and Austin and how this trip hadn't materialized in the way she had hoped it would. She hadn't given up though #Austerra

I thought of life back home and my dreams for this year. For the first time ever, my new year's wishes were not just for me – they were also for Luke. I hoped that he would step closer to achieving his dreams. I hoped that he would stay safe and not get injured again.

I hoped that he would be happy.

Isn't that all we could hope for?

"Minnie," Luke whispered, sleeping next to me. His voice was faint as he slowly stirred, "Why are you awake?"

I rested my head on his as he leaned against the seat. His hand reached out for mine while he slept and we held each other. The hum of the engine faded in the background and I took my headphones off. I slowly closed my eyes.

My memory cast back to last night, when we arrived back to Chad's villa on New Year's day. We had been so far away from home and yet I never felt home sick. With Luke, I felt like I was right where I needed to be.

I think I grew on this trip. It made me come to terms with my insecurities and social fears. Luke and I had a real argument, but I felt like the way we handled it made our relationship more real.

It wasn't the way I thought this trip would go, but when does life go the way we think it will?

**

~Several hours later, at baggage claim~

Chad was sitting on his baggage, with his hoodie hiding his face as he slept. Austin picked up Oma's heavy suitcase for her as it appeared on the conveyer belt.

"Before everyone goes home," Chad's father told us, "I've arranged for one more event."

He didn't tell us more. His passport was in a leather cover that he slipped into his jacket's breast pocket. We asked questions but he refused to answer them.

"I told you that your punishment for behaving like spoilt kids at dinner isn't over," he said cryptically, "I saved the best for last."

**

We were so tired. We had just flown halfway across the world on a red eye and we were jet lagged.

I wanted to shower.

But here we were, driving far out into the wilderness to... an obstacle course.

Chad's father had dipped into his own private car and was pleasantly driving in the opposite direction, home. He wasn't even going to observe our punishment, and he had left someone else in charge.

"Everyone, out!" a woman blared a whistle that practically popped an eardrum. "Phones off and attention on! You will be running through an obstacle course this afternoon and there won't be delays. Here are very fashionable clothes for you to change into."

She dumped green-brown shirts and pants on the grass for us to collect.

We were all slowly coming to our senses, confused as we got out of the cars. Bianca put on her oversized sunglasses, though the sky was cloudy. We stared at the green environment around us. After a week in Dubai, I was used to seeing more sand than grass.

It was way colder here.

I started to shiver as my hand reached out for the androgynous outfits.

"Here." Warmer hands rested around my shoulder as Luke wrapped his jacket around me.

It was a moment of comfort before we were ushered to outdoor toilet sheds, where we could change. Why was Chad's dad sending us to a military bootcamp?

The shirt fell loosely over me, and the pants were baggy with an elastic waistband. The organizers hadn't spent any time thinking about what size we were, so it was a 'few sizes fit all' approach. I put Luke's jacket on around me and stepped outside.

Luke and Oma were the first two out. They were talking. Luke's arms were crossed over his chest as he spoke, leaning casually. It was odd to see them both wearing the same monotonous clothes. Oma was known for such beautiful, vibrant outfits.

I overheard Chad and Bianca complaining to the instructor about their clothes.

"I changed my mind," Austin commented, as he walked over, "They actually suit each other."

The instructor blew her high-pitched whistle and asked us to walk through the forest into a nearby clearing where the obstacle course was. 

Two hours ago, we were getting off a plane. Now we were in an obstacle course. Nowhere near my bed.

Chad's dad has a weird way of administering 'punishment'. This was on a whole other level.

"Luke," I spoke quietly to avoid the instructor's wrath, "Does this remind you of anything?"

He smiled knowingly, "Summer."

Even though the leaves on the trees were sparse and the ground was more brown than green, it still felt like those summer camp weeks we spent in nature. In a cabin by a lake. 

I stopped in my tracks.

I wasn't staring at the obstacle course but at the man standing on a tree stump, waiting to greet us. He was wearing a cap and eating a cliff bar.

No way.

My mouth opened and a couple letters tumbled out, "Mr Woo-"

He raised a hand and yelled out, "Who's ready to rock and rooollll?"

Austin stopped next to me and looked around, "Why is he yelling?"

"It's his thing," Luke answered, on the other side of me.  I was still frozen in place.

We watched the man stuff the empty cliff bar wrapper into his pocket and dramatically jump off the tree stump, yelling out, "I'm Mr Woodhouse and a record holder of this obstacle course!"

Mr Woodhouse ran Camp Beaver Hill.

Camp was a couple hours away from here, so I never expected to see him. Maybe he runs the forest, like a modern-day nymph. I don't really do nature, but every time I did, he seemed to be running the show.

And a show it was. Mr Woodhouse was just as dramatic here as he had been at camp. He didn't have an actual stage, but he treated the tree stump like one.

Bianca raised her hand and asked her question anyway, "Uh, what is this place?"

"I like to think of it as an adventure park," Mr Woodhouse answered, "It's more of a fitness ground. We hold a lot of corporate events, team building exercises and summer retreats. My sister runs this place."

His sister was the instructor with the whistle. She joined her brother now and started to talk us through the obstacle course. Mr Woodhouse watched our reactions absentmindedly until he landed on Luke.

"He's staring at you," Austin said, subtly.

Mr Woodhouse's staring morphed into confusion, and then surprise and then glee.

He interrupted his sister as he walked towards Luke, with arms outstretched. The rest of the group turned to watch the greeting play out. I was stunned, I had no idea what the others were thinking.

"Luke Dawson, you've returned!"

Sounds like a Star Wars episode. The return of the L-

"You remember Millie?" Luke replied, taking me out of my imagination.

Mr Woodhouse looked at me and his facial expressions went on another rollercoaster ride. He eventually asked, "You two still hang out?"

"They're dating," Austin informed him.

Mr Woodhouse looked from me to Luke and then back to me again. His silence spoke volumes. Oh, how the memories came flooding back now. I almost forgot how dismissive he was of my entire existence.

"I never saw that one coming," Mr Woodhouse remarked.

**

We lined up in front of the obstacle course. The tall trees of the forest surrounded us with their sharp and jagged branches.

I wore sneakers with a band aid under my sock. Turns out wearing high heels for 3842834 hours on New Years' Eve can give blisters.

Weird how blisters are my strongest reminder of that beach club party now.

"Luke," I held onto him so tightly, "You can't leave me."

He looked down at my trembling hands on his arm, "If this was any other setting, I'd think that was romantic."

Mr Woodhouse walked by us and muttered, "Try not to break his arm. OK, is everyone now in pairs?"

I saw Cearra react quickly and nervously spin to Austin, "Do you... should we be a pair?"

Chad was standing behind Cearra, making signs at Austin to reject her and say yes to him. Austin shooed Chad away and agreed to pair up with Cearra.

I was so happy for her that I wanted to dance an Irish jig. Well, first learn how to dance an Irish jig and then dance it.

Chad joined up with Bianca and Oma in a trio. Then, the whistle blew.

My excitement immediately dropped. I'd momentarily forgotten about this obstacle course and the torture ahead of us.

The instructor called out, "Everyone is now in their pairs! Choose one person in each team to take on the first activity."

Luke and I didn't even need to discuss it. Of course, he was going to do this one.

And the next one. And the one after that. I mean, if they're giving us a choice...

I watched my boyfriend take his place at the starting line. He looked fine in so many ways: in appearance and temperament. Luke seemed so relaxed about the torture. Exercise - torture, same thing. Has anyone mentioned coffee?

Mr Woodhouse passed by me again, noticing that Luke had stepped up to the challenge on behalf of us. He muttered, "Wise choice."

I wasn't affected by the comment and replied, "We know our strengths."

Austin went up next and Chad joined as the final 'contestant'.

Before the whistle blew again, Cearra commented, "Woah, hold it please. Why is it three guys up there? Don't any of us girls think we can do it?"

I mean, I certainly don't.

Bianca looked uninterested. Oma was busy taking photos of this entire debacle. Seriously, why were we here?!

"Austin, can we trade places?" Cearra asked, offering to change up the gender ratio.

**

After the tire flip exercise came the press ups. Cearra tapped out and Austin tapped in. Oma replaced Chad and Luke kept his station. If I can't flip a tire, how am I going to do a press up?

The whistle blew again and I had to admit that I enjoyed watching Luke do it.

"Stop showing off!" Bianca laughed as she recorded Austin and Luke's competitiveness.

The ground was muddy and their hands squished against the slimy mud. They were genuinely competing, counting their reps out loud and trying to disqualify the other for not going deep enough. Austin put one arm behind his back, and Luke matched him.

**

"This is exhausting," I sighed as Luke returned to me, sweating from all the exercise.

My legs were getting tired from standing for so long.

I don't know how the instructors were scoring us, but somehow Luke and I were in first place. I'd asked for coffee so many times that I'd practically memorized the scoreboard.

Luke's cheeks were flushed from the workout and he glanced at me with a smirk, "You won't like the next one, Minnie."

Before he could tell me what it was, Mr Woodhouse took the initiative. "And now, for any of you who've been taking it easy all morning," he glared at me, "here's the clincher. There's a route you all must complete through the forest. You have to work in your teams and, as soon as every team member has completed it, you can go home!"

I squeaked and choked. I stared off into the distance and wondered if I had reached my end of days.

"Is she ok?" the instructor asked Luke, concerned for me.

"She's fine," he replied.

Last time I went into a forest, a bear almost attacked me.

True story.

Mr Woodhouse handed us all maps with cartoon symbols of the activities and the path we had to take to return to the entrance of this 'adventure park.' Each team had a different route so there wouldn't be hold ups at each of the activities.

Herp me.

**

Luke and I walked through the forest, hearing the faint sounds of the other teams somewhere nearby. This felt like the Hunger Games. We followed our cartoon map to the first location.

"Luke, it's this way," I pointed in the opposite direction to the one he was walking in.

He turned towards me, surprised that I was suggesting an alternative route. His face softened as he saw me in my unflattering green outfit, clinging onto my map with a worried expression.

He then surprised me when he said, "Do you remember how rude I was when we first met?"

Of course. I remembered the last time we were in a forest too. Last summer, on our overnight camping trip, I'd gotten my ranger hat stuck in a bush. He'd untangled me and said:

"Survival of the fittest would not be kind to you," I repeated the words he once told me.

We've come a long way since then. Still in a forest though, still just the two of us. Luke walked slowly towards me.

"What an assh*le," he commented about himself with a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"I agree," I said, feeling very conscious of how close he was getting to me.

My heartbeat began its familiar race; the only exercise I've ever willingly done.

He kissed me and I leaned into him. His hand rested on my map and turned it around.

"You're holding it upside down," he said, stepping back, "It's this way."

I tried to calm my beating heart. If there was ever an antidote for the nerves in my stomach, it's the butterflies that replaced them whenever Luke and I kissed.

I barely paid attention to where we were going, until we came across a wooden post: our first activity. 

Luke climbed up the short ladder and extended his arm towards me. He lifted me up and gently lowered me on the small wooden platform beside him. My muddy shoes stepped on his and I quickly stepped back.

"Careful," he exclaimed, reaching out before I fell off the platform.

The ground was not far beneath us, but it was very muddy. We looked out at the ditch in front of us and the wire that connected this platform to the one on the other side of the muddy ditch.

I stared down at the brown mud and I swear I saw some bubbles in it. I couldn't tell if this was a natural ditch or a slimy mud pond.

I glanced back at Luke who was already untying two ropes for us to use. This was a makeshift zip line. The ropes were attached to the zip line. We were expected to hold onto it and swing to the other side.

And if we couldn't hold on, we'd fall into the muddy slimy pond.

"You ok to do this?" Luke asked me, holding the first rope in front of me.

I turned towards him and caught him staring at my lips. His blue eyes raised to meet mine and I blushed. I rested my hand over his and accepted the rope.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep the butterflies at bay.

An activity that simply involved 'holding on' was something I could easily do. I think.

"Let's tie this around you so you don't fall in," he said gently, frowning slightly in concentration.

I watched him wrap the rope around my waist, feeling the gentle touch of his hands. He tied a knot at the end.  He kept glancing at me and I smiled, blushing even further.

"Does that hurt?" he whispered, tugging me closer as he made sure the knot was tight.

He smiled slightly, hearing the sharp inhale of my breath as my body came so close to his. I felt a heat rise to my cheeks. 

"Millie," Luke said quietly.

I looked at him, not used to hearing him sound so... nervous?

He swallowed and his blue eyes stared vividly at me. We were so aware of each other that every movement felt magnified. His hands let go of my waist and his lips parted. He then said the words I only ever imagined he would say:

"I love you."

My eyes opened wide in surprise. Forget butterflies. There was an entire circus in my stomach. I didn't know how to react. I stepped back and-

"WhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I'd stepped off the small platform and the rope took me speeding down the zip line, spinning me round in circles, as I was still attached to it from around my waist.

I flew quickly through the air, yelling my lungs out.

Luke was staring at me in shock. His body became a blur to me as I spun in circles. It was near impossible for me to think of anything else but those three little words.

Three words. Eight letters.

My poor heart was pounding in one direction from all the adrenaline and in another from the emotional excitement. Luke just told me he loved me.

I found myself slowing down and eventually grinded to a painful halt. 

My body bobbed up and down slightly as the rope hung limply in the middle of the zip line. I stared down at my sneakers and the muddy slime beneath it.

Ooh noo.

Since I hadn't pushed off the platform, I didn't get enough momentum to take me all the way across. Now I was stuck in the middle of a ditch. Luke's knot had kept me securely strapped. 

I looked up to see him, so distant now. He was usually quick to react, but this had really stunned him.

I hope he hasn't already changed his mind. No take-backs, right?

Luke took hold of another rope and followed my path down the zip line. When his rope was close to reaching mine, he let go and landed in the muddy slime with a squelching sound.

He waded over to me, "You're so unpredictable, Minnie."

I watched helplessly as he came over, and rotated me towards him so he could untie the knot around my waist. "Did you hear what I said to you back there?"

The knot unraveled in one fell swoop and I dropped into his arms, feeling him wrap his strong hands around me. The mud soaked into my shoes and splashed over my hair.

"I love you," he said.

A/N: Ahhh, reaction?! I'll be hanging out in the comment section of my latest IG post (@NatalieInACorner) as usual to discuss!! 

Was that last instagram post a tad dramatic?  Yes, but hey, I had to get inspo for Millie from somewhere ;)

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