the girl named winter

| 02 |

t w o
d a y s
b e f o r e

"Winter, you need to be happy!"

I roll my eyes at Veronica as my fingers continue to tap on my phone's screen.

"Two days before Christmas Eve!" she squeals as she closes the open window. "Aren't you excited?"

Rey coughs on the bed.

I alarmingly look at him.

He gives me a small smile. "She's right, babe. You need to have fun."

I look at the beeping thing near Rey and find out that his heart rate is normal. I visibly relax. "I don't want to leave you here," I deadpan.

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What about you? You're going to be all alone and -"

"Don't worry." Rey shifts in his bed. "Some of my football friends are coming over. You should have fun."

I put my lips in a tight line.

He smiles warily. "For me."

I smile back before pushing myself off the chair.

Veronica squeals in delight as she hurries to the door.

"Take care," I bid.

Rey nods, smiling.

"Don't die while I'm gone," I say before pulling the door close.

Veronica scoffs when we were walking in the squeaky clean hallway. "I don't think that was a nice thing to say to a stage 2 Hodgkin's disease even if he's your beau."

I laugh. "Shut up." I sigh as we enter the elevator. "I just need to make him feel special and loved."

She looks at me with her brown eyes. "Until he dies?"

I take a deep breath. "I think."

"And what if he doesn't?"

I tug at the end of my hoodie. "I'll learn how to love him again."

"You can't dictate who you should love to your heart. That's rude."

The elevator door opens.

"I'll survive this," I announce, wanting it to sound strong but coming out weak.

We exit the hospital doors in a jiffy.

I hug myself, still cold despite the hoodie and skinny jeans I was wearing. I look over at Veronica and wonder why the cold December wind is not bothering her as she wore shorts and sandals.

"I still ship Blue and you," she says as we round a corner. "I'll call you two Blinter or Wilue."

"Wilue?" I giggle. "That sounds like a name of a river or a creek."

We arrive at the parking lot of an abandoned building.

I take a shivering breath as it crystalizes in front of me. "Where are you taking me anyways?"

Her lip turns up at the corner. "You'll see."

••••••••••••••••

"Sorry I don't have any money or time to rent a car."

I gape at Blue. "You want me to ride a bicycle with you?" My voice echoes throughout the empty parking lot.

He rolls his eyes, slumping against the wall of the building. "You know I'm not that rich so don't argue with me."

I just gaze at him, mouth wide open. I study him in his dark purple sweater as his hazy glasses cover his gray eyes. His tousled brown hair hangs. I take a deep breath as I shift in my place. "I'm okay with walking to be honest."

He puffs, rolling his eyes. "And waste my efforts?"

I grimace as I gaze at the bicycle adjacent to him. "I'm not sure I know how to ride a bike," I murmur.

"You don't," he states. "That's why I'm going to teach you how."

I raise an eyebrow.

He raises an eyebrow.

I narrow my eyes at him.

He narrows his eyes at me.

I throw my hands in the air. "Fine!"

He smiles before taking my hand and leading me to the seat.

••••••••••••••••••••

"I give up!"

Blue makes a pft sound as he wipes his glasses with the end of his sweater. "No, you don't."

I stand from the ground and kick the bicycle. After falling for the nth time, I'm sure I have a fracture on my ass. "I fucking do!" I point an index finger at him. "You bribed Veronica into making me ride a stupid bike?" I yell on top of my lungs.

He places his folded arms over his chest. "First of all, it's not stupid."

I roll my eyes.

"Second of all, I didn't bribe Veronica. She willingly did it."

"I'm not surprised." I kick the bicycle again, only this time it isn't that hard. "What's this biking shit all about?"

"I just..." He shifts before his ears turns bright red. "I just want to spend some time with you."

My neck heats up as my toes curl.

Blue clears his throat. "We both know there's something mutual happening between us lately."

"And I'm not going to let it go."

He pushes his glasses with his finger.

I chew on my bottom lip. "I care about Rey and I don't want to hurt him."

"But you don't love him."

I turn around to cover my heated face. "I'm going back to the hospital," I say. I take several steps before his hand grabs my arm.

He spins me around and stares into my eyes. "I wonder when will we have a normal relationship," he wonders out loud, his lips turning a lighter color with the cold wind.

My eyebrows furrow. "Probably never, because I'm not waiting for Rey to die." I shake my head. "I'm not going to make you a rebound."

His other hand grabs my other arm.

I look up into his gray eyes again.

Blue licks his lips. "Remember when you told me you wanted to go to Paris?"

"Yeah?" I breathe out.

He seems to be searching something in my eyes before whispering, "Whether Rey dies or lives, I'm going to take you there."

I swallow audibly.

"And perhaps push off the Eiffel tower."

I push him. "Jerk."

"What?" He laughs.

I bite the insides of my cheek to stop the smile that's slowly forming.

"That's romantic," Blue says.

I let out a laugh before wiping the tears forming in my eyes.

Blue bends down to take the bicycle.

I hold its handle before taking the seat.

He smiles.