Page 125 of Press Play

“I’m great.” I lie, but my voice wavers, betraying me.

Theo raises an eyebrow. “You’re not.”

I want to tell him I’m fine, to push past the awkwardness and keep everything bottled up. But the way he’s looking at me—like he can see every single worry etched across my face—makes it impossible to pretend.

I shrug, letting out a shaky laugh. “I guess I’m just... nervous. About everything.”

His brow furrows slightly, but there’s no judgment there. Only understanding. “About the video?”

“About the video, about me, about you...” I drop my gaze to the floor. “I don’t want to mess this up or make things worse.”

“Wren.” His voice is low, almost a whisper, but it pulls my attention back to him. Theo reaches out, his fingers brushing against my arm, grounding me. “You’re not going to mess this up. And you’re not going to make anything worse. You’re the only thing keeping me sane right now. I almost lost you until you helped me see straight.”

His hand slides down to take mine, his grip steady and sure. “I know you’re nervous. Hell, I’d be worried if you weren’t, but you’re not in this alone. You have me.”

For a moment, the tension in my chest eases, replaced by a flicker of relief. He believes in this. In us. And maybe... just maybe, I can believe too.

He steps back, his grin returning as he gestures toward the door. “Speaking of nerves, I’ve got a plan to help with that.”

I narrow my eyes at him, wary. “What kind of plan?”

“You’ll see.” He winks, grabbing his keys from the counter. “But first, you’re going to need to change. Unless you’re planning to go out in those pajamas?”

I glance down at my wrinkled shirt and joggers. “I—wait, go out? Where are we going?”

Theo just laughs, the sound light and teasing. “Relax, Wren. You’ll like it. Trust me.”

The corners of his mouth tug up in that infuriatingly charming way that always gets to me. The warmth of his hand sends a spark skittering up my arm, and my heart stutters in response.

“C’mon, Wren.” His voice dips, soft and teasing, as he pulls me just a little closer.

My breath hitches when I realize how close we are now—close enough that I can see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw, the way his eyes gleam with mischief.

“Theo. . .” I start, but my words falter as he brings his free hand up to caress my face.

The movement is slow, deliberate, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

His gaze drops to my lips for the briefest of moments, and I swear my knees might give out. “You trust me, right?” he murmurs.

“I. . .” My pulse is thunderous in my ears. “I do.”

He chuckles, the sound rich and full of something I can’t quite place. “That’s my girl.” He dips his head, his nose grazing mine, and for one dizzying second, I think he’s going to kiss me, but just as my lips part, just as my heart leaps, he pulls back, a sly grin spreading across his face. “But first, you’re going to have to change.”

I blink, my brain struggling to catch up. “What?”

“For our date.” He brushes his thumb over my knuckles as he releases my hand. “Go on, Wren. I’ll wait.”

I stare at him, torn between annoyance and the giddy fluttering in my chest. “Kiss me first,” I mutter.

“Later.” He casually leans against the back of the couch, his arms crossing over his chest. “Clock’s ticking, love.”

I hide my whimper with a huff and turn toward my room, his eyes on me the entire time. If this is his attempt to try to ease my racing mind, the least I can do is go with the flow.

The dim lighting in the escape room lobby does little to calm the twist of nerves in my stomach. The glowing Alien Invasion: Save the Planet! sign above the counter flickers, and a faint hum of eerie sci-fi music fills the air. Theo stands beside me, hands shoved in his pockets, a smug grin plastered across his face.

“So, what do you think?” He gestures around the room.

“You wantusto save the planet?” I don’t bother fighting back my wide grin. “Us?” I repeat again.

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