Page 38 of Stop and Seek
“I’m not—” Theo’s yawn cut off his sentence, arms stretching over his head. The hoodie and shirt rode up, a little taste of pale skin, and Noah’s fingers itched.
Road.
Focus on theroad.
“It’s a choice is all I’m saying,” Theo mumbled, softer now. “I still wanna know why you’re acting so nice.”
“Because I’m a nice dude.”
“You made my life hell junior year.”
Noah frowned. “Did I?”
Football. Boring classes. One too many drinks at the silo after a game.
No cute, nerdy, redhead at all in his memories.
“Which exit am I getting off?” he asked before Theo had a chance to respond.
“Four A. And yeah, you did. Your whole fucking… stupid… fuck, what’s the word? Your fucking…groupdid. Chunky asshole with glasses—what’s his name?”
“Benjamin.”
“That’s it! He super glued my gym locker shut and stole my shit.”
Benjiwasan asshole. There was no denying that. A superficial, entitled prick who cared aboutexactlythree things in his life.
But Noah wasn’t going to waste his breath on him.
Noah flicked on the blinker and shook his head. “It’s in the past.”
“Easy for you. Your past is all rainbows and daisies.”
“Kinda.”
There it was again.
Even though Noah couldn’t see it—wouldn’t let his eyes leave the road—he couldfeelthe heat of Theo’s glare. Piercing him, nailing him to the spot.
Jesus, Theo was something else.
“Let me help you inside,” Noah said when he made it to the building Theo called home.
He’d thought the hole-in-the-wall bar they’d been at was seedy when he’d walked in.
But this place? Took the entire cake.
The apartment looked like it hadn’t been updated since the ’70s and the chipped pink paint was an eyesore. It could have been nicer in the daylight but…damn.
“I should be good,” Theo said, but the longer he spoke, the worse he sounded—drowsy and spaced out.
Noah turned off the engine and stepped into the storm, rounding the car just in time to see Theo struggling.
Struggling was putting it lightly.
Theo had one foot out, the other trapped like he was trying to convince his body to move.
Noah’s stomach tightened. He kept his smile in place, but it was enough to make something protective open inside him.
