Shella's POV
I blinked against the sterile light above me.
It wasn't snow this time. No endless white landscape or ice seeping into my bones. Just a ceiling. Soft beeping. Sheets. Warmth.
Hospital.
The pillow beneath my head was stiff. The blanket over me smelled like laundry detergent and something too clean. I turned my head slowly. My body felt like it had been stitched together by exhaustion. Every joint was sore, my throat dry.
But I was alive.
And—
"Elias," I breathed before I could stop myself.
My heart stuttered.
Where was he?
Before I could move, before I could even sit up properly, the door creaked open. My eyes shot toward it.
There he was.
Wearing grey sweatpants, a hoodie half-zipped, and a hospital wristband still clinging to his arm like a reminder. His hair was messy, eyes shadowed, but the second he saw me awake, they lit up.
"Oh thank God." His voice cracked a little as he crossed the room.
I tried to push myself up but he was already there, lowering the bed a bit, helping me lean against the pillows.
"You scared the shit out of me," he whispered.
"I scared you?" I rasped. "You were the one bleeding and climbing after me like an idiot."
His laugh was soft. Tired. "I told you to keep talking. You kept me awake, Shell. You kept me alive."
My eyes burned. "Did they cancel the trip?"
He nodded, brushing hair from my face. "Yeah. Everyone's home. Trey's already making jokes. Dani and Juliet want to smuggle you snacks."
"And you?" I whispered.
He looked at me like I was the only person in the world.
"I'm not going anywhere."
His hand found mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
"I'm here. We're okay. You and me."
And with the snow far behind us, and the hum of machines filling the silence, I let myself believe it.
We were okay.
___
Shella's POV
I had just finished sipping the awful hospital apple juice (which tasted like sadness and metal) when I heard it.
Chaos.
High-pitched squeals. Footsteps. A woman's voice saying "Slow down!" followed by two little thumps, like mini elephants charging into war.
Oh no.
A second later, Theo and Leo burst into the hospital room like a pair of missiles in superhero pajamas, capes fluttering behind them.
"SHELLAAAA!" Theo shouted, already scaling the side of my hospital bed like it was a jungle gym.
Leo was right behind, one sock half off, cheeks flushed. "We brought you a card! And jellybeans! But I eated some."
"I ate some," Cheryl corrected as she entered behind them, balancing a tote bag and a fancy coffee in one hand.
And then... my dad.
YOU ARE READING
Lessons In Butterflies ｡ ｡ ｡ (StudentxTeacher Romance)
Romance___ "What? Oh, no. No, no, no. We are not playing family," I stammered, glancing quickly at Mr. Caldwell, who was staring wide-eyed at Theo and Leo. Leo, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately started bouncing. "Yeah! You can be our dad! And...
