The door, which was slightly ajar, opens further, and Sophia peeks in. “Hey, Costa girls,” she greets. “Fancy a cup of tea?”
I smile at her. “Sure, come in.”
She hands Chiara a mug before sitting next to me and passing me mine.
“What are you guys up to?” she asks before taking a sip from her mug.
“Chiara’s obsessed with her new laptop,” I tease, earning a finger from her. She doesn’t even glance up from the screen. “And I just finished your Christmas present.”
Sophia’s eyes light up. “I get a present?”
I smile and set my mug on the nightstand, then reach out to grab hers and place it beside mine. I take Sophia’s hand, draw it into my lap, and fasten the white and light blue bracelet around her wrist. I adjust it so the prettiest side faces up and whisper, “Thank you for being my friend.”
I don’t know where I would be if Sophia hadn’t been so inviting and amazing from the start. I can’t even imagine how different life would be now if my professor hadn’t taken a leap of faith in me, putting my name forward for the internship. I’m incredibly grateful for them both.
She practically tackles me, and we both tumble back onto the bed. “Forget friends. We’re besties,” she corrects, and I laugh, hugging her tightly.
“Can I come back to work tomorrow, boss bestie?” I ask when we sit up again. “I really need to do something, or I will go crazy. I am feeling way better.”
“Sure, it’s not like we’re doing heavy lifting, and you can take breaks.” She shrugs.
“Anyone home?” Xander’s deep voice echoes from downstairs.
“Up here!” Sophia calls out.
Xander knocks on the open door a minute later, then scans the room, his gaze shifting from one of us to the other. “What are you guys doing?” I can’t help but chuckle. “What? It’s unfair. You have a girls’ night, and I’m over there alone, boring myself to death with some documentary about farming.”
“Who watches documentaries about farming?” Chiara asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, I obviously don’t,” he retorts, sitting beside me, the mattress dipping under his weight, causing me to lean into him.
“Hey,” he mutters, glancing down over his shoulder at me with his signature half smile.
“Hey,” I reply with a smile of my own. “I have your Christmas present. But it’s okay if you think it’s silly. You don’t have to wear it, I?—”
He silences me with a finger over my lips. “Show me.”
I grasp the hand he just shushed me with and pull it into my lap. I reach out to get the solely black bracelet I made for him and secure it around his wrist, adjusting it.
My heart is beating fast, worried he might not like it or think I am silly.
He examines it, turning his wrist this way and that before a genuine smile forms on his face. My heart skips a beat whenhe directs that full-on smile at me. Shifting closer, he leans over me, placing his hand on my other side. We’re face-to-face now, and he leans in, planting a soft kiss on the spot just below my earlobe.
He lingers for a moment, then whispers, “I’ll wear it even when I wear nothing else. Thank you.”
Goose bumps erupt on my skin, and I exhale sharply. He chuckles as he pulls back.
Oh, he knows exactly what he’s doing, the cheeky bastard.
“You guys up for a movie downstairs?” Sophia asks. “I’ll make popcorn.”
“Sure,” I reply, rising as Xander does the same.
“I’m going to video call with Leo,” Chiara announces, scooping up her laptop and heading to her room.
“There you guys are!I thought I’d find you in her bed, babe.” Clay’s teasing voice stirs me from slumber.
I am warm, safe, and comfortable. Taking a deep breath and recognizing his woodsy scent tells me Xander is holding me.
