Page 44 of The Heartbreak List

Jell-O was my favorite dessert when I was a kid. I loved the sweetness, and its wibbly wobbly texture. Even better with vanilla ice cream on the side, of course. But that’s so not the point.

“This is what has you all excited?” Theo stops beside me. He folds his arms over his chest, but I can tell by the way he thrusts his chest out that he’s feeling this too. One corner of his mouth lifts. “Are we adding it to the bucket list?”

“No point. We’re going to mark it straight off.” I grab his wrist and drag him into the building. A crowd is gathered around a high-sided kiddy pool where two women are slipping and sliding in the bright red Jell-O.

“Are you sure about this?” Theo raises a brow at me.

“Yes.” I step up to the bar and crane my neck until I spot the sign-up form. When I catch the eye of the bartender, I smile. “Can you pass me that?”

“Sure, doll.” He collects the clipboard and places it in front of me.

I pick up the pen and take a deep breath. I wasn’t oblivious to the message Theo checked in the truck. I caught a glimpse of the SOS that he sent out to his friend about a fight before he angled the screen to hide it. He’s been wound up tighter than one of those big metal springs since EJ left. I’m not dense. I can tell that something happened at the smash room. I have no clue what because he doesn’t open up.

I wish he would. He’s the one who told me it’s not wise to bottle everything up. I want to be his friend the way he’s been mine. I want to help him. If only to pay him back. But I don’t know how to break through his walls. They’re built so high and thick. At least this might help release some of that tension he’s carrying around with him. “You have to sign up with me.”

“What?” He stands behind me, his palm on the bar next to my elbow as he leans in.

“I know it’s not the kind of fighting you take part in normally, and I know that you don’t think I can help with whatever is on your mind, but I want to try. And since you don’t want to talk about it…” I shrug. “We’re wrestling.”

“Indy, no.”

“I’m doing this, Theo. I can’t wrestle myself, can I?” My mind immediately goes to a dirty place.

Theo drags his hand over his mouth, his gaze dancing with humor.

“Put out your hand.” I hold mine up ready to dole out punishment. “I could see what you were thinking. It was written all over your face.”

“Only because you were thinking it too.” He chuckles as he taps the back of my fingers when I’m finished with his.

“So you’re going to do this with me, right? You’re going to get all sticky and gross with me?”

“Indy, I’m bigger than you. Stronger. And this is a contact sport. I could hurt you. And I don’t wanna do that.”

“Anything could hurt me.” I print my name on the signup sheet. “You told EJ that earlier. It takes nothing to bruise me. But risking a few bruises is my decision. I trust that you won’t hurt me. Not really.”

“You probably shouldn’t.” He studies the wrestling pool like he’s mapping out how a fight would take place inside it. Worry lines form on his forehead.

He’s concerned, but he doesn’t want to decide for me. So I make it easy. I pick out one of the fiercest looking competitors. A guy with more biceps than hair. He’s currently prepping by arm wrestling another burly looking man. “I’m going to do it anyway. I will find someone to jump in with me. Maybe that guy.”

“Fine.” He grabs my hand, tugging it down when I point at the man. “We’ll wrestle.”

We order drinks—coffee for him and iced water for me—and watch the other wrestlers while we wait for our turn. The matches only go for a few minutes and then the winner moves up the list to take part in round two. Everyone comes out of the ring wet and sticky.

Finally our names are called.

Theo takes off his jacket and drapes it over the back of a chair. He kicks off his boots and tugs off his socks before grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and drawing it up over his head.

“Show off,” I tease while I drop my bag on the seat.

He ducks his head but grins unabashedly. His torso is lean but ridiculously well-defined, the bruising there subtler than that on his jaw for some reason. He stretches and his muscles undulate from his hips all the way up his torso and arms. The striations between his ribs become more prominent. The top of the tattoo I noticed the first time we met peeks out from the waist band of his jeans. I still can’t work out what it is. But he said it has meaning, and that makes me want to see a little more than I otherwise would.

I bend down to take off my socks and shoes. Then get rid of my sweatshirt too. Stripped down to a tank top and pants, I won’t be removing any more clothes.

He waits for me by the side of the pool. Offers me his hand and a smirk. “You first.”

“We’re enemies from this point forward.” I stare him in the eye like I have any chance of intimidating him when he fights guys like himself every few days. And I need to balance myself with a grip on his bicep as I climb over the inflated side. Yeah, I’m real intimidating.

The Jell-O is squishy and cold between my toes. It’s not the most pleasant sensation, but then I’m finding life is full of unpleasant moments that lead to great things.

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