Chapter 206

Winter break feels so long without my friends around. They’re becoming a second family to me, and I’m already longing for another group holiday like we had for my birthday at the bowling alley. I text the guys every day, Miranda, Lizzie, and Andrew included, and I try to find some way to tell my dad I’ve finally got a boyfriend.

Or … five boyfriends, actually.

He seems so much sicker than before though, and I’m afraid to stress him out, so I take the coward’s route and say nothing. At least for now. I know I can’t keep my relationships hidden forever, but at least for those two weeks, I just enjoy his company. Those little moments—playing videogames with him in the living room, listening to him read The Night Before Christmas aloud, and making Christmas cookies together—those are the things I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

Missing your body already, Creed sends on Christmas Eve, and I bite my lip, turning my phone screen off before Dad and I have one of those