Diving Deep (UK Crush #2)

Chapter 60

He opened the box and pulled out a sweater in a rich knit of grays and blacks, in a checkerboard pattern in the front. The collar was rolled, fisherman style, as were the sleeves and the waist. It was hip length, in the style he favored sometimes onstage.

"Wow," he said, pulling it on immediately. "I assume you made this?" I nodded. He looked at himself in the long mirror next to the tree.

"It's gorgeous, Birdie. It must've taken absolutely ages. I mean, I don't know anything about knitting, but the detail is amazing." He kissed me. "It's the perfect length, too. And so warm."

"I copied the measurements from the one you wear onstage sometimes, so the fit should be right," I mentioned. "But it's cotton so it should breathe better, you shouldn't get chilled? And it shouldn't pill. And I pre-washed it, so it shouldn't shrink." I smiled at his pleasure. "It really brings out your eyes, which look beautiful."

"And now you know what's in all the others," I said.

He looked at me, reaching for the next box. It contained a dark blue one, with an abstract design in a lighter blue on the front, which had been a bitch to work. It had standard ribbing on the neck, cuffs, and waist, with a stripe in the same lighter blue in them.

He took off the first sweater and put on the second one, and it fit as well as the first one had.

"All of them should fit fine," I mentioned. "I had access to all of your clothes, so I just measured them off of sweaters you wore all the time, that I knew fit you."

The next box had a tunic style sweater that was a very dark purple, kind of hippyish, in a more open stitch, a little out there, but nothing he couldn't pull off. He'd sort of developed a reputation lately for dressing in a throwback, flower-child manner, and I knew that he would like this one. I could probably have put a belt on and worn it as a dress, if I'd wanted to.

The next to the last box had another sweater with traditional ribbed cuffs and neck, only in green, with a water motif on the front. He tried it on, looked at himself, and reached for the last box.

He'd gotten quieter and quieter, and I wasn't sure why. Was he overwhelmed? Surely not by sweaters? I mean, it wasn't as if I'd cut off my hair to buy him a watch fob or anything. Did he find them boring? Too many of the same thing?

He reached for the last box, and opened it. Inside was a royal blue sweater, a very vivid color, done in a traditional knit stitch, rolled cuffs and hems, hip length, like the first one. The abstract pattern in the middle was in magenta, a very feminine color, but, again, Teddy never seemed to care about those kinds of things. He took off the green one and pulled it on, looking at himself in the mirror. He stared at it for a long time, finally turning to look at me.

I looked back at him. I didn't have to ask if he could tell what the abstract shape in the middle was.

"A hummingbird," he breathed. "In the same colors as your shirt that day you first played the piano for me." He took long strides, grabbing me up, holding me to him, my feet off the floor. I put my arms around his neck.

"I wanted you to have something to remember me by," I whispered. "In case, you know, in case, in case--" I couldn't finish. I wasn't crying or anything, I just couldn't talk anymore.

"I would never have forgotten you, my darling, my forever girl," he whispered fiercely into my neck. "Never, not ever. Not ever.

"No one has ever loved me as much as you." And now I could hear he was crying, really crying. "I used to think that being in the band with the boys was the most important thing that was ever going to happen to me, but I know now I was wrong. It's you, darling, it's knowing you. This, here, this is the most important thing that's ever happened to me, that will ever happen to me." He let his breath out against my shoulder. "I love you so much, so much, oh my god,"

I hugged him back with everything I had. "Come on, let's go back to bed. So far today the only thing I've sucked on is that candy cane. Let's change that, hmm?"

THE END

Finished. Ah. For this book, anyway.

Thank you for participating in my Wattpad experiment!! This has been the most amazing experience!

Of course, there is much, much more in store for our intrepid couple. New York is coming up, and her audition, and the boys have an album to write and tour; and that doesn't even cover what Teddy-Bird go through as a couple :o)--

As I said, waaaay back at the beginning, there are SEVEN books total, and they're all available on Amazon, individually and as an anthology, and in paperback.

If you enjoyed this, please consider checking out the rest of their story. And if you enjoyed this story, please please PLEASE consider going to Goodreads and leaving a five star rating for it? Especially since some not so nice people are leaving one star ratings for all of my books without taking the time to read them? This would help me very much. Think of it as a thank you to me, maybe :o)-??

And thank you, so very, very much. I would have stopped if your responses hadn't been so lovely and heartfelt.
I wanted to write a story to help my students (and me :o) get through this hiatus time, you know, give us a nice, fun story about a boyband who really love each other, and really love this amazing girl who lands in their midst. I hope I have succeeded.

Any writer wants "success", but the definition of that word is changing so rapidly these days. And I really, really, feel "successful", after the responses I got from you, lovely readers. So thank you.