Page 97 of Stop and Seek
Theo scrunched his face, looking past him down the stairs.
Sure enough, through the bubble windows at the bottom, he could see it raining again. Not sheeting like it had been the other day, but still buckets.
“Do you not own an umbrella or something?” he asked.
“No.” Noah shook his head, spraying water droplets everywhere. “I don’t. I come with gifts, though.”
Theo dropped his eyes to the white plastic bag. “I ordered pizza.”
“We’ll eat both.”
“Both,” he repeated, looking back up. “I’m not a garbage disposal.”
Noah’s grin was quick. Disarming as hell. It lit up his face, despite the rain dripping from his nose.
“I am. Look, you seemed pissed or upset, and I wanted to clear the air.” He lifted the bag slightly. “Do you hate Chinese?”
Theo’s brain stalled.
How the hell was it fair that Noah could be irritating and—dare he fucking admit it—halfway attractive?
“I love Chinese,” Theo muttered. He opened the door wider, trying to ignore his heart pounding in his ears. “It’ll give me leftovers for work.”
Noah stepped in and set the bag down. Shook off like a damn dog. “Can I borrow a towel?” he asked with a laugh. “I don’t want to drench everything.”
“Except my walls, right? Yeah. You want me to see if I can find you a change of clothes, too?”
Noah perked up. “Yeah! That’d be great.”
Holy shit. Calm down.
Theo had avisitor, not anintruder.
Why the fuck was his body in fight-or-flight mode?
Maybe it was because he hadn’t had anyone in his apartment—aside from Rachel and Alyssa—in forever. All the guys he met took him back to a bathroom, or a car, or a motel… it felt too personal bringing them home.
At least it’s clean.
God, why the hell do you care?
Theo wrenched the dresser drawer open with enough force that the lamp almost crashed down.
It was nerves coupled with whatever those blue pills he took, that was all.
He didn’twantto go to the stupid reunion, but he came out the other side with a handful ofalmostfriends that texted him all hours of the night. Weird? Yeah. But not in a bad way. Weird in a way he wasn’t used to.
Throwing the towel and clothes at Noah, he flopped onto the couch.
“Change in the bathroom or—” He started, but Noah was already peeling off his clothes in the middle of the living room. “Or not. My blinds are open, you weirdo.”
“They can thank me later.”
“You havezerofucking shame.”
Noah hopped onto the couch, cushions tilting to the side. “I do not.” He looked moredampthanwetnow. But that poor tee wasn’t going to fit right after it came off him. The joggers? Noah could keep those.
Theo really loved that shirt, though.
