When I open my eyes, I'm in a hospital room. I'm lying down in bed, wearing a flimsy gown, and covered in a white sheet. Lucas is seated in a chair beside me, his head resting on the edge of the bed. I want to reach out and run my fingers through his thick locks of hair, but I'm too tired. I smile despite the ache all over my body and close my eyes again, drifting back to sleep.

Someone hovers around me, checking something on a monitor. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

I try to swallow, but my throat is dry.

"Do you want water?"

I nod, realizing the person talking to me is a nurse. Moments later, I'm sipping as much water as I can through a straw as if I'd just spent a week in the Sahara.

"Your fiancé should be back soon. He just stepped out so we could check on you," she says.

Fiancé?

He didn't.

Lucas is the only person I know crazy enough to claim he was my fiancé in order to gain visiting rights.

A doctor steps into the room soon after. I recognize him from the brief moment I met him before the anesthesia, but I can't remember his name. Luckily, he introduces himself again as Dr. Howard. He's young with blond hair and light blue eyes. I almost want to ask him if his first name is Doogie, but I'm sure he gets that joke all the time.

He goes on to tell me about the surgery, but I have a hard time following him since I now have the Doogie Howser, M.D. theme song with the electrical keyboard stuck in my head. I'm even picturing his old computer with the blue screen.

From what I understand, the surgery went well. That's all I care about. He tells me I should be able to leave tomorrow after my first bowel movement. I ask him when I can shower since I feel gross, and he says once I get home it should be fine. Then he leaves.

Home.

I'm lost in thought, thinking about where home is going to be once I leave tomorrow, but my thoughts are interrupted when Lucas walks into the room. The first thing he does is grin at me.

He comes over and kisses my forehead. "Hey, Audi," he says softly.

God, he's handsome. I'm amazed at how attracted to him I still am. I always blamed it on my teenage hormones, but clearly I can't do that anymore.

I feel shy all of a sudden. "Hi."

Nothing like ending up in the hospital with your old crush you haven't seen in years.

Then I remember it's Lucas. I've seen him in similar situations when we were younger. Like the time he broke his leg playing basketball. Or the time he got a bad case of mono.

He pulls up a chair next to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," I answer. "You owe me a ring, though. Apparently we got engaged during my surgery."

He laughs and grabs my hand, inspecting my ring finger. "I'm getting it sized, baby. You'll just have to be patient."

I scoff, but the movement hurts my muscles. "Don't make me laugh."

He smiles, but his expression turns serious. "You scared me, you know that?"

"Sorry—wasn't planning on losing my appendix today."

"You sure you're feeling okay?"

I consider where it hurts. "My stomach is bloated and there's some pain where they made the incision. Weirdly, it's my shoulder that hurts the most right now."

"That's the laparoscopy. It's because the carbon dioxide gas gets trapped against your diaphragm. It's normal."

"You really are pre-med, huh?"

He gives me a grin. "What are you studying? You haven't told me."

"Journalism."

"Ah, we've got a reporter on our hands."

"I'll alert the media."

Lucas chuckles at the first dumb journalism joke I ever learned in class. I still think it's funny.

He seems to consider something for a moment and becomes concerned. He's still holding my hand, brushing his thumb against it back and forth. "Audi, are you sure you don't want to call your parents? I know you told me before the surgery not to call them, but—"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Is it because of me? You know I can leave if you want them here."

I shake my head, hating that he's asking me that. "It's not you, Lucas. I can't stand to be around them."

He frowns. "It's still bad with them?"

I nod. Admitting that to him brings tears to my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Claudia," he whispers. He brings my hand to his mouth to kiss it. It causes tears to fall down my face. I don't understand why I'm crying. I haven't cried in years. The last time I cried was the day I lost Lucas seven years ago.

Maybe it's the morphine. Maybe it's the fact that I'm lying in a hospital bed. Maybe it's Lucas being here with me right now, understanding me better than anyone else ever could. Maybe it's everything culminating in this single moment that I finally have to let it out.

"You're going to be okay, Audi. Don't worry." He wipes my cheeks and doesn't say anything else. It gives me time to compose myself. I think about what I want to do next.

"I think I'll just go back to New York," I end up saying.

His jaw drops open. "That's crazy, Claudia. You need to rest and recover first."

"I can do that there."

"In a dorm room? That's hardly the place."

"It's better than being home. I can't stand waking up to constant yelling every day. It's a freaking circus in there."

Lucas sighs and thinks about something again. I can always tell because he gets quiet and scrunches his forehead. "What about your cabin? Does your family still own it?"

"Yeah, but we don't really use it anymore."

"Could we use it?"

My eyes widen. "We?"

"Yes, we. I'm taking care of you whether you like it or not."

I hesitate. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not? It's perfect. You can recover there for the next two weeks. We'll both get some peace and quiet."

"You'll be bored to death. There's nothing to do there. It's in the middle of nowhere."

"That's the fun of it. Plus—I won't be bored. You can be my first patient," he says, adding a wink.

His eyes light up the room, and somehow it convinces me that it's the best idea he's ever come up with. I start thinking about how I can get the key. There's no way I'm going back home like this. There's a risk of running into my parents. I remember there used to be a spare in one of the pots, but I'm not sure if it's still there.

Lucas must have thought I still needed more convincing because he turns serious again. "Remember when you told me earlier that seeing me was bringing back all these memories and feelings? Well, guess what? I'm way ahead of you because I've had hours to think about this while you were out. So don't think you can get rid of me."

I'm sold. He's certainly left me with no room to argue. This is either going to be a complete disaster or the best two weeks of winter break ever.

"Do you happen to know how to pick a lock?" I ask.

Author's Note: Lucas and Claudia are heading to her family's cabin! It's going to be just the two of them, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do.

Who are you picturing as Claudia and Lucas? I imagine Kiko Mizuhara and Aaron Taylor Johnson.

The song of the chapter is "Ocean Eyes" by Billie Eilish. I think it goes well with the way Claudia thinks about Lucas!