Page 40 of Pick Me

“Thea,” I whispered, my ear pressed to the wood.

Still nothing from her.

Screw it.I exhaled and started talking about my feelings again. One day, she’d open this door for me, I was sure of it.

“Thea, I just… I’m sorry about that. Grace was…” I paused, pinching the bridge of my nose. Man, did I feel like an idiot. It was the only time I ever thought I could relate to Matty. Pining over a girl with no interest in you. Only, Britt was waiting for him. Thea. Well, I doubted Thea would even open this door, let alone wait for me for any length of time. “A mistake.” The words came out easily because it was the truth.

“I need you to believe me when I say I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt you. Not now, at least. I know in the past I’ve been an asshole, but I’m putting that all behind me now. Never again will I do anything to intentionally upset you.”

My shoulders relaxed, and it felt good that I’d gotten it all out there.

“Thea?”

Silence.

I ran a hand through my hair. “Okay. I get it. You don’t want to talk. Just… for what it’s worth, Grace is gone. I kicked her out for talking shit about you. That means you can gallivant naked in the living room again if that’s what you want to do. I’ll stay in my room the entire night so you can have the place to yourself like the schedule says.” As much as I hated to admit it, Thea’s orange bikini-clad body was all I would think about tonight.

Still nothing.

“Okay. I get it. You don’t want to talk. Good night, Pyro. I’m sorry again.”

With a heavy sigh, I turned back toward my room, my shoulders slumped. Well, that was the second time I’d admitted my feelings to Thea and got nothing back. Was I glutton for punishment, or did she know exactly how to keep me hooked? I guess I’d never know.

Chapter Eleven

Thea

Thea:How’s everything going there, Tan Tan?

Tanner:All good. What are you up to tonight?

My fingers danced above the screen as I thought about what I should say next. Should I tell him I was planning on going on a date, or would that get me another lecture? He wasn’t here, so I could just not tell him. It wasn’t like this would go anywhere for Henry and me, anyway.

My foot tapped against the stool leg, my mind whirring with anxiety as I thought about what happened last night and my reaction to it. I was embarrassed and gave too much away. It was obvious I was upset, and even though I shouldn’t feel bad about being in my own living room, I did.

All because Jackson invited Grace over.

When his door creaked open, my stomach lurched. I didn’t want to see or talk to him or see her. Not after everything that had happened.

“Hey,” he muttered. His hands were tucked into his sweatpants pockets, and his face was covered by his baseball cap. With his head dipped, he almost looked bashful.

“Hi,” I mumbled, staring at my phone. I couldn’t look him in the eyes. Not after yesterday. The tan. The jiggles. The mustache. He’d seen it all and taunted me by sleeping with the one girl who broke my heart when I got here. Okay,shedidn’t break my heart back then, but the fact she waltzed into Jackson’s room like she had last year, crushed me. Jackson didn’t like me back then, and he didn’t like me now. The sooner I remembered I was just Tanner’s bumbling idiot of a sister, the better. I swiped my thumb across my phone, trying to ignore the embarrassment that sat at the pit of my stomach.

“Where’sGrace?” I emphasized her name with sass.

“She’s not here.” His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, but I wasn’t about to look at him to check.

Jackson walked around the counter, getting closer. That was my cue to leave. I swiveled on the barstool and started to climb down from it.

“Did you have a good sleep?”

“Perfectly fine, thank you. Fell asleep straight after yourgirlfriendfinished insulting me.”

“Straight away, huh?”

“Yup. Like a rock. Put my music on and let Bailey Hill serenade me to sleep.”

“Really?” He raised a brow, looking almost suspicious. “Do you always listen to music when you go to sleep?”

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