Page 44 of Botched

“Are you really playing the ‘we work together’ card?” he asks with an exaggerated huff, rolling his eyes. Then his expression changes, becoming a little darker, more serious. “What do you mean ‘I’m me?’”

Might as well give it to him straight. “You will break my heart. You’ll snatch the light from my eyes because that’s what you do. It’s what you always do to girls. I don’t want to be tossed out like trash when you get bored of me.”

I’m expecting that wall to go back up. I hurt him; I can see it on his face. He’s not trying to hide it yet. But I know that he will, because that’s who Theo is. He doesn’t like people seeing that he’s actually human underneath the bravado.

“You’re assuming that I’d get bored of you. What if I don’t?” No wall goes up. It’s down again, a certain vulnerability in his voice, in his brown eyes. He looks much…softer, even in the dim lighting of the hotel hallway.

He’s saying the right things. What if he didn’t? What if I’m the girl who changes him? But I’m not delusional enough to let myself believe that would be the case.

I don’t think that Theo’s intentionally a monster. Maybe he’s one because of his family, even if he denies it. Maybe it’s just who he is and he doesn’t know anything different.

Sighing, I roll my bottom lip between my teeth. “You just ruined your own engagement, Theo. You put a ring on Veronica’s finger and then you destroyed her. Publicly. What makes me so different from a woman you proposed to?”

Bringing that up is probably a low blow. I can acknowledge that, but it’s a point that needs to be said. Humans are creatures of habit. Theo’s habit is using women until he’s burned through them or something new comes along.

From what Jules has told me, his relationship with Veronica wasn’t a happy one. In the shades of grey that I exist in, I can seewhy he made the choice that he did. Relating to Theo is the last thing that I ever expected to do.

Frustration is evident on his face. Eyes dark, eyebrows furrowed, full lips in a bit of a pout that’s surprisingly cute. “That whole thing was for publicity, for my parents,” he confesses, keeping his voice low. Resting his forearm on the doorframe, he leans in toward me and my heart pounds in my chest. “Look, I don’t know what the hell you want me to say, Roo. I like you. I want you. Why does that have to be a damn problem?”

He doesn’t know how badly I want him. How hard it is not to give in. I want to reach out and pull him close instead of pushing him away. I want to press my lips to his and spend the night with him inside of me. He makes my stomach clench and my thighs ache.

And underneath that desire, he’s wiggling his way into my heart.

I don’t know how. I don’t even know why.

“Because I can’t do that to myself.” My words come out in a whisper, almost reluctant to let them spill from my lips because I don’twantto deny him. The problem is, if I don’t, where does that leave me? What does that make me if I so willingly put myself into the position to get hurt?

As hard as standing my ground is, I have to do it.

Theo opens his mouth to speak, but before he can, I step toward him. Standing on my tip toes, I press a kiss to his cheek. “I wish things were different,” I murmur.

The darkness vanishes from his features for the smallest moment. The corners of his lips almost curl up in a hint of a smile before it fades. Theo takes a step away from me and that wall comes back up again, closing himself off because he’s hurting.

“You’re really gonna hold my past against me, huh?” he scoffs, looking up at the popcorn ceiling in the hotel hallway. “I can change, y’know. I could be a better man. For you.”

It’s like he’s using a step-by-step guide on how to break medown. Theo’s saying all the right things, making all the right moves. Despite knowing that, it’s taking all of my self-control not to fall for it and give in. I want to so fucking badly.

I meant it when I told him that I wish things were different.

Tilting my head to the side, I look up at him. “Prove it then, Abrams,” I challenge. “Show me that you can be ‘different’ and then we’ll talk.”

Theo pauses and looks at me, his head tilting slightly to match me. Then his eyes drift away from me, looking off toward the side as if he’s thinking. His tongue pokes at his cheek as he slowly nods. “Yeah? That a deal? I show you that I can be different, and you’ll give me a chance.”

“It’s a deal.”

That far too familiar smirk spreads over his lips. “You just made a deal with the devil, baby doll.”

I know I did, and that terrifies me, but sitting right beside that fear is excitement. The pure excitement at knowing what could come next.

Chapter Thirty

THEODORE

I’m only here because there’s a chance that I could see Aurora.

I didn’t get a chance to ask if she’d be at Alex and Sara’s baby shower. I remember Alex mentioning it to her the night that we met. When it comes to Aurora, I remember a lot of things—things that I normally wouldn’t care about. So, when Alex asked if I was home for the weekend and if I could come because their guest list was looking a little small, so Sara decided to change it to a co-ed situation, I actually agreed.

Alex knows me well enough to know that I’m not doing this to be a good friend. He just doesn’t know how in over my head I am with Aurora Bennet.

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