Page 37 of The Circus

So taking a deep breath, I step off the curb and into the grass, striding across the lawn in a beeline to the front door, my finger punching the bell before I can talk myself out of this. Bouncing on my heels, praying Teddy answers, the door unlocks and slowly pulls open. Why does time always seem to stand still in these anticipatory moments?

I’m met with his eyes set in a beautiful woman’s face, her hair as inky as his but beginning to gray. She beams at me, ushering me in with a wave of her hand. “Eden, come in, come in, sweetie. Teddy is just showering. Not sure what that boy gets up to, but he was covered in dust this morning.”

I follow her in, my heart racing so quickly I might actually faint, and the moment my feet grace the pristine white tile, I toe off my shoes with haste.

“S-sorry, sorry,” I say, bending to pick them up, cradling them to my chest like they’re my child.

She laughs gently, giving my arm a squeeze before she rubs her hand gently up and down in a calming manner. She really is stunning, an age old, classic type of beauty, like Audrey Hepburn. I can see where Teddy gets his looks, and my cheeks flame to life at the thought. I feel grimy, wearing my oversized band hoodie and holey skinny jeans, my hair thrown into a sloppy bun atop my head.

“Come on in. Would you like anything to drink, eat?”

I’m starving, but I’m just going to pretend I’m not.

“Umm…no…no thank you,” I say, obediently following her to the massive kitchen. Everything is so clean, so neat and tidy. I wonder if Teddy’s room is the same.

Pausing awkwardly at the end of the counter, I wait and watch while his mom goes to the fridge and produces a jug of lemonade and a tray of crackers, cheese, meat, and fruit. My stomach grumbles, and I hug my shoes tighter to my torso in the hopes that it muffles the sound. She slides the tray onto the counter next to a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies, and my eyes begin to water.

It’s…overwhelming, being around someone I’ve never met, but someone who is being so kind to me.

“I remember being nervous before my prom, too, and I made the mistake of not eating,” she says, pulling the plastic wrap off the top of the meats and cheeses. “I fainted during the photos and ripped my dress. Don’t make my mistake.”

She pours me a glass of lemonade and holds it out expectantly. Chewing my lip, I bend and slowly place my shoes on the ground, taking the cool glass from her and having a sip. Sweet tartness paints my tongue and zaps through me.

“Thank you, Mrs. Poe,” I say softly. She grins.

“Call me Tara, honey. The way my son plans to woo you, you may as well start calling me mom.”

My eyes nearly bulge out of my skull, and I cough, stunned when I shouldn’t be. Teddy had to learn his behavior from someone, and as Tara laughs, I know who it was.

“Mom, stop scaring Eden away.”

I turn toward his voice sharply, my subconscious reaching out for him like a frightened child seeking their parent after a night terror. He ascends the stairs from the basement, toweling off his hair, wearing gray sweats and a band tee. My mouth runs dry, my eyes dipping to the bulge below his waistband before I can stop myself. It’s…big. And I am just now wondering how the hell it’s supposed to fit inside me.

Why did I even bother to wear panties if I knew they were just going to be ruined the second I laid eyes on him?

“I am not,” Tara chastises, piling food onto a small plate for her son. “Eden, sweetie, is there anything you don’t prefer? Teddy is about to steal you from me.”

She points to the tray as my cheeks flame so hotly I begin to sweat, and I shake my head. She smiles, casting Teddy a coy look, and makes me a plate as well, only by the time she’s done, mine isheaping.

Teddy takes both the plates, nodding his head toward the basement. “Don’t worry, she’s going to come bother us sooner rather than later anyways.”

Eyes wide, I glance at his mom, wondering how she will react to his sarcasm. She just rolls her eyes, plucking a cookie from the tray and taking a bite. “I can still ground you, Theodore.”

“I’d like to see you try!” he trills as he jogs down the steps, me sheepishly following. The basement is cool and dark, and he leads me down a short hall, taking a left into his room. Soft music spills from speakers that seem to surround the perimeter of his walls, the paint a deep, navy blue. His bed is larger than mine, an oak frame supporting it, a soft plaid duvet tucked neatly into the wood. To the wall directly across from his door is a desk, devoid of anything except for a lamp and a stack of weathered books. Posters and string lights cover patches of the walls, some bands I recognize, others I don’t.

But the best, most comforting part is the scent. It’s him amplified by a thousand, and I wish I could just crawl into his bed and sleep until all the dark and gory parts of my life pass me by.

I’ve never slept so soundly before the night he held me. Of all the things to look forward to on this day, you wouldn’t think sleep would be a priority, but it is. To end such a momentous night in his arms in a place that brings me peace and comfort? I could think of nothing better, and for the first time in a long time, I feel content.

He slips our plates of food onto his desk and tosses his towel in a hamper near another door from which golden light and steam spills. He turns to face me, hands gripping the edges of his desk behind him, a sinuous smirk playing at his lips. “She likes you. A lot.”

Swallowing hard, I cross my arms and nod. “Well…obviously. I’m sure the other girls you brought home were vapid and annoying.”

His eyes dance like the blue flames at the bottom of a fire.

“You’re the only girl I’ve ever introduced to my mother, and the only one I plan to. So no need for jealousy, baby.”

Oh, god.

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