Page 142 of Stop and Seek
=^-^=tell me im pwetty
Underneath was a picture of her latest set of nails—blood red and glittery, with diamonds and shit dangling off the ends. Theo had always wondered how she did basic things. Like... how did she wipe her ass?
Theo
v cute
She’d been inviting him out for days, but there was no way. What would’ve been the point?The bars were the same, the people were the same, the alcohol wasthe same.
Drugs were the only thing that stopped the restless, bullshit thoughts long enough for him to function. If he didn’thaveto work—if someone hand-delivered uppers and downers to his doorstep—he wouldn’t have gotten out of bed.
Another text from Noah.
Regret breathed down his neck. Turned his hands clammy. He should’ve texted back—fuck, hetried. Every time Noah sent something, Theo typed out a dozen different replies.
I’m sorry.
I need to see you.
I liked the eggs.
He deleted all of them.
They weren’t good enough.
Theoput himselfin this situation. Now he had to deal with it.
Theo dropped the stack of books on the circulation desk so hard he heard the computer shiver. Didn’t even look up when he saw the greasy wrist handing him the baby book.
“The kiosk is open,” he muttered, barcode scanner clicking as he aimed. “Did you need help with it?”
“You don’t know how to change a diaper, do you?”
Theo’s head snapped up, locking onto Ethan’s sleep-deprived face. The guy looked bad—yellow and white on his shirt, scruff more pronounced than normal.
“Because I don’t,” Ethan continued. “I put it on backwards and Carrie started sobbing.”
“Congrats, man,” Theo said. Lame as hell.
Ethan leaned over the desk. “Have you slept? Tell me what it feels like.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Theo’s mouth.
“Did… did you need me to babysit..?”
God, tell me no. I’m being nice.
Shaking his head, Ethan slunk down until his forehead pressed against wood.
“My monster-in-law is here for a week. I got to touch cars. Do you know how fucking exciting that is? I keep trying to sleep, but when I close my eyes, I hear Everrett crying.”
Theo rolled his lips together.
This kid was gonna get bullied.
“You named him after your granddad?” he asked instead.
“Carrie’s idea,” Ethan mumbled.
