Page 89 of The Baby Dragon Bakery
She wanted to tuck Theo into her pocket and steal away with him, keep him safe forever. She didn’t say anything to his parents because she knew it would only hurt Theo. He did love them, in a way, and—in the end—they were his parents. It was why they were here at all.
Luckily, they all finished dinner soon thereafter. Amaya went to get dessert, and Lavinia set down her napkin. “Where’s the bathroom?” she asked, needing a breather.
“Across from the stairs,” Rishi told her. “I left the light on, so it should be easy to find.”
She nodded and excused herself, trying to take light steps because her footsteps sounded so loud in his big, empty house. She made it to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Looking in the mirror, she released a long breath. “Good lord,” she muttered to herself. She had brought her phone with her and checked the time now. It had only been forty-five minutes, but it felt like hours had passed.
Feeling unsettled, she texted her mom. Beena knew what Theo’s parents were like, and Lavinia needed to discuss this withsomeone. Beena replied back and they texted a bit, though they’d have a full debrief later. Right now, Lavinia needed to get back; she didn’t want Theo to think she’d abandoned him.
She washed her hands, dried them, then headed back out, a smile ready on her face when she entered the dining room. As she sat back down beside Theo, she noticed that he was deadly silent, staring at his plate with blank eyes.
Her smile dimmed. She wondered if his parents had said something while she was in the bathroom, but she couldn’t ask right now.
Amaya brought out the dessert, a fruit trifle that they ate in silence, and once that was done, Theo stood.
“Thanks for dinner,” he said, giving his parents a tight smile.
Lavinia stood as well. “Yes, thank you so much,” she said. “Everything was lovely.”
“Thank you for coming,” Amaya said, smiling at both of them. Rishi walked them to the door while Amaya grabbed their coats.
Theo and Lavinia slipped their coats on, then headed out; once they were outside, Lavinia released a long breath, glad that it was over. They walked to his car, the night chilly. Lavinia huddled close to Theo, holding his arm.
“Did they say something to you?” she asked. He shook his head.
He was being startlingly quiet, and it hurt her to see him like this. She didn’t understand how his parents couldn’t see how remarkable their son was.
In the fantasy shows and movies that Theo liked, there was always a character who was pure of heart and good, a shining light against evil, and Lavinia thought that Theo embodied that perfectly.
She loved him so much, and she had for so long, it was hard to discern when that love shifted to develop into somethingdeeper than just friendship. He was so easy to love, she didn’t understand how his parents didn’t love him—but that was a fault in them, not him.
They reached his car, and before Theo could go around to the driver’s seat, she held him back.
“I love you,” she said, rising onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
“I love you, too,” he whispered, gathering her into his arms. She hugged him. He held onto her tight, and she heard the sound of his ragged breath. He was trembling, and her heart broke.
After a little while, he pulled back and gave her a weak smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, and she saw that he had retreated somewhere she couldn’t follow. She didn’t know what to say.
He opened the car door for her. She got in, and then he did as well, driving her back to her place.
“Do you want to come in?” she asked. He shook his head, staring ahead. Her heart sank. “Okay, get some rest.”
She knew he just needed some time, and then he would be fine.
But things weren’t fine.
The entire week, he was quiet and distant, not just as her lover but as her friend. He was moving farther and farther away from her, disappearing like a fading echo. They hardly touched or talked, which was devastating, especially after those days being entwined in every way.
Maybe he needs more time, she told herself.
But the next weekend, he still wasn’t doing any better, and suddenly, she was scared.
She could see that he was unhappy, and she didn’t think it was just the meeting with his parents that had caused it, because that was a week ago, now. She thought about what Beena had said, about not letting things between them go sour. How there was nothing wrong with being just friends.
It felt like there was something going on that Theo was too afraid to tell her.
