Page 32 of Stop and Seek
But in a second. He’d get up injusta second. He closed his eyes, letting the music take him somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Happier times sounded amazing right now.
Someone slapped the table and hejumped.
Max and Noah were there.
Dragging chairs back with a scrape that bit into his eardrums.
Looking at him likehewas the one crashingtheirparty.
Of all the bars in Cleveland—all the rundown,bullshit,hole-in-the-wall haunts—how did they end up athisplace, the one he had been coming to foryears?
“What’s up, gay boyfriend?” Max asked, pressing her fingers onto the sticky tabletop.
She recoiled, face twitching as her hands vanished under the table in disgust.
“I have a name,” Theo said. “If you’re planning on fucking my friend, learn it.”
There it was—out in the open, hanging in the musty air.
Did he regret it? Oh yeah. But it was too late to take it back.
Max’s eyes widened. She mouthed a silentwowas she sat back.
This wasn’t a win.
This was a fucking nightmare.
Theo shoved himself up, palms flattening on the table.
“Aw, you leaving already, Theo?” Noah asked, eyes too bright under the flash of pulsing neon. “I thought you were stalking us for a sec.”
“Stalking you. Here.” The laughter spilled out before Theo could help it. “Okay.You got me.I’m super obsessed with you. I’m the worldsworststalker.”
None of this was worth the headache.
They didn’t matter.
Thebarmattered. Ten tiny steps over and Theo waved down the bartender—Marty, Marvin… he couldn’t remember.
“Vodka, please. Double.”
Decker’s laugh was unmistakable. Hyena with a sprinkle of faux-villain cackle. It grated down Theo’s spine and he shook it off.
He could do this. Hecould.
Put the ten-dollar bill down on the bar. Smile at the bartender.
Nothing was wrong.
Everything wasfine.
“What are you doing here, Teddy?” Alyssa’s words tumbled out like someone had fast-forwarded time.
Suddenly there were arms around his waist and Alyssa’s vanilla perfume in his nose.
“I thought you were goinghome.”
