“You sure you wanna do this?” Logan asked, his lips curving up into a fiendish smile. By that mischievous look in his dark green eyes, I knew he was teasing me. Flaunting unknown knowledge right under my nose, like a bully waving a teddy bear in high, just above a child’s reach.

He was stifling a chuckle, I knew. He knew that I wanted more than anything to do just that, and was only finding amusement in my misjudgment. But I saw something he didn’t, I knew. I saw potential.

“Yes.” I smiled, breathing deeply. My slender fingers found my white, intricately crafted knight, and slid him across the chess board. Shaking his head, he sent a few strands of honey-colored hair out of place.

“Checkmate.” His tone was gentle, but his smile and his twinkling eyes told me that he was once again, the champion. I stuck out my tongue in a childish manner, giggling.

Together, we brushed the pieces into their box and stood, stretching our aching limbs. He had won five out of the five times we had played, so finally, his competitive side had been hushed. Snow was falling in vast amounts outside of the window. Christmas lights hung on the porch shone onto the glossy snow, turning it into greens and reds.

The real Evergreen tree gave off the distinct scent of Christmas, and mixed with a cinnamon candle that Mom set out. I curled up onto my plush couch, covering myself in a green fleece blanket. Logan joined me, and though there was plenty of room at the end of the couch, he stretched out and squirmed down beside me.

“You’re an oaf.” I giggled, pushing on his chest. But I didn’t mind him beside me; it was actually kind of nice. After a moment of flicking through the channels on the TV, he sighed.

“There’s nothing on!” He complained loudly, sitting up.

“I’m sorry!” I said, standing up and switching couches.

“We could go rent one. The movie store closes at six. We could make it if we hurry.”

“I’m in my pajamas!” I whined like a child, “And the roads are bad anyway.”

“You are beautiful in whatever you wear.” Logan smiled and crossed the living room in one stride. He slid his arms under my back and knees, picking me up easily. After swinging me around once, just for fun, he placed my feet back onto the ground.

“You’re piggy-backing me outside!” I declared, smiling. “And I get to choose the movie.”

“No chic-flicks. Please.” He groaned, leading me towards the white door.

“Maybe if you’re good.”

In Logan’s big red Ford truck, I switched on the heated seat hurriedly. The truck’s lights illuminated the falling snow as he backed out. The sun had fallen out of the sky for the night, and now stars accompanied the moon in the dark sky. Snow crunched under the tires as we swung from the driveway.

My fingers fumbled to turn on the radio station. Immediately, I began singing to the song filling the car. Logan, though off-key, joined in.

“This world keeps spinning faster. To a new disaster, so I…” I was cut off by the violent jolt of the car. Tires facing one way, while momentum throwing the car another. I grasped Logan’s hand like it was life itself.

Glass shattered into millions of pieces. They stung my face, and I squeezed my eyes shut. There was a screech of metal against metal. My body was thrown helplessly, restrained little by the seat belt. My head connected with the side of the window, and that was the last I remember.

When I awoke, I was surrounded by white. Blinding white. Not the kind of beautiful white that snowflakes hold. Not angelic. No, it was a harsh white. It stung my eyeballs and drilled into my skull.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The monitor. My heartbeat was steady, beeping in my ears about once a second. In the white room, I was alone. My body rested on a stiff, uncomfortable bed, although it felt as if my head and body were detached.

Beep. Beep. Beep. I needed to focus. Remember everything that happened. Starting with the simple stuff. I am Randylyn Marie Jackson. I am in love with Logan Mathew Trace. I was with him when I almost died. A car accident almost took my life. Now I was alone in a white room. I was alone.

Beep-beep. Beep-beep. The heartbeat quickened. I began to thrash, painful memories flooding back to me. Where was I? What happened after I hit my head? Where was Logan?

Another beeping sounded. Longer and louder than the heartbeat monitor. It continued for a few seconds, until two nurses came rushing into the room.

The first one, a tall dark-haired woman, hurriedly turned off the larger beeping noise by pressing a button beside my bed. The second, a shorter, more heavy-set woman with lighter hair, leaned over me.

“How do you feel, darling?” I ignored her, my head swarming. I had to ask the question. I didn’t want to, but I had to know. I knew that one of the nurses would frown slightly, and sullenly apologize for the fatal end of my love.

“Where is Logan?” I practically growled. The shorter woman smiled at me cheerfully.

“He should be in any moment. Now, how do you feel?” Joyful tears filled my eyes, but I had to see him to believe her words.

“Fine. But I want to sit up.” I started pushing against the restraints, immediately feeling woozy. I sank back into my pillow.

“How long was I out for?”

“Twenty hours. That Logan, he hasn’t left your side for more than fifteen minutes at a time.” The woman said, adjusting some machinery hooked up to my skin.

“Randi!” It was Logan. My eyes flitted for the door. The moment I saw him, a gauze patch above his left eye, my heart flew into my throat. He rushed past the nurse, and then stood by my bedside. He wanted to hug me tight, to hold me in his arms. But he was holding himself back. He didn’t want to hurt me.

Tears dribbled down my cheeks, and soon his eyes were teary as well. He embraced me in a gentle, barely touching me hug.

He pressed my lips against mine for a second, and then he pulled back.

“I love you, Randi. More than you will ever know.” He whispered hoarsely. Then he did something unimaginable. He lowered to one knee, and pulled out a black felt case. Opening it, he revealed the diamond ring inside.

“Will you marry me, Randylyn?”

Through tears of joy and chokes of surprise, I managed to nod my head.

“Yes.”