Page 146 of Wish You Were Mine
“I am,” he said. “I thought I might spend a couple of days there, but…” His gaze lingered on me, like he was thinking something through. “I know you don’t get the full week off, since it’s crunch time, but…I was wondering if there might be an evening you could slip away from Eden Falls. Maybe catch a Broadway play with me?”
“Beauty and the Beast?”I asked, hope blooming in my chest.
“Of course.” He smiled. “I already talked to Asher and he said he could get me two tickets. And if you wanted, I could introduce you to him and Elyse backstage.”
“A Broadway date with my boyfriend,” I murmured. “Where we can hold hands in public and don’t have to hide how we feel about each other… That sounds amazing.”
“So, I’m your boyfriend?” He smiled wider.
“I mean…I’ve been calling you that in my head for weeks.” I laughed. “I know we never really put a title on it, but…”
“I like it,” he said. “I haven’t been anyone’s boyfriend in a long time. And being Lucy Archibald’s boyfriend… Well, that’s even better.”
“Well, good.” I checked the time and sighed. “I really should go now.”
“Yeah. You need your sleep.” Tilting his head, he asked, “Are you going to take it easy tomorrow?”
“I’ll rest as much as I can between classes and practice. But I need to be ready for Saturday’s meet in Nebraska.”
“That’s fair.” He nodded. “I’m glad you’re feeling at least a little better today.”
“Me too.” I smiled faintly. “Tuesday night was rough. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to eat sushi again.”
He pulled me into a hug, warm and grounding. “Sleep well, okay?”
“You too.” I met his eyes as we parted, a little more softly this time. “And…thanks for being so great about what I told you earlier.”
I’d been so nervous to share what happened with Josh, but Owen had made me feel safe. Seen. Believed.
“Of course,” he said. “I appreciate you feeling safe enough with me to open up.”
We said our final goodbyes, and I stepped out into the cool night air. Once I made it to my car and waited for the engine to warm up, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Owen had zipped up my backpack earlier.
Curious, I unzipped it and peeked inside.
And nestled beside my laptop was a small, plush cow.
I pulled it out slowly, my brows lifting. The fabric was minky soft, and as I held it to my chest, I caught a gentle lavender scent.
The plush cow had a bit of weight to it, too, like it was filled with more than just the usual stuffing.
And then it hit me.
I’d seen these before. A microwavable stuffed animal, filled with flaxseed and dried lavender. Designed to soothe sore muscles and help you sleep.
My heart melted.
Owen.
Tucked just beneath the cow was a small envelope with my name on it. I opened it, my fingers already trembling.
Inside was a note written in Owen’s familiar, steady handwriting.
To my favorite overachiever:
In case you start to panic about all the things you’re not getting done while you recover, Dr. Park prescribes the following “To-Don’t” list. (And yes…he knows that having a PhD in chemistry is not the same as being a medical doctor. But let’s just pretend for a bit…)
1. Don’t try to catch up on everything. (The world can wait. Your body can’t.)
