Page 125 of Love Contract

29

SULLY

Iknow I’ve said it before, but this time it’s serious…by tomorrow morning, I’ll be an only child.

Theo’s trying to calm me down as I stalk toward the car. She stumbles a little in her high heels, struggling to keep up.

“It’s not so bad…”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s only full-frontal nudity that’s about to be broadcast to theentire fucking country.”

Even though my brain is blazing, I still remember to open her door for her.

Theo slips into the passenger seat, conscientiously buckling her seatbelt.

“You’re right,” she says quietly as I take the driver’s side. “It totally sucks; I’d be humiliated.”

That takes all the fire out of my furnace.

I sigh and start the engine. “I know he’s not doing it to fuck me over. Hell, I’m happy for him. I just wish he’d think once in a while about how this shit affects me. It would be nice to at least get a head’s up.”

Theo’s smile creeps back. “You’d rather not find out alongside four hundred other people?”

“Shockingly, no. Especially not—“ I break off.

“Especially not what?” Theo says quickly.

I mutter, “Especially not with you right there.”

The mood in the car shifts. Theo’s voice is pitched lower than usual when she says, “Why not?”

Heat prickles the back of my neck. I’m finding it hard to look at her, though usually, I can’t resist.

“I was embarrassed,” I admit. “I hate that feeling.”

Actually, Iloathethat feeling. I’ll do almost anything to avoid it. It makes my guts churn and my skin flame. It makes me want to shake my own brain out of my skull just to get away from it.

And with Theo right next to me…it was unbearable. I would have stormed out of the theater if it wouldn’t have ruined Reese’s moment.

Theo turns to face me, her bare legs pointed in my direction, her elbow resting on the open windowsill, dark hair spilling down over her shoulder.

“Trust me, Sully…you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

I force myself to meet her gaze. It’s steady, intent, and the opposite of mocking. Theo’s not laughing at me. Not even a little bit.

She doesn’t look disdainful.

She looks…interested.

Heat spreads up my neck and all down my chest. My body warms and relaxes. My hand unclenches on the wheel. The breeze rolling in through the window is cool and sweetly scented with magnolia.

I don’t know how she does it, but Theo can be more convincing than me at my best.

It’s the strength of her conviction. She believes what she says—and she makes you believe it, too.

And if Theo doesn’t think I looked like a fool…who else’s opinion matters? She’s the one I want to impress.

“I wouldn’t have taken you if I knew it was going to be…like that.”

---