Page 51 of What Comes After

Since I woke up, there had only been two occasions when he left me, but he didn’t leave me alone. He only walked out of my room when his parents showed up to visit with me. Mary and Scott visited for a while, and Theo was only gone for a short time.

I figured he was running back to their place, grabbing a shower, and changing his clothes, because both times, he’d returned wearing a fresh set.

There was no question I’d appreciated everything they’d all done for me, but I hated learning how much this whole thing had tormented them. The last thing I had ever wanted was for my life to leak into theirs like it had and impact them so negatively.

Not that they complained.

They were fantastic about all of it.

At least, now I’d be going home and could give them all the break they deserved. Especially Theo.

I’d been a bit terrified as to how things were going to pan out between us while I remained in the hospital, but it was easier than I had anticipated. He was very good about following the doctor’s instructions. Or, technically, he was very good about making sure I followed the doctor’s orders.

My television watching needed to be limited, along with any additional screen time. When it came to conversations, he kept it very lighthearted. Nothing serious or that required intense concentration.

It was almost a good thing that I was given such a strict set of instructions, because it meant that I didn’t necessarily need to worry about anything getting too serious or intense with Theo.

But that time was winding down now.

Theo was taking me home, and I had to wonder if when we got there, he’d want to have a talk about something.

I wasn’t sure I was prepared for that.

I’d just been wheeled down to the hospital entrance and was waiting patiently for Theo to pull up. He’d come downstairs ahead of me, wanting to make sure he could get a head start, so I wouldn’t be waiting around for him.

The next thing I knew, a huge SUV—one that looked brand spankin’ new—pulled up. A moment later, Theo exited the vehicle, rounded it, and opened the passenger side door. I was wheeled closer to it, and once I came to a stop, I stood and reached out.

Theo took my hand in his, the other hand coming to rest at the small of my back. Though I knew he was just trying to help and make sure I didn’t get injured any worse than I already was, my mind couldn’t ignore the way my body reacted to the intimate touch, even if he hadn’t intended for it to be as such.

After helping me inside, Theo closed my door and rounded the front to get in on the opposite side. As soon as he was inside, I rattled off my address to him, and explained the precise location of my apartment.

Theo nodded his understanding, but several minutes after we started driving, I realized he was going in the wrong direction.

“This isn’t the right way,” I told him.

“Just relax, Devyn. We’re not going to your place,” he replied.

My brows pulled together as I kept my focus on his profile. “Where are you taking me?”

He smiled. “We’ll be there in a few minutes. I’d rather show it to you.”

Realizing I wasn’t going to get anywhere with questions and still lacking energy, I figured it was best to just wait.

Before I knew it, Theo had slowed down and turned into a driveway. It seemed to go on forever, until a home finally came into view.

No.

Not a home.

A mansion.

“What is this place?” I asked, my mind feeling boggled.

Only when we came to a stop, and he put the car in park, did Theo look over at me and respond. “It’s my house.”

“What? I didn’t know you had a place here.”

“That’s because I bought it a week ago,” he explained.

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