Page 127 of Meet Me at the Metro

I swallow my pride and head toward the door, my heart pumping so hard that I can hardly hear my footsteps against the polished hardwood floor.

I need to find Theo and make sure he’s okay.

Goosebumps trail along my skin as I step into the cool, damp night and attempt to decode the undefined meaning of everything that was said tonight. I didn’t come into this dinner thinking I’d face so many new truths. More importantly, I didn’t think I’d be ending it with such heavy, overwhelming questions.

What happened to their dad all those years ago? It had to have been something unimaginable—something so significant that it had the power to tear apart an entire family.

Tear apart, Theo.

Moving quickly along the raindrop-soaked pavement outside, I begin searching for him, hoping and praying that when I find him, he’s alright.

33

TOO SWEET

E L L I E

The heels of my wedges are a steady drumbeat in the night as I hurry down the lamp-lit sidewalk. Rain beats down on me from the dark, clouded sky above, growing heavier with every hurried step I make. Through the curtain of rain fogging the walk ahead of me, there’s a tall silhouette my eyes can’t quite make out.

I call out to it, hoping—needing—it to be him.

“Theo!”

The figure, several feet ahead, stills at the echo of my voice.

It’s him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I momentarily stop and quickly yank the wedges off my aching feet, clutching them at my fingertips as I jog to catch up. The chill air rushes against me, sending my dress rippling in the wind. Rain is bleeding into the merlot fabric covering my body as I finally grow close enough to Theo to make out each of his striking features from behind.

Broad shoulders. Beautifully disheveled, dark blonde hair. The sharp, rigid muscles of his arms. Long, powerful legs.

The anticipation of what to do or say next consumes me. I don’t know if he needs comfort or space right now. A primal, instinctual part of me whispers comfort, even though the stubborn side of him will likely lie and try to convince me otherwise.

Naturally, my hand reaches for him, and I revel in the warmth of his palm against mine as my fingers intertwine with his. He turns at mytouch, his brows knitted with emotions I can’t seem to decipher while he looks me over.

“I think I should get you back to your flat,” he says.

I try to ignore the thousands of knots in my stomach as the underlying meaning of his words settles in.

“I thought we were going back to yours?”

“No,” he bites back quickly—too quickly. He drops my hand. “I’m going to take you back to your place, and I’m going to head back to mine.”

“Theo,” I breathe. “Please, don’t.”

“Nora,” he sighs exasperatedly, running a hand over the troubled expression on his face. “I just—I think we need to—”

“What?You think we need to, what?”

He forces his eyes to the ground. “Don’t do that right now.”

“Don’t do what?” I counter, frustrated.Hurt.“Look at me.”

He sighs again and starts back down the sidewalk. “Just let me walk you home.”

I defiantly move to the front of him. “You’re not walking me home. I don’t want to go home. I want to stay with you.”

“Well, I don’t want you to stay with me.”

---