Page 6 of Side Out

I inhale a deep breath and do my best to maintain my composure. With a smile, I ignore his request and continue with the one-sided introductions. “You must be Theo. Young, right?”

“Right,” he answers impassively.

Okay. Hard nut. “Emerson told me he and Dominic helped you move in. I apologize on their behalf for whatever they said.”

I see the corners of his lips twitch. “They weren’t that bad.”

I huff a laugh. “The fact that you have to say they weren’t ‘that bad’ means they were that bad.”

Finally, his lips curl into a reluctant smile. “I’m just glad they were willing to help.”

“Would you like a drink?” I point my thumb over my shoulder to where there’s a variety of drinks in the kitchen.

“No,” he snaps a little too quickly. “I mean, no thank you. I already had a couple of glasses of whiskey at home. Best not push my luck.”

“Whiskey, huh?” I ask. “One of those days?” I know the answer before he even responds. I can see it all over his face. He looks… defeated.

“You have no idea.” His smile remains, but it’s weaker now. Reaching up, he rubs the back of his neck and pulls his stare from me. “Anyway… I just really need—” he sighs heavily. “If you guys could turn it down a little I would really appreciate it.”

It’s clear to anyone who has eyes that this guy has had an absolute shit day. And sure, it may be our last party before school kicks off on Monday, but I’m not a monster. Plus, considering the fact that people were running naked through our front lawn, I think it’s alright if we start winding things down a bit.

I turn my head back toward Emerson and whistle. “Hey! Em! Let’s turn the music down a bit, yeah?”

Emerson walks toward the DJ, and a moment later the volume of the music lowers. Not a single person notices… except for the man in front of me.

“Thank you,” Theo says.

Despite his uncomfortable demeanor, I pause a moment to take him in. He’s clearly older than me, but I’m not sure by how much. He’s shorter than me, which, considering my height, most people are, but he looks like he stays in decent shape. My eyes linger on the way his biceps snuggly fill out his white cotton tee as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Well.” He clears his throat, bringing my attention back up to his face. He one hundred percent just caught me, and I can’t find it in me to care. “I’m gonna head out.”

“Let me walk you out,” I interject before he can so much as move a muscle.

“It’s fine, I?—”

“Theo.” His eyes widen at the use of his name. “Let me walk you out.” My smile may be gentle but it’s clear I’m not asking.

Theo nods and spins on his heel as we walk out the front door onto the porch. Almost immediately I realize it’s darker out here than it should be. I look behind me to find the two lights on either side of the front door are missing their light bulbs. Ones that were definitely there before the start of the party.

“Fucking children,” I mumble under my breath.

But apparently not quiet enough, because Theo asks, “What was that?”

“Those had lightbulbs in them a few hours ago,” I answer with a half-hearted eye roll.

Theo chuckles and the sound washes over me. “College students do the weirdest shit.”

“You’re telling me,” I laugh. “You know”—I lean against the porch railing in front of Theo, silently telling him I’m not in a hurry for him to leave—“Marg over there has never once complained about our music. You’re officially less cool than an eighty-year-old.”

“Probably has something to do with the fact she doesn’t want to risk being on bad terms with the men that mow her lawn shirtless.”

I fucking knew it. Hehasbeen watching.

?*I tilt my head inquisitively. “And how is it you know we’ve been mowing her lawn with our shirts off? Have you been watching me, Mr. Young?”

Suddenly, Theo’s eyes are the size of saucers, and it takes everything in me not to laugh.

“It’s hard to not hear her whistling at you,” he answers confidently.

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