Page 3 of Someday

My thoughts are consumed by Theo and worry about Chief. They were before I came back to Landmark, but being here where the memories have a steady pulse, they’ve taken over.

I didn’t think I’d ever stop crying when I left the note in his car that night, scared and shaking and feeling more alone than I’d ever felt.

I shiver and crouch down, my arm going around Chief as I get more comfortable next to him. I haven’t slept well since I came back, and long before that too. The only times I truly slept well were when I was with Theo. Overnights with him didn’t happen often. If his grandparents were out of town and his oldest brother Sutton was in charge of the house, I’d pretend I was with my friend Bree and stay at Theo’s, and there were the group trips we went on with our friends during the summer between junior and senior year and the following Spring Break.

I close my eyes and can still see the long stretch of sand as we walked down the beach, hand in hand.

“I can’t wait until we’re at Colorado State in the fall.” He brought my hand to his lips to kiss my knuckles and grinned at me. “I can wake up and see your face first thing every morning and before I go to sleep every night. This week with you just makes me want that more than ever.” He turned to face me, his hands shifting to my hips as he bent down and kissed me.

As always, my legs went weak when we kissed and I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on.

“I love you, Sof,” he whispered against my lips.

“I love you.” I kissed him hard, and when we broke apart, we were both breathless. “Fall can’t come soon enough. I’m counting down the days.”

“Me too, Firefly,” he said, kissing me again.

I pulled back, laughing as he groaned, but then I saw that look as he came up with his next idea and was already shaking my head to deny him. His eyes have always told me the truth and right then, they were full of mischief and lust.

“We can’t,” I whispered, trying to hold back my laugh. “Not out here anyway.”

“Race you back to the condo. Let’s go take advantage of an empty place while everyone is out here swimming.”

I took off running and he chased me, both of us laughing and out of breath.

As soon as the bedroom door closed behind us, he untied my bikini top and turned me around to face him, his hands immediately on my breasts.

“Someday, we can do this whenever we want,” he said, looking up at me as he bent down and drew my nipple into his mouth.

I pushed down his swimming trunks and wrapped my fist around him—

“Sofie?” he says softly.

I jump and sit up, my hand flying to my hair. “Wha—hey. You’re back?”

A hint of a smile crosses his lips and then vanishes as he clears his throat. “You must’ve been tired. I wasn’t gone long.”

My face flushes and I look over at Chief, relieved to see his breathing almost completely normal.

“I started the steamer already. It’s right over there.” He motions behind him. “And once the rest of the snow clears all the way, he’ll be able to graze more. That should help.”

I nod, still disoriented from falling asleep and seeing Theo so clearly in my mind the way he looked then compared to the muscular man with perfectly messy hair in front of me now.

He grips the bars of the half-open stall and I stand up, dusting myself off and feeling more self-conscious about the way I look than I ever have. But it wouldn’t matter anyway because Theo is looking right through me—there’s no question that he’s moved on. He’s just too decent to not come when he hears an animal needs help.

Since being back in Landmark, I’ve wondered if I should tell him the truth, but why would I turn his life upside down again now, after all this time?

I’m not sure why I’m still hanging on to so many secrets, but a lifetime of conditioning to hide the truth will do that, I suppose. He has no idea what a liar I am.

I still love him as much as I did all those years ago. That’s the truth. Seeing him only reiterates that fact. But I lost all chance of being with him the day I left.

I made sure of that.

CHAPTERTWO

SHIELD

THEO

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