“Oh, Nina, I can’t believe you’re back!”
Jesper engulfs her into a hug, sweeping her off her feet – or at least, attempting to, before they both stumble back into the wall, Nina’s back taking the full brunt of it while Jesper guffaws, face pressed into her neck. He’s hugging her so tightly Nina reckons he might break a rib or puncture a lung, but who cares? Jesper’s hugs have this kind of magic about them, stronger than any other kind.
“Only for a month,” Nina tries to remind him, but Jesper doesn’t seem to care. One minute, one hour, one day: Jesper always lives to the fullest. Nina’s never met someone quite like him, and although his fiery personality sometimes does him a disservice, Nina loves him just the way he is, always going at full speed and embracing everything with both arms wide open.
She and Jesper, they’re made of the same stuff: risking everything even for the smallest inkling of a hope that something great and amazing and unforgettable could happen. They’ve both crashed and burned hard before, but neither of them can seem to settle for the comfort of routines and predictability. And perhaps it’s exactly for this reason that they were ready to face the adventure of a lifetime when it knocked on their door. Jesper has Wylan now, and he’s happier than Nina’s ever seen him, and she has Matthias, so…
So far, so good.
“Give her a break,” Inej lets out with a chuckle, before she’s tugging at Nina’s arms, helping her out of Jesper’s bear hug and right into her own arms. “Saints, I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Nina says, feeling her eyes welling up suddenly. Saints, she has. “Saints, I’ve even missed Kaz. Where is he? That little cockroach couldn’t even be bothered with joining the welcoming committee?”
Inej pinches her hip, eliciting a squeal from her, but Jesper only laughs. “You know him, he’s got an empire to run and money to make,” Jesper explains as he reaches for her suitcase, wheeling it behind him as he leads the group away. “He sends all his love and most sincere affection. Actual quote.”
