Page 116 of Stop and Seek
Families always knew where each other were. Perfect.
“I had no clue y’all knew each other,” Calvin finished.
“How well do I know you, Theo?” Noah whispered, barely audible.
Theo turned and glared at him. Full-on death stare. But it didn’t land the way he wanted. Noah was too busy melting.
“You are fucking impossible,” Theo hissed.
All Noah could do was grin, helpless.
Theo looked back to Calvin. “You remember Alyssa? She got involved with someone, and our friend groups kinda clusterfuck’d together.”
“No shit? That’s rad. You game at all, Noah? We could use someone else, and it’ll make starting matches faster.”
“I know a game I want to play with you,” Noah continued in Theo’s ear, so close he could almost taste skin. “We can fuck right next to the snacks, then my car—”
He didn’t get to finish—Theo elbowed him in the stomach. Hard. The rest of his teasing fell short, and he was left gasping for air, laughing through the pain.
Calvin started to say something, but Theo was talking again.
“Yeah. Sure. I’ll catch up in a minute.”
Noahhad enough time to wipe the tears from his eyes and clear his throat before Theo whipped around, fisting his shirt so hard Noah could feel him shaking.
“You can’tdo that,” Theo growled. “You can’t come over and—and—”
“Start hitting on you?” Noah asked. “I didn’t start groping you or some shit, baby. Chill.”
The claws buried under the blush and embarrassment were damn sexy. Even if he waspissed, Noah could feel the heat radiating off him. Pupils blown wide. Mouth parted. Pulling Noah even closer.
"I'm so fucking tired of everyone telling me to chill."
“Are you mad at me, Theo?” Noah whispered, and Theo’s breath stuttered when he brushed their lips together. “Tell me why and I’ll make it up to you.”
Theo swallowed. “No, I’m…” he trailed off, his gaze roaming over Noah’s face in a way that felt more intimate than anything they’d done, like he was trying to commit every detail to memory. “This is a lot for me.”
The quiet sank between them, and Noah didn’t want to chance breathing too loud. He was in a cocoon of fruit punch, vodka, and coconut, wrapped around Theo’s bony pinkie. Theo could do whatever he wanted. Say whatever he wanted.
As long as he didn’t stop looking at him like that.
Theo inched in, his cold mouth pressing against Noah’s in a kiss that was so soft it nailed him to the floor. He didn’t expect that kind of tenderness.
Beneath everything—sarcasm, biting commentary, embarrassment—was the real Theo. Raw, unfiltered fear spreadover every hesitant word, every concerned flick of his eyes. There were no walls to hide behind, no barriers to put up, when those trembling fingers loosened their grip on his shirt. He was fragile—he wasglass—and there were so many cracks on the surface already.
It wasn’t only Aaron, then. So many others had hurt Theo.
Who?
Why?
How?
Noah had a million questions, but none of themfit. They weren’t the right ones. He’d fuck the wording on the way out and then what? Would Theo freak again?
“I’m not too much for you, am I?” Noah asked quietly when Theo pulled back.
Theo laughed, but it fell apart. “That’swhat you were thinking about? Damn. And here I was assuming it was something sexual…”
