Page 26 of Thanks for the Love
I follow Theo into the house and fold my arms against my chest. I look down at my T-shirt and shorts. Maybe someday Theo will see me looking halfway decent. During most of our interactions thus far I’ve been facedown under a hammock and in my pajamas. Not the impression I would normally want to make, but it’s too late for that.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even know why I’m here,” I say with a nervous laugh. “I guess I just needed to talk to someone.”
Why did I come over here?I’m sure Reagan and Lila would’ve given me an ear to listen and shoulder to cry on if I needed it.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says softly. He points to the leather sectional couch, and I sit down on the edge of one of the seats.
Theo sits next to me, and my eyes drift toward his abs. There’s at least six of them, possibly eight if I look closely. All of those morning laps are certainly paying off.
“You probably think I’m super high maintenance,” I say.
He chuckles. “Nonsense. Why would I think that?”
I chew on my lower lip.
“I got some news from home a little while ago, and I’m trying to process.” I point to my eyes. “Obviously, I’m not doing a good job of it.”
He gives me a sympathetic look. It could also be pity—but whatever.
“Okay. Tell me what happened. Is your family okay?”
I rub my temples with my fingertips.
“My ex and my best friend are getting married.”
“Aw man, that’s rough,” he says, shaking his head.
“I guess I should be flattered—she’s using my wedding plans.” I pause as I try to swallow the lump that’s building in my throat again.
“How did you find out?”
As I tell him about Nikki’s phone call, I get choked up.
“I can’t believe I’m still crying about this,” I wail, dabbing the corners of my eyes. “It’s so stupid.”
Theo leans his head to the side. “It’s not.”
“I don’t want to give them the satisfaction, but even hundreds of miles away they’re still affecting me,” I exclaim. “Running away didn’t change anything.”
Theo slides a little closer to me, and for some reason it makes me relax a little. “Do you remember what I said to you this morning?”
I shrug. Everything before our kiss is kind of fuzzy.
“I told you that I admired you for taking a chance and starting over in a new city. You may think of it as running away from your problems, but I see it as taking a stand and showing you weren’t just going to sulk because your relationship was over.”
I cover my eyes in hopes that it will somehow make the tears stop.
Theo places his hand on my back but doesn’t say anything. I appreciate that he’s letting me express how I’m feeling. He’s not trying to make me talk about it or asking lots of questions. This night has been such a whirlwind, and I’m still not sure how or why I ended up here. There’s definitely something about being with Theo that makes me feel safe.
When I finally pull myself together, I thank him for letting me vent.
“I should probably go—I know you have to get up early.” I start to move off the couch, but he stops me.
“Why don’t you stay for a little while? We don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want to. We can put on a movie or watch TV. I have popcorn.”
That sounds wonderful, and before I have a chance to respond, he grabs a remote from the console and flips on his flatscreen TV.
