"If you don't like it, I can?—"
"Are you kidding? I love this bear," he said, holding it protectively against his chest.
"You do?"
Tolliver nodded. "I love it bear-y much."
I bit back a laugh. "You're really out of it, huh?"
"No...and yes. I just like that you saw this and thought of me."
"I did," I said.
Tolliver went back to studying the hockey bear, and my feelings refused to stay silent.
"I got it because I think I love you."
"Mmm."
"Did you hear me?"
His gaze met mine.
"I love you, Tolliver," I said, feeling like a weight lifted, flew right off my shoulders and into the atmosphere. "I know it may not be the best time to say it. You're sick and possibly delirious, so maybe it's the worst time. But I had to tell you."
Tolliver kept staring at me.
But that was okay. I still had more to say.
"I don't know what you did, but since you accidentally hit me with that basketball, there hasn't been a day when I haven't thought of you."
I took his hand and threaded our fingers together.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to me. It came on so fast I hardly recognized what I was feeling. Love is supposed to grow over time, right? But I fell for you almost from the moment we met. I want to go to your games—even if I'm too loud and don't really like sports. I want you to come watch me at concerts." A soft laugh escaped. "Still can't believe the first time you saw me play live was on that tiny stage at the hotel."
"That wasn't the first time," he said.
I looked at him in surprise. "It wasn't?"
"Nope. I saw you back in freshman year."
"Where?"
"At orientation. You played that solo, and I was hooked."
Thinking back, I did remember the school asking me to play. They wanted something classy. Violin seemed to fit that bill. As a freshman, it was unheard of, putting the spotlight on an underclassman. My parents both came because it was an honor, and they were proud. I'd played on so many stages by that point I wasn't nervous, hardly remembered which piece I chose. I knew it was something contemporary. The admin wanted classical, but I chose to do a song that I liked.
"Golden Hourby JVKE," Tolliver said. "I had to look it up right when I got home. None of the covers I found were like yours though."
He met my startled gaze.
"No one plays like you, Freya."
"But...we didn't even know each other then," I said.
Tolliver nodded. "I know. But that's when it all started."
What was he talking about?
