“More than ready.”
I hit play, and the soft guitar intro of a classic rock hit starts. He closes his eyes, head resting on my shoulder. The backward cap tilts as he relaxes, the casual gesture making him look effortlessly boyish and relaxed. I brush my fingers over the bracelet, admiring the thoughtfulness behind the gift.
Glancing sideways at him, I catch a content smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. His hands rest in his lap, fingers tapping to the beat. Teddy looks completely at ease, and I cherish seeing him this way.
“You ever listen to music in the dark?”
I worry at my lip ring, stalling for a breath. “Not in a couple of years,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Close your eyes and feel the music. Nothing else.”
I do as he suggests. We fall into the moment together. The songs fade into new ones until we’ve sat through twenty minutes of them and my break is close to being over.
Teddy yawns when I press pause and turns his head toward me. We’re sitting so close—closer than I meant to be. I can’t stop admiring him from this angle. There’s a unique swirl of blue and green in his irises. His lashes are ridiculously long, the kind women pay good money to fake. Then there’s that slutty little nose ring. My personal kryptonite. And let’s not forget his cologne, which is my new favorite smell.
Everything in me wants to lean in and kiss those tempting lips the same way I have in my dreams. But it would be such a terrible idea in real life. Instead, I force myself to stand, the mattress rising slightly.
His eyes flicker. Not with surprise, but something else. Disappointment?No, it can’t be.
“I thought my Uncle Jake showing up was the best part of my Christmas,” he says softly. “Now…I’m not so sure.”
“Careful, you’re setting the bar pretty high,” I murmur, heat creeping up my neck.
The phone vibrates on the side table, catching his attention. Teddy reaches for it with practiced ease. “Hey Siri, read my recent messages.”
“You have recent messages from Jasper Åkerman. Jasper Åkerman said: Hey, best man. She said yes! We’re getting married in July. This might be the best day of my life.”
“Holy shit,” he breathes, a radiant smile breaking across his face. It lights him up from the inside, softening the rough edges of the last few weeks. The sight of it hits me right in the heart. I’m caught between grinning like an idiot and begging him to stop being so damn adorable before I cry in front of him.
“Tell him that I send my congratulations.”
“Will do.”
My fingers trace the bracelet on my wrist, lingering on the snowflake charm again. After a moment, I carefully unclasp the gift and tuck it into the breast pocket of my scrub top. It’ll be safe there, close to my heart.
“My break is over,” I admit reluctantly, not wanting to leave the warm cocoon of our little Christmas celebration. “I should get back before Ellie comes looking for me.”
He gives me a knowing look. “Guess I’ll have to share you with the rest of the hospital, then.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I’m grateful he can’t see the flush spreading there. The fact that he wants my company enough to soundalmostpossessive makes me feel lucky to be let into his world like this.
“Try to get some rest after the exciting day you’ve had.”
“I’ll try. Thanks for spending Christmas with me.”
“Anytime, Theodore.”
I step into the hallway, a grin stretching across my face as I head for the nurses’ station. The past hour has turned this into the best holiday I’ve had in years. And I’ll carry the memories with me long after the decorations come down.
22
TEDDY
DECEMBER 27
It all starts with silence. But not the soothing kind. It’s the kind that slices. So sudden and sharp. There are no skates on the ice. No crowd roaring for their favorite team. Not even the familiar ever-present sound of my own breathing echoing inside my helmet.
The world is unnaturally still. I can’t remember the last time I heard such silence. Not even in those early mornings before practice when the locker room was empty. The absence is tinged with the presence of something else: dread.
