Page 39 of The Problem with Falling
“Not to talk down about my cousin, but he’s fucking weird,” Peter mentioned.
I glanced back and forth between the storming-off Theo and Peter. “What the heck was that?” I questioned. Before Peter could reply, Theo was driving off, leaving me stranded as if hewasn’t my ride back to his place. “What the heck?!” I hollered, tossing my hands up in the air.
“What an ass,” Peter said with a headshake. “I’m guessing he was your ride.”
“He was. And that was my pizza.”
“I can drive you over to his place.”
“Oh no. You don’t have to do that.”
Peter smiled sweetly. “It’s not a problem at all. I want to.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I agreed, simply because I didn’t know the way back to Theo’s house on my own, and I needed to give him a piece of my mind for leaving me stranded.
Peter walked me over to his car and hopped into the driver’s seat, and I walked around and climbed into the passenger’s seat. He put the car into drive after we buckled up and took off down the road. “I’m going to be honest. Theo’s odd. I’m surprised my grandparents let him run the restaurant and the booth at the farmers’ market because he’s so socially awkward. They spoil the shit out of him more than they ever spoiled me. And I was their first grandson.”
“Why do you think that is? That they spoil him more?”
“Well, he was raised by them. So it’s almost like he’s their actual child. Not to be emotional about it, but I was always jealous of how they treated him compared to me.”
“I’m sorry that happened. That had to be hard. What’s the deal with Theo’s parents?”
Peter frowned. “It’s pretty sad, actually. My aunt Christina was taken advantage of and ended up pregnant. The whole thing messed her up pretty badly. When Theo was around twelve, she abandoned him, saying she never wanted a kid anyway and wished she’d had an abortion.”
My hand fell to my chest. “Oh my goodness. That’s heartbreaking.”
“It is. And it’s clear that it made him a bit of a weirdo. That’s not even me being mean. I wish life were easier for him. I’ve tried to connect with him over the years, but he’s so distant. I guess that’s the thing about people. We’re all different. Some people like their space. Others don’t.” He smiled at me. “I get the idea you’re a people person.”
“Yes.” I laughed. “My eldest sister would say I like people a little too much. I don’t like being alone.”
“I think you and I have a lot in common. Because I don’t like it, either. How many siblings do you have?”
“Two older sisters, Avery and Yara.”
“Ah, you’re the baby.”
“I live up to it, too. I’m a handful.”
Peter arched an eyebrow and held a hand in the air. “I have big hands for handfuls.”
I chuckled and shrugged. “Most people can’t handle all of me.”
“Trust me, Willow. I could handle you,” he mentioned as he pulled into Theo’s driveway. He put the car in park and kept his eyes on me. “So next Friday, I’ll pick you up for the party.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for the ride, Peter.”
“Of course. I’d never leave you stranded.”
I climbed out of his car and headed toward the house in search of Theo. After such a great day, I needed to understand why he was so quick to storm off without any true reasoning. But my timing must’ve been a second too late because as I stepped onto the back porch, I saw him and his boat taking off on the lake with the pizza.
“You could’ve left me a few slices!” I hollered, tossing my hands up in frustration.
Freaking Bradley Cooper wannabe asshole.
CHAPTER 11
Theo
