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He laughed, the sound low and raspy and relieved. So relieved that she was here, alive, and hungry. Fee laughed, too.

“I’ll be right back.”

He hurried from the room, giving Fee only a few minutes to luxuriate in this newfound love, this new declaration, before he reappeared with a tray filled with food. He laid it on the bed in front of her.

“You know I can’t cook to save my life, but I brought you everything your mom and friends have made over the last few days.” He pointed to the various dishes and plates on the tray. “Some kind of carrot cake, I think? What is this, porridge, maybe? Gert’s homemade sunflower-seed butter on her honey-wheat bread. She told me to make sure you knew she made that just for you.”

Fee’s smile grew as Theo went on.

“I think this is a rice dish? And I threw on some oranges and apples since you love fruit so much. Oh, and some not-disgusting smelling tea.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and Fee grabbed his hand. She pressed her lips to the back of it and felt the tension run through Theo’s body.

“It all looks really good, thanks.”

“I’m glad it looks good to you, because I can’t recognize half of it.”

Fee laughed and passed him the cake. “Here. You’ll like this. It has almost as much sugar as Froot Loops.”

That brought the grin back to Theo’s face. “Thanks. Just don’t make me eat an apple.”

“I would never.”

His smile grew, big and real, and impossibly happy.

“I really am sorry for lying to you,” she said as she ate.

“I know.”

“And that night, in the trailer, when we … well all of it, really … everything I said and did that didn’t involve Lena was true. Was real.”

He held her gaze, his green eyes sparking in the dim light of the room. “I know.”

“You do?”

“Well, I know it now.”

“Good.”

“Good,” he agreed, finishing his cake and setting down the empty plate.

Fee ate a few bites of everything before she was full. Her body still wasn’t ready to eat too much. Theo moved the tray aside and laid down next to her. She curled her body around his, laying her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.

He moved his hand in slow circles on her back, gentle and soothing. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear.

“I think I heard a lot of what you said to me when I was asleep,” she murmured, already feeling herself relax.

A pause. “Oh, really?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“And what do you think you heard?”

“That you’re afraid you can’t keep me happy.”

“Yeah…”

“But you do. You do make me happy.”