Page 103 of Stop and Seek
Then Theo’s lips twitched. Not quite a smile, but it was close enough that Noah clung to it.
“Don’t you have plans or something, Noah?”
“With who?”
Why the hell was nothing makingsense?
Theo stretched out his arm, feeling around on the floor. His fingers curled around his glasses and he put them back on.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I just…”
“You justwhat?”
“I assumed you had a date. Alyssa said you might.”
“What the fuck,” Noah said under his breath, already spiraling. “Why would she—”
“At the hotel,” Theo added. “She said you had a crush on someone. Thought she heard Max on the phone talking about a date you had to meet.”
Noah opened his mouth. Closed it.
Jesus fucking christ.
Alyssa mixed up personal and work shit andnowlook at the mess he was in.
“It wasyou, dipshit,” he burst out.
Theo blinked. Red crept up his neck again, blooming slow across his cheeks like a rash.
“I don’t—”
“No,youdon’t get to act shocked!” Noah waved a hand between them, gesturing wildly. “Do you think I go around sharing myfavorite noodleswith everyone? I don’t food-bond and leave, Theo.”
Theo looked like he might actually combust.
“You told me to ask if I wanted to get to know you. So I did! I came here,brought food, and fuckingasked! This—” He motioned to the creaky cushions. Tothem. “—this is abonus!”
Theo’s whole face went bright red. Like someone stuck a heat lamp directly under his skin.
“You’re screwing with me,” he mumbled, but his voice dipped. His eyes darted away too fast.
“I’mnot!” Noah dragged both hands down his face. “I’m not fuckingAaron. I’m not—whoever the hell else left you thinking this is all you deserve.”
He swallowed hard.
“I like you. All of you. I—” Was this too much? Probably. But he was already spiraling, and when Noah spiraled, hecommitted. “I think about you a lot, Theo. Like… anobsceneamount.”
Theo’s mouth twitched again. “That’s kinda creepy.”
“But in a hot way, right?” Noah grinned, all shaky relief and the dizzy thrum of hope clawing at his ribs.
Theo didn’t answer.
But he was still smiling.
Theo changed in the other room.
With the door locked.
