“Don’t play dumb. You know what I mean.” She moves to the edge of the bed, perched on the side like one of those angels you see on old church stained-glass windows. Those blonde tresses fall past her delicate shoulders in disarray, just begging to be pulled. She spears with me with one of her no-nonsense looks.
Reclining farther back into the pillows, I release a sigh, knowing I am about to endure a long-ass conversation. One way or another I will be falling asleep easily tonight, whether it be from the pill or her yammering on and on about fucking Cade.
When I don’t answer immediately, she tries again. “Why did you eat all his cookies, Theo? That was ugly.”
Psh. Is that all she thinks I did? That’s nothing. My butt has been clenched with worry all week, wondering when she was going to find out that I called Thor, my part-time, private security detail (I never can remember his real name), and had him run a background check on Cade. I may have even reported a suspicious person to the police. Cookies? I can deal with that line of questioning.
“I was hungry?” I give her a little shrug and a smile. She knows I’m an asshole. There is no reason for this. She knows that I hate Cade and would do anything to drive him the fuck away from here.
Her eyes roll before she pinches my arm.
“Oww!” I flinch away, rubbing the angry mark.
“You did that just to upset him.” Her accusation is laced with something I haven’t seen before. Real anger. I don’t think I have ever seen her furious at me like this. Sure, we have fights but this… this is different. She cares about him. My stomach roils with the thought that this man is going to take my girl. I am going to be forever friend-zoned while Cade rides away into the sunset with her.
I sit up, fighting off the effects of the sleeping pill, knowing this is going to get serious, fast.
“You’re right. I don’t want him here. You know that.” I smooth my palm against her bare arm. “Please let me find him a place to go. It’s not safe for you to be alone with him.”
She’s shaking her head, stubborn as usual. “He won’t hurt me.”
That’s it. I spring from the bed, fuming at her denial of the situation. “Yes, he will, Ans! You don’t know what he’s been through, what he’s capable of.”
“He wouldn’t hurt me.” Tears have started to collect in her eyes, a rarity for her. I move closer. I want to comfort her but I need for her to understand this is not a stray dog she adopted.
“You don’t know that.” My voice is quieter as I try to let reason soak into that pretty head of hers. “I can get him the help he needs. A therapist. A place to stay. You name it and I will make it happen.”
She’s quiet for minute, deliberating my words. I’m starting to feel anxious, and out of habit bring my finger to my mouth, ready to bite my nails down to nubs.
But before I can even slip the first one in she swats it down with a glare. “No.”
No, what? No to my nail biting, or no to the whole moving Cade out? I cock my head to the side, encouraging her to elaborate.
“I’m happy here. With him.”
My heart fucking sinks straight down to my toes. I feel dizzy like I might just collapse right here. Fucking sleeping pills!
She must’ve caught on because she hurriedly says, “No, it’s not like that. I just mean… fuck! This is hard.”
You’re telling me. I feel like I am one word away from a meltdown.
She scoots closer, wrapping her arms around me. I don’t return her embrace. Call me petty but my damn feelings have just been stomped and spit on.
“For so long, I felt like I had no one except you.”
I nod, confirming that it has always been us for years. I don’t see the problem there.
“And, Theo, I just… I put everything I had into us. Now that we have been apart I’ve just been thinking.”
Oh, shit. This is not going at all how I had planned.
“I don’t really know who I am. You, know?” She looks at me like I’m supposed to agree or something.
I don’t. I don’t understand at all where she’s coming from. She doesn’t know who she is? That’s a surprise. Anniston has always had goals and aspirations. I don’t ever recall a time that she has been confused about what she wanted in life.
She frowns, tugging at her hair. “This isn’t coming out right.”
“I agree. This is a terrible nightcap.”
