by Asta Idonea
Finn broke eye contact as the others from his class hugged him, wishing him a happy Christmas.
They departed.
Finn remained.
“Hey.”
“H-hey.” Connor swallowed. It was now or never. “I’m s-sorry,” he stammered. The words, trapped before, now came too fast. He forced himself to slow. “What I said before… I didn’t mean it. I was nervous, worried what you’d think when you learned I was taking crochet, not boxing. It made me defensive. But I don’t really feel that way. Not at all.”
Finn blinked. “You’re taking crochet?” He looked skeptical and a little dazed.
“Yes, I…. Here.” Connor thrust out the gift. “This is for you—an apology and a Christmas gift.”
Finn took the package. He read the card, then opened the wrapping. When he unwound the scarf, he broke into a wide grin. “You made this?”
“Well, Angela and Mel, my friend, helped. I’m still learning.” Connor hesitated. “Do you like it?”
Finn met his gaze. “I love it.”
“Does that mean…. Can you forgive me?”
“I do. But you’re not the only one who needs to apologize. I overreacted that night. I was frustrated with myself, because I thought I’d made a bad call with you, and I lashed out. I should have given you the chance to explain. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course. Yes. One hundred percent.”
“Good, because I have something for you too.” Finn reached into his bag and pulled out a scarf. The colors and pattern were similar to the one Connor had made, only this one was knitted, not crocheted.
Finn held it out, and Connor ducked his head so Finn could place it around his neck. The movement brought them closer together, and they paused like that for a moment, Connor shivering at the gust of Finn’s warm breath as it wafted against his forehead.
“Let’s start again,” Finn said, “and see where it takes us. I can’t promise anything, but I’d like to see if this spark can lead to something.”
“Me too.”
“But no more lies. I want to get to know the real you, not the version you think I want to see. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Finn was still holding the ends of the scarf, and he gave them a gentle tug, pulling Connor closer. Then he leaned in and pressed a soft, brief kiss to Connor’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas, Connor.”
Connor grinned. “Merry Christmas, Finn.”
“Join me for a drink?”
“I’d love to, but I’ve still got class.”
“Don’t worry about that. Angela isn’t expecting you. I already told her I planned to sweep you away.”
“And what did she make of that?”
“She said it was about time. The way she tells it, as soon as she met you she thought we belonged together.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged her for a matchmaker.”
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it. The stories I could tell!”
And with that, Finn wrapped an arm around Connor’s shoulder and guided him to the door. Outside the drizzle had developed into a shower, but Connor scarcely noticed the wet or the cold, not with the cozy scarf around his neck and the steady warmth of Finn’s arm against his back. It occurred to him that you could, indeed, make a lot of things with crochet: scarves, hats, bags… and even second chances.
ASTA IDONEA (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and MF works, but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, crafts, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Website: www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: @NickiJMarkus
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nickijmarkus
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/aleera21
By Asta Idonea
Barbies and Beaches
Fire Up My Heart
Northern Lights
Quiet as a Mouse
Santa for Hire
Starstruck Anthology
A Stitch in Time
Super for You, Bad for Me
Wish You Were Here
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A Stitch in Time
© 2019 Asta Idonea
Cover Art
© 2019 L.C. Chase
http://www.lcchase.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
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Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-771-1
Digital eBook published December 2019
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America