Page 92 of Heal Me

He nods excitedly. “Yes! Of course!”

That makes me laugh. “What was I thinking?” Groaning dramatically, I lean over the side of the bed, snagging my pants and digging in the pocket to pull out the small velvet pouch I’d hoped I’d be able to give him. I snuggle next to him again and place the bag gently in his open hand, watching him expectantly. Jocelin looks at me and slowly opens the drawstring, dumping the contents into his palm. “I thought it might be easier for you to keep an eye on me if you moved in.”

Jocelin’s gaze flies from the brass key in his hand to my face. “Are you serious?”

I cup his cheeks with my palms and look directly into his eyes. “Yes. Please, Joce. Will you live with me? I mean, that key is to my house, but if you’d rather live here, we can do that. Or we could get someplace new.”

“What about Dracona?”

“I assumed you were a package deal. I mean, you can’t leave her behind. That would be cruel. She loves you, too.”

Jocelin surges up, kissing me hard, and I laugh into the kiss, holding him tightly. Unexpectedly, he shoves back, giving me a stern look. “Don’t think this gets you off the hook. You have so much making up to do. It’s going to take you months and months before you’re back in my full good graces.” But he can’t keep the excitement out of his voice.

I sigh so incredibly happy after so many miserable weeks. “Oh, how I’ve missed you, love.” I rub our noses together. “So very much. I love you.”

“I love you, Gunnar. And yes, we will move in with you.”

I suck in a ragged breath, tears pricking my eyes. He’s given me a second chance that I don’t deserve, but I’m going to make the most of it. I stroke his cheek, look into his sparkling eyes, and smile. “Do you want to call Astrid? Or should I?”

Epilogue - Gunnar

Two years later…

Watching the falling snow, I frown, worry making my heart ache. We’re having one of our rare snowstorms, and it’s coming down harder than ever. But Jocelin isn’t home yet. I peer down the street, through the swirling flakes, as if that might make his car appear, and when it doesn’t, I pull out my phone and check the time. He left over two hours ago to pick up a last-minute gift. I tried to warn him the snow was coming, but he insisted, saying he’d be back in plenty of time.

About an hour ago, the snow started falling faster, the thick flakes obscuring the view out the window. Now the roads are completely covered, and my phone’s been blowing up with winter storm warnings and inaccurate alerts about the exact time the precipitation will begin. I’d probably enjoy it if Jocelin was home.

I slip my phone into my pocket and go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Not that I really want tea, but I need something to distract my brain from visions of Jocelin, his car stuck in a ditch, with no cell signal. Or him freezing to death because no one stopped to help him. It doesn’t matter that neither of those scenarios is even remotely likely to happen. It’s just where my mind goes in situations like this. I consider texting him to make sure he’s alright, but what if he looks at his phone while driving and ends up in the ditch, and the whole nightmare scene plays out for real?

My phone buzzes, and I clutch my chest to calm my racing heart. I fumble it out of my pocket, hoping it’s Jocelin. It’s not, and I sigh disappointedly as I answer the call. “Hey, Bean.”

“Happy Christmas Eve!”

She’s far too cheery for my current mood. Guess Gary is home and not stuck in a ditch on the side of the road. “Yeah. Happy Christmas Eve.”

“What’s wrong? Did you and Jocelin have a fight?”

I pause midway through pouring hot water into my mug. “No! What? Why would you think that?”

“You sound upset. Depressed even. So what’s up?”

I take a breath. “Joce went out this afternoon to pick up a last-minute gift, and he’s still not home. It’s been over two hours, and the roads are shit. What if he’s stuck in a ditch? What if he freezes to death?” Besides Jocelin, Astrid is the only person I can voice these ridiculous thoughts to. Iambeing ridiculous, and I know it, but that doesn’t mean I can stop myself from worrying.

“Oh, sweetie. Jocelin is fine, I’m sure. You know the roads are bad, so he’s probably taking his time. Did you try to call him?”

“No! If I call, he might get in a wreck trying to answer the phone.” I pull at my hair and look out the window for the millionth time.

“Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until he comes home? I’m sure it’ll be any minute now.”

I can tell she’s serious, and now I feel silly. “No. I’m fine. I just need to have a cup of tea and calm down. Anyway, you called me. Did you need something?”

“Bad news. We’re probably not going to make it over tonight, with the roads the way they are. Unless by some miracle this stops soon. But the forecast is calling for more.” I wonder if she knows that’s not making things better. “They should have it clear by tomorrow, though, so if we can’t make it tonight, we’ll see you tomorrow at Bjorn’s. Alright? We’ll have the brunch all set up around ten-ish. But come on over when you guys wake up and feel like being social. Okay?”

I sigh. “Yeah. No senseeveryonegetting into wrecks today. I’ll text Bjorn and Erik and let them know.”

“Aww. Sweetie, Jocelin’s fine. I’m sure of it.”

“Yeah, alright. See you tomorrow, Bean. Love you.”

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