Page 39 of The Heartbreak List

“Well, we’re going to rectify that.” Standing, Theo slips his phone in his pocket. “I have all three of us booked into a smash room in forty-five minutes. We’re going to have to hurry though because I need to pick up my truck.”

“What?” EJ rears back.

“That isn’t on the bucket list.” But the idea of breaking things, like we did with the pint glasses, is appealing. There is something healthy about watching your emotions turn into a whirlwind of physical destruction and then walking away calm and relaxed.

“You both need an outlet.” Theo dumps his cup and fork in the sink.

“Bucket list?” EJ turns to me. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s helping me do the things that I want to do before I die. He’s helping me have the experiences I want to have while I’m still here. I have a list.” When his face crumples I keep going. He needs to understand how important this is to me. “You and Gray both think that I’m not taking any of this seriously enough, but I am. That’s why Theo is here. The treatments aren’t going to fix me the way everyone hopes. They’re to help prolong the time I have. Theo is helping me to get as much out of that time as possible and come to terms with the life that I have.”

“Like a therapist?” EJ looks at Theo through new eyes. “A death coach, or whatever they’re called?”

“Sort of.” I press my hands together as I glance at Theo. It's a fairly accurate summation of our friendship, isn’t it?

He nods. “Basically.”

“Good.” EJ loses the stand-offish tension that he’s been wearing since he woke us up. “Do I need anything for this smash room?”

Chapter Thirteen

Indy

We’reinasmallbasement below street level with harsh florescent strip lighting. There’s a two-seat sofa and a table loaded with magazines. Along one wall is a bay of blue metal lockers. I pick up aPeoplemagazine while Theo leans over the kiosk to talk to the woman running the smash rooms.

He’s all charm and interest as they go over the details of our booking. I flick through the glossy pages. The woman is giggling and blushing and falling all over herself to help Theo with the PPE that is stored in cubbies along the wall behind her.

“So is this something you do now?” EJ stands with his feet apart and his arms crossed over his chest. He went home and swapped out his suit for a polo and chinos. Theo went with him to pick up his truck and then swung back to get me.

“Huh?” Okay, I’ll admit that Theo’s attractive, but he’s also looking worse for wear with the bruising along his jaw. It could be she doesn’t notice because she’s too busy staring into his eyes. Those pretty boy eyes are magnetic.

“You come to smash rooms?” EJ hums in his throat. “To break things.”

“It’s my first time.” It’s a bit much, isn’t it? Does he ever get sick of flirting with every girl he talks to? And they lap it up like no one else has ever paid them attention. “Last time we broke glasses at the bar.”

“You’re spending time in a bar?” My brother is staring at Theo too. Expression tight, he juts out his chin as he inclines his head in my direction. “I have to ask…does Gray know about him?”

“It’s where Theo works. I’ve been once. And of course I’ve told Gray about him. I can’t believe you would ask that.” It’s like they don’t trust me at all. I can feel my blood pressure rising. “Since when did I become a completely different person?”

“You’re not…” He bunches his jaw and shakes his head. “But Gray never mentioned him. He never said anything about you having someone you were talking about this stuff too. Or a bucket list.”

“I’ve told Gray about Theo.” I’m sure I have. “And the bucket list. Perhaps he didn’t think you needed to know.”

My brother and Gray share almost everything. The only thing they don’t talk about is what Gray and I get up to in the bedroom.

EJ raises a single brow at me.

“You’re right." That was a dumb thing to say. “I don’t know why he hasn’t told you. He’s been busy getting Manilow to contract though, so maybe it slipped his mind.”

“If it were me. If that guy was hanging out with my girl…” EJ stares at his palms as if they might hold the answers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I concentrate on his palms too. But there is nothing there to explain what the heck he is on about.

“Ready?” Theo comes over with an armful of protective wear and the attendant in his wake.

The woman briefs us on safety and hands out coveralls and helmets.

"Are you sure you should be doing this, Indy?” EJ holds up the helmet that looks somewhat like a motocross helmet. It has a full visor and will cover our entire heads. “What if you get hurt? This is too dangerous.”

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