"Can I come in?" Evelyn asked.
Uncertain, Ted held back the door to let her in. Tentatively, Evelyn stepped inside taking in the huge room with a whistle. As he'd been upgraded to a suit, not only did he have a separate bedroom and living room, but a balcony too and panoramic windows that looked out of the New York night skyline. The cold lights of the city were the only thing illuminating the room, casting Ted's face into shadow. He wore jeans and a thin t-shirt, no flat peak in sight. He had never looked so gorgeous to Evelyn.
Her heart thundered in her chest as she made her way further into the room. Ted folded his arms, growing impatient as he watched her head to the balcony doors.
"Can you go out there?" she looked back at him.
"Sure," Ted sighed, going out onto the balcony. He leant against the railing and watched as Evelyn cautiously stepped outside. She was hit by a sudden gust of chilly wind. Instead of cowering away from the cold, she embraced it, taking a deep breath. Her hair was loose; Ted had never seen it like this before. It hung down her front and back, almost to her hips. Evelyn kept her eyes closed, swaying in the icy wind. Ted could've stayed watching her forever. Yet, he couldn't shake Doni's words from his mind. He and Evelyn, it could never be.
"Why are you here, Evelyn?" Ted questioned firmly.
Evelyn's eyes shot open and as if waking up from a dream, she shook her head and moved closer to him.
"Remember on the night of the Games?" Evelyn said gazing up into his cool blue eyes. She gulped back her fear and kept going "When you asked me why it would've mattered whether you'd slept with Schuyler? And I couldn't give you an answer?"
Ted switched his focus out to the city. Evelyn didn't stop.
"And you told me that I should come find you if I was ever able to tell you why."
He barely nodded in acknowledgement.
"Well, here I am," Evelyn's breathing was unsteady as she spoke, her eyes fixated on the side of his face. She saw him grit his teeth, the tightness in his jaw. She watched as he swallowed before he finally looked at her and spoke.
"Well?"
"I-," Evelyn's words caught in her throat. She found herself staring at her shoes instead, unable to meet his eye "I-," she tried again "It would've bothered me," she blurted "It would've mattered to me if you'd slept with Schuyler because I like you," she gasped at her own words "I like you a lot, Ted. I think about you all the time."
"Yeah?" Ted viewed her closely.
"Yeah," she nodded.
Hands, arms, legs - his entire body - trembling, Ted leant closer. Encircling one arm around her waist, Ted slipped his other hand into her hair, cradling her head as he kissed her sweetly. He felt her moan against him, her arms wrapping around his neck, drawing him closer. It was as if they'd both been missing a puzzle piece and now they'd found it; the picture was complete. And it tasted delicious.
Soon, his hands were no longer around her waist. Teasingly, they crossed over her bum and down to her thighs making Evelyn giggle and shiver, kissing him feverishly. In one swift move, he was lifting her up off her feet and carrying her indoors. Evelyn continued to kiss him, her legs around his waist and her arms gripping his shoulders where her nails dug in deeply. Ted groaned with satisfaction and disbelief.