Chapter 28 #2
We manage to grab dinner the Wednesday night after we get home, and we meet Carter and Sarah for drinks on Friday.
Then we squeeze in a hike on Sunday morning, and we fall asleep watching a movie at his place on Monday night.
On Tuesday, he shows up at the hospital in the middle of my shift just to kiss me hello, then he comes over with Chinese takeout for dinner on Thursday, enough for us and Indigo and Mia, and we eat and watch episodes of Schitt’s Creek until he falls asleep, semi-reclined on the couch with chopsticks in one hand and a container of General Tso’s Chicken in the other.
“Hey,” I say gently, tugging the food and chopsticks out of his grasp. I set them on the coffee table, then sit down beside him. Mia is in the kitchen doing dishes, and Indigo already said goodnight and went to her room, so for now, it’s just the two of us in the living room.
I lift a hand to his cheek, stroking the stubble along his jaw. “You should go home and get some rest.”
He shifts and stirs, then leans into my touch, raising his hand to cover mine. He moves my palm to his lips and kisses the pad of my thumb, then finally opens his eyes.
He’s been training so hard, I hate to wake him. But he won’t be comfortable if he stays here.
“I’d say you can stay, but my futon really isn’t big enough.”
He sits up the rest of the way, rolling his neck a few times. “Why don’t you come stay in my guest room?” he says. “Abandon the futon. I know you love that mattress.”
He has no idea how much I love that mattress.
And it would be nice to see more of him.
But I can’t expect Indigo to host Mia without me here.
They’ve gotten to be good friends over the past week and a half, but I’m still the bridge between them.
Plus, the euphoria of quitting her job seems to be wearing off for Indigo.
I’m not sure she needs me yet, but I have a feeling she might in the not-so-distant future.
“Tempting,” I say. “But I think it’s good for me and Mia to be with Indigo right now.”
His eyebrows lift. “Is she okay?”
“Just a little lost, I think. Most of the people she knew before were more work friends. Now that she quit, I’m not sure she knows what to do with herself.”
“There’s a team dinner on Sunday afternoon—sort of a last hurrah before training camp,” Theo says. “Do you want to bring her? Mia too, if you want.”
“Yeah, that sounds nice,” I say. “I’ll ask them.”
“Okay,” he says, stifling a yawn. “I’m gonna go crash.”
“Actually, can we talk for one more quick sec?” I say, nerves suddenly making my stomach tight.
I wasn’t planning to tell him tonight. I only just finalized my plans this afternoon and thought I might think up a novel way to tell him, something cute or funny or, I don’t know, just something to make it feel special. But now, I just want him to know.
“Of course,” he says. “What’s up?”
“It’s good news,” I say. “Or, I think it is. I hope you will too?”
Theo runs a hand across his face, like he’s rubbing his sleepiness away so he can be fully present. “Let’s hear it,” he says.
I reach over and thread my fingers through his. “I signed a new travel contract this morning.”
His grip on my hand tightens, and it takes a long moment for him to speak. “You did?” he finally says, the words thick with the effort he’s clearly making to sound upbeat, to hide his disappointment. Oh, this good, good man. He clears his throat. “That’s … I mean, wow. So where are you headed?”
I bite my lip to keep my expression neutral. “About four-and-a-half … blocks away.”
His gaze bolts to mine. “Four-and-a-half blocks?”
I finally let myself smile. “I signed another contract with Atlanta General. I’m here for the next twelve weeks.”
He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Becca, I swear. Why did you do that to me?” He tugs me into his arms and buries his nose in my neck. “I was literally dying, trying to figure out what I did to make you want to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say. “Not yet. We were lucky that Atlanta General was willing to let us extend, but we’ll have to see how it goes trying to get new contracts after this one.
We might have to try a different hospital or start hunting for a permanent position.
But we’ve at least bought ourselves a little more time. ”
Theo leans back. “Wait, we?”
“We as in me,” Mia says as she steps into the room. “Because I’m staying in Atlanta too.”
A few minutes later, after we’ve hugged and celebrated and talked about start dates and contract terms, I walk Theo to the door to say goodbye.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were even thinking about taking on another contract,” he says. “You’re sneaky.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” I say. “And honestly, we weren’t even sure it would work out. Though I would have just gone to a different hospital if it hadn’t. I already knew I wasn’t leaving Atlanta.”
“Is that so?” he asks. He reaches up and tugs on the strings of my hoodie. His hoodie, really. I stole it the last time we watched a movie at his place.
“Yeah, I hear the city has a really good hockey team.”
“Hmm. So you’re a hockey fan.”
“It’s okay,” I say with a casual shrug, and he grins.
“So, will you stay here? With Indigo?”
“Oh!” I say. “I forgot. That’s actually the best part.
Since she’s not presently working, she thought roommates might make her financial situation a little easier, so she offered to let me and Mia both stay.
I mean, obviously we’ll have to start paying rent, but she’s charging us way less than what we’d spend if we got our own place.
So now I’ll be close to the hospital and close to you and close to the Vortex so I can come to all your games, and—”
He cuts off my words with a kiss, and I chuckle against his mouth. But then he lifts his hands and takes my face, his fingers threading into my hair as he tilts me, tastes me, shifting the mood of our kiss from something playful into something fiery hot.
I’m not laughing now. I’m melting.
I suddenly wonder if it will always feel this way.
If every time Theo kisses me, some part of my soul will climb out of my body and climb into his.
Theo kisses me like he wants me, but this is more than desire.
It’s belonging. Not just belonging together but belonging to each other.
Which somehow feels so much more significant.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Theo says when he finally breaks the kiss.
“Working,” I say in response, my breathing shallow.
“What about Mia or Indigo? Will either of them be around?”
I huff out a laugh. “I have no idea. Why? What is this about?”
“If you’re staying here,” Theo says, “I’m borrowing my brother’s truck tomorrow, and I’m bringing you your bed.”