Page 171 of Five Summers

“You make him happy, you know,” Theo speaks up. “He was the biggest pussy when I first met him.”

I tear my gaze away from Xander and shift my attention to Theo.

“So, what’s the deal with you two now?” Theo inquires. “Have you sorted everything out?”

“So, what’s the deal with you and Nate? You don’t hear me asking about that?”

Theo laughs out loud. “Okay. I’ll give you that one.”

He takes a few more bites of his ice cream, leading me to believe that’s the end of the conversation. But then, he surprises me by speaking up again. "He told me all about you," he confesses.

“He told you about me?” I can’t help but wonder just how much Theo knows about our shared history.

“Yeah, but not at first,” he says, while licking the ice cream melting down the side of the cone. “Back in the day, Nate and I threw these parties just to have a good time, and I gotta admit Xander was a real hit with the ladies. But he had no interest in hooking up with them. Instead, he'd just get completely hammered. Honestly, I thought he might’ve been in the closet and didn't want anyone to know.”

I can’t help but burst into laughter.

“So I asked him, and that's when he told me about you. It finally made sense why he couldn't hook up with chicks. I got it because I'd been there. I told Nate because I knew he would get it since he went through something similar.” He pauses, his voice catching a bit. “There you go, Spitfire. I’ve got the whole backstory.” He goes back to eating his ice cream.

“Back it up. You walked away from someone too. What is it with you guys?”

He shakes his head. “No, we didn’t let her go. She died suddenly.” His gaze shifts, and I notice his eyes start to water.

“Oh, Theo, I’m so sorry,” I say.

“It’s alright, Spitfire.” He looks at me and offers a small smile. “No way you could’ve known.”

I pause for a moment before bringing up another topic. “I noticed that you and Nate seem to have a close connection. I saw you in his bunk bed.”

With his ice cream now finished, he shifts his position, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankles. He then leans back, propping himself up on his elbow. “I was wondering if you saw that. Just to clarify, there's no romantic thing going on between us. We don’t fuck each other or anything like that. Nate is like my rock. Despite my tough childhood, he has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We practically lived next to each other growing up. Whenever I couldn't handle my nightmares, I'd secretly go to Nate's house. After a while, he started leaving the window open for me, knowing I needed someone when my mind went crazy. I was just a kid, around nine. So, I'd crash in his bed. Having him by my side was comforting because I knew I had someone I could trust and I wasn’t alone. Even now, those nightmares pop up, but having him around helps me cope. It helps me get through them.”

Theo’s story touches my heart, as it reveals a side of him that contrasts to his usual cheerful demeanor. It’s hard to believe that someone so happy could have experienced such a challenging childhood, which has evidently had a lasting impact on him.

Reflecting on my upbringing, I realize that my life has never been as tough as his. I only had to deal with an overbearing mother who projected all her insecurities onto me, nothing compared to what this guy must have gone through. But Theo bears the scars of that childhood. Growing up a few houses away from Xander, I witnessed the hardships he faced and how he continues to grapple with feelings of low self-worth. It’s truly heart-wrenching to imagine what Theo must have endured in his life.

“Well, I’m glad you have Nate,” I add.

“Me too,” he says.

We both look up as Xander approaches. He exhales deeply, a frown evident on his face indicating that something is bothering him.

“That doesn’t look good,” Theo says as he sits up.

Xander joins us, plopping down on the grass next to me. He stays silent for a moment, his intense gaze fixed on the ground.

“Don’t worry, man, she didn’t fall for my charms,” Theo says teasingly, attempting to lighten the mood.

Xander lifts his head and looks at Theo. “It’s out. Reg didn’t do shit to keep it quiet. They asked me about the fifteen-year-old girl.”

“Fuck, bro,” Theo says as he leans forward. “What did you say?”

“I told them everything. That our manager set it up, you know, like he’s been doing for years just to get some publicity. I didn’t hold back. I even texted Ace to give him a heads up about what went down and that the label might reach out to him because shit is about to hit the fan.”

“What did Ace say?”

“I haven’t heard back from him yet,” he replies.

“We should go and sort this shit out now,” Theo says, and I hear the worry in his voice. “We should get together and come up with what I should say because they’ll ask me the same questions later. Fuck.” He looks down at his watch. “I’ve got an hour and forty-five minutes. We need to sort this shit out.” He’s up on his feet, ready to go.

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