Page 75 of Breaking the Ice

Evan bustles around the apartment, getting me a bowl of soup, a sleeve of crackers, and a spoon. We don’t have a fancy tray, so he puts them on my lap desk and serves me in bed. My heart melts at the way he’s taking care of me.

“Do you want to watch something with me?” I ask, bringing a spoonful to my lips. It’s hot but slides down my throat and fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings. “Do you have time?”

Evan settles on the bed next to me, careful not to jostle my soup. “Absolutely. What sort of movies and TV shows do you like?”

“I’m a mystery junkie. Not true crime, it’s too scary. But a good P.I. show or police procedural.”

“Law & Order?” He asks, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie.

“Yeah. I also like NCIS, Bones, Hawaii 5-0, and basically any other show like that.”

“Excellent.” Evan stretches out, reminding me just how small our bed is. “Do you have a favorite?”

“Probably Veronica Mars. The first season is one of the best storylines in the history of television.”

“I think my sister watched it. I’m down to try.” He hops off the bed and grabs my laptop off the desk in the corner.

“What’s your favorite genre?” I ask as he tosses another blanket at my feet. Damn, he thinks of everything.

“Oh, I’ll watch anything. Sitcoms, romcoms, action stuff. I’m not as into terrible reality TV as Hadley and Jonas, but I’ve seen it all. However, since you’re sick, you get to pick.” He smiles and hands me the laptop, and anything left of my insides turns to goo.

Instead of feeling coddled, I feel cherished. Like he doesn’t doubt my abilities but does things for me because he wants to. It sends an unexpected rush of emotion through my chest, leaving my throat tight.

Setting the computer between us, we start the first episode. I’m gratified by how quickly Evan gets into it. I’ve seen it a few times now, but it still grips me, too.

After Veronica’s voice-over ends and the credits roll, I can’t help the massive yawn that stretches my jaw. My eyelids are heavy, and my limbs don’t want to move. Who would have thought that sitting up and eating soup would require so much effort?

Evan shifts, rearranging the laptop. “Oh, hey, I didn’t mean to keep you up. You should probably rest.”

“Nah, I’m fine.” I scoot closer to him and lay my head on his chest. He obliges me by wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I’ve seen it before. You can keep watching while I take a nap.”

“I don’t want to watch without you.” He adjusts me closer to him, and I take a deep breath, inhaling his clean, pine scent. I’m wrapped in safety, security, and love.

Love? Does he love me? Do I love him back? I’m pretty sure the answer is yes, but it’s probably something I should think about when my brain is more awake and recovered.

“Do you have a movie you like to watch when you’re sick? Something to fall asleep to?” His voice startles me out of my haze.

“Mmm. You’ll make fun of me,” I tell him, still pressed against his chest. I never want to move from this spot.

“Try me.”

“Tangled.”

He laughs. “The Disney movie with the hair?”

“Yes. It’s a cinematic masterpiece.”

He grabs a strand of my hair, loose from my messy bun, and twirls it. “Not the one about the Scottish redhead?”

“That’s Brave, and no. Not The Little Mermaid, either. I’m not limited to only princesses with red hair. I can like blondes. Plus, Flynn Rider is hot.”

Evan chokes. “The cartoon prince?”

“He’s not a prince. He’s a rogue. A thief. You definitely need to watch it so you can learn these things.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised I’ve made it this far in college without that information.” He clicks some keys on my laptop, and the telltale whistle of Steamboat Willie signals the beginning of the movie. “Let my Tangled tutoring begin, I guess.”

I doze through the movie, waking up to hum along with my favorite songs and explain why Flynn Rider is the most superior Disney hero.