Page 143 of Stop and Seek
After another minute, Ethan straightened up. He cracked his neck and knuckles.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all that on you without saying hi. I’m just—just sotired. Physicallytired. I don’t remember driving here.”
“You wanna hang?” Theo asked. “I’m off in ten. You can vent and I can pretend I understand what you’re going through.”
Maybe if someone else filled the air with their problems, he wouldn’t have to sit in his own.
Ethan coughed out a laugh. “I wish. I’d feel too bad leaving Carrie alone.”
“You need anything? Diapers? Clothes? Food? Baby-related things?”
“Our bedroom is filled with diapers. We’re good.”
Theo handed the book over, receipt hanging out the top. “Well, good luck. Let me know if I can do something.”
“Pray for me,” Ethan call over his shoulder, already heading toward the door. The hinges creaked as it shut behind him, letting in a quick gust of hot asphalt and humidity.
Theo’s phone buzzed against the desk.
Probably Noah. Again.
I miss him so much it makes me sick.
2169970991
one hour. u owe me closure. thats all im asking for.
Theo’s vision tunneled around the edges. His thumb hovered over the trash icon, teeth sunk into his lip. Deleting the messages didn’t work. Smashing his screen into smithereens didn’t work, either. The texts kept coming back, pinging his phone. Taunting him.
Theo didn’t owe Jaggeranything. Not closure, not an explanation, not a single fucking word.
He couldn’t keep dealing with the panic every time he saw the number, though.
Rachel was right. He needed to deal with this, and then maybe he could move on. Maybe he could sit at his own dining room table in peace.
Swallowing the lump, he typed out the message before he could talk himself out of it.
Theo
when n where
He had been dealing with the ringing in his ears since he agreed.
All he wanted was peace, privacy, and someone to fucking hug him until his insides stopped threatening to launch outside of his body.
Did he get that lucky?
No.
Instead, he was forced to listen to Alyssa and Rachel’s back and forth while he sat on his bed with his head in his hands, willing his brain not to melt.
“I’m like, mega hyped about the revelation. Is it Jaggle? Jagger? Whatev. Is he hot? He’s gotta be hot if he’s a creep.”
“Lyssa, shut up.”
“I’m curious,” Alyssa whined. “I have to like, picture myself pepper spraying him. I’m gonna manifest it.”
Theo groaned into his palms.
