Page 51 of Claimed By my Frenemy

I’ve dealt with enough men who only care about themselves. The last thing I need is another man like that. I remember my friends’ advice and try to get my thoughts straight on the twenty-minute drive to the furniture store.

When I arrive, the furniture store is bustling with activity. I wander through the aisles, picking up a few picture frames, a couple of lamps, and some decorative pillows. I’m still fuming about Theo, but the act of shopping helps to distract me. As I’m browsing the shelves, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see a notification from my front door camera.

I just installed it yesterday, and the proof that it’s working sends a little thrill through me. I imagine using it to see guests who are checking in when I’m not there and letting them into the place.

Setting my shopping basket down, I open the app and see Theo standing on my front porch, holding a small package. My heart skips a beat.

I can speak to him through the camera, but I don’t say anything. It’s like my heart is frozen as I try to figure out what to do. There is no manual for dealing with attractive jackasses who keep wanting to buy your property.

Finally, after he stands there for a full minute, Theo places the package gently on the mat. He glances around, looking almost nervous, before turning and walking back to his truck. What is he up to now?

I continue to watch the video even though Theo has pulled out of the driveway now. I zoom in on the package on the mat. It’s about a third of the size of the mat, and the box itself isbrown and boring. It gives away no hint about what could be inside.

I finish up my shopping quickly. I need to know what he left on my porch. As I drive home, my mind races with possibilities. Is it another attempt to buy my property? A letter of apology? A peace offering of some sort? Or maybe something I ordered ended up on his property instead.

I try to think if I’m waiting on any deliveries from UPS, but the truth is that I’ve ordered a lot of things over the last few days. And my mind is swirling with so many details that I can’t remember if something was supposed to be delivered today or not.

When I pull into the driveway, I see the small package sitting on the front porch, just as the camera showed. I grab it and head inside, my hands trembling slightly. Why the hell am I so nervous?

If it’s another offer for the house, I’ll just throw it on Theo’s property and never speak to him again. With this resolve running through me, I set the package on the kitchen counter and stare at it for a moment.

You don’t have to open it. But as soon as the thought passes through my mind, I discard it. I can’t just leave the package unopened.

Taking a deep breath, I tear at the tape to reveal a beautifully crafted wooden box just bigger than my hand. There’s a note attached, written in Theo’s neat handwriting. It’s handwriting I remember from high school, and it hasn’t changed a bit. I unfold it and read:

Mia,

I know things have been tense between us, and I wanted to show you that I genuinely careabout making this right. Inside this box are some mementos from our good days together. I thought you might like to see them.

Theo.

My heart starts racing as I think about what they might be.

I lift the lid of the box, revealing an assortment of items.

A folded piece of paper covers most of the items. I take it out and unfold it and am met with one of my own drawings. The edge of the paper at the top is ragged, like it was torn out of a sketchbook. I study the interior design I made for a house that Theo and I were supposedly going to live in when we graduated high school.

I’m filled with nostalgia as I study the nuances of the drawing. I even added picture frames on the wall with pictures of us in them.

I set the folded piece of paper aside and pull out the next item—a keychain. It’s a surfer keychain. I am surprised to feel so many emotions welling up in me as I study it. Theo gave me this surfer keychain when we first started going out. I was supposed to wear it on my backpack as a sign that I was taken. All the girls were doing it back then.

But when we broke up, I gave it back. It was big and dramatic, and it felt so embarrassing going to school on Monday without the surfer on my backpack.

I set the keychain aside and pick up the next item. It’s a little note. I don’t remember writing it, but it’s in my handwriting. It looks like something we must have passed back and forth in a class, each of us writing each other a quick line before passing the note back.

There’s one more thing in the box—a shell.

I remember the shell. It’s a long, pointed shell, but more important than the shape is the coloring. It was a light brown color with black spots. I said that the brown represented Theo’s hair, and the black my hair. And the same way they looked beautiful together on this shell, we also looked beautiful together.

I hold the shell longer than all the other items. I can’t believe that Theo still has these things. It’s kind of embarrassing and kind of sweet.

Despite my resolve to shut him out of my life, I feel a pang of guilt for doubting him. Maybe he really is trying to make amends. Maybe he truly cares about me and my dreams. But can I afford to take that risk?

I’ve opened myself up to him so much. The last thing I need is to get hurt…again.

I decide to take a walk down to the beach to clear my mind. The air is cool, and the scent of the crashing waves is familiar and soothing. As I stroll along the sand, I think about the future. The bed and breakfast is so close to being ready, and I need to stay focused on that.

Theo is great, but I’ve learned that men aren’t always reliable. I’m not willing to give up a dream I’m so close to for a man who might turn his back on me.

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