Page 126 of Alpha Theo

“No,” I squeak. “I shouldn’t have overreacted. Sutton said some things to me yesterday and rather than just talking to you about it, I let her get to my head.”

Theo frowns, his body tensing up. “What’d she say?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I sigh, shaking my head. “I shouldn’t have taken my own insecurities out on you. Not when you’ve never given me a reason to doubt you.”

He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I shouldn’t have left,” he mumbles against my skin. He pulls back again, gazing down at me. “I should’ve stayed, tried to talk it out.”

“I shouldn’t have told you to leave,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’msosorry, Theo. Can we just…”

“Yeah,” he breathes, pulling me back into his chest. He just holds me for a moment, an understanding settling between us. He doesn’t want to prolong our fight any more than I do.

“C’mon,” he murmurs, scooping an arm under my butt to pick me up. I wind my legs around his waist, let him carry me over to his bed. He sets me down on it so gently, arranging the covers over my body before sliding in beside me.

He takes my glasses off of my face and turns to set them on his nightstand. Then we both lay on our sides facing each other, staring into one another’s eyes through the darkness.

“I had a terrible dream,” I whisper, a shudder running through me at the thought of it. “A nightmare.”

Theo reaches out, tucking my hair behind my ear, stroking my cheek. “About what?”

I chew on my lower lip, my breath hitching. “You. And Sutton. I walked in on the two of youdoing it.” I cringe.

“That would never happen,” Theo says quickly, giving a little shake of his head against the pillow. He takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, staring into my eyes. “Never.”

“I know,” I sigh, reaching out to trail my fingertips over his chest. “It just… it washorrible. It felt so real. I woke up crying, and it took me a second to even realize that it was just a dream…”

Theo leans forward, stamping his lips over mine. He kisses me softly, tenderly, my lips parting, his tongue massaging mine gently. My eyes are still closed when he pulls back, and they flutter open when he starts to speak, his voice quiet, gravelly.

“You never have to worry about something like that, babe. You’re it for me.”

My heart swells.

“I know,” I whisper. And somehow, I do. I trust him more than I ever realized.

He reaches out for my face again, stroking my jawline with the pad of his thumb. His lips tip into a faint smile. “Try to get some sleep.”

I blow out a breath, willing my body to relax. I’m still so tense, so fraught with emotion after that nightmare.

“It’s gonna be hard after that dream,” I say quietly.

Theo narrows his eyes, contemplating. Then he turns over, grabbing for something on his nightstand. Turns back to me.

“Will music help?” he asks, holding his phone between us, the cord for his headphones connected and wound around it.

A smile creeps across my face. “Yes.”

He goes to work unwinding the cord, gently putting one of the earpieces into my ear, the other in his. He swipes a few times and locks the screen, dropping the phone onto the bed between us.

I immediately recognize the song that starts playing, and I wonder if he played this one on purpose.

The chimey piano introduction of ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ byREO Speedwagonfloats in through the headphone in my ear and I swallow hard, my throat raw.

The first verse starts, the lyrics so apt.

‘I can’t fight this feeling any longer

And yet I’m still afraid to let it flow

What started out as friendship has grown stronger

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