Page 94 of The Worst Kept Secret

I snap my head to look at her. “What?”

“Give me a little credit, Avery Danielle. You and Theo are not slick.” I blink at her, not confirming or denying anything so she continues. “Okay, so we’re playing like you have no idea what I’m talking about. Obviously, I knew you were seeing someone but you were so secretive about it and I couldn’t figure out why. Why not tell me about this mystery guy? You’re an adult. So, I thought, there had to be a reason and then at the engagement party, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.” She cocks her head to the side. “And you couldn’t take your eyes off of him.”

Here I thought, we were being careful. Did anyone else notice?

“How do you feel about it…?”

“I… don’t know. How did it start?”

“Last year, we kissed, but it wasn’t really anything until about a month ago and I know it sounds fast but, God Theo Graham has been…the man of my dreams for years.”

“Hmmm,” she narrows her gaze at me.

“It was nothing before I was twenty, I swear.”

“No, I know, you had that knucklehead boyfriend for far too long.” She scrunches her nose in disgust and I chuckle at her never-ending distaste for my ex-boyfriend. “So, Lucas didn’t take it well?”

“He did not.”

“And Rae?”

“Rae’s sitting kind of pretty in a glass house right now. She’s not really upset about it I think because Theo has really not given Wes a hard time.”

“Oh, Wes is a gem. They aresocute. I absolutely need that story. Rebecca told me he’s her boss! Scandalous!” She giggles as she raises her eyebrows up and down.

“I’ll tell you everything another time, I promise. Anyway, she’s trying to be supportive to both of them but also stay out of it—” I stop when Jordan pops her head into the back.

“Hey, ummm one of your friends is here?” She looks at both of us.

“Who is it,” I ask?

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “I think your neighbor?” She doesn’t say anything else before she heads back to the front and I look at my mother. Both of us walk to the main floor, me because I assume he’s here to talk to me, and my mother to be nosy. I see Theo standing in the area where customers wait for their to-go coffees. He’s wearing a black button-down and gray slacks and he looks so fucking good.

Meanwhile, my hair pulled back in a bun because I haven’t washed it in days coupled with my bare minimum makeup does not make me happy for this encounter at all.Of all the days.

His eyes light up as soon as he sees me and his eyes rove over me like I’m wearing the sexiest dress and not a cream t-shirt and black jeans. “Hi.” I stand next to Jordan who is making his coffee and I see she’s got two carrying trays out that can hold four cups each.

“Hey. I’m just…uh…getting coffee for the office.”

“Wow, the owner of the company goes on coffee runs.” I smirk at him, wondering,hopingthat he’s just here as a way to see me.

“I…was out already and thought I’d pick up coffee for everyone.” My mom slides up on the other side of me and looks at Theo. “Hello, Theo.” She smiles, knowingly like the cat that ate the canary. “Lovely to see you.”

“You too, Camille.” He smiles.

“I just finished baking what I think are my best cinnamon scones. I’m going to send some with you for your office.” She claps and points at him. “Avery will help you carry them over.” I go to reject that idea when she looks at me.

“Don’t be rude. He only has two hands.” She begins putting some scones in a bag for him.

Eight coffees and five minutes of awkward silence later, we’re walking out of the café in the direction of his office. “I told my mom,” I say, breaking the silence. “Well, she kind of put it together.”

“I see, so that’s the reason for this?” He gestures as well as he can between us. “She…approves?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, I think she’s tired of seeing me so sad.”

He turns his eyes back to the sidewalk and away from me. “I hate that you’re sad,” he says finally.

“How are you?” I ask, wondering if he’s as miserable as I am.

---