Page 6 of Penance
There is fire in Theo’s eyes—not the real kind, obviously, but the kind that says I’m in a lot of trouble when we get down from here. And it causes my traitorous heart to kick into overdrive—as if it weren’t already beating hard enough from the fall.
“Give me your other hand,” Theo yells, and for once, I do as I’m asked. It’s time to face the music. I can’t save myself in this situation. With all the strength I have left, I reach up my other arm, and thankfully, it’s enough. Theo grabs my wrist and pulls me up. The muscles in his neck strain with the effort, and I watch in fascination as they ripple with each tug.
Inch by inch, I’m pulled back up until my shoulders are even with the bucket.
“I’m going to let go of one arm,” Theo warns. “Grab onto the bucket when I do.”
He doesn’t give me time to argue before he drops my arm, leaving obedience as my only option.
Grinding my teeth, I do as he asks. Once the edge of the bucket is securely tucked into my armpit, Theo leans forward, grabbing onto the loop on the back of my pants and pulling me the rest of the way up.
Humiliation burns hotter than the fire, warming my whole body. If I were to look in a mirror, I’m positive I would look like a cherry tomato. That’s the problem with having such a pale complexion. Hiding my feelings is never an option when my skin wears them so well.
With one final tug, I tumble into the bucket, looking like anewborn horse and taking Theo with me. There’s nothing forgiving about the way I crash into him. He hits the floor with a grunt, taking the brunt of the fall. Air whooshes out of my lungs, every inch of him hard as steel. The bucket is small, leaving little room to move. Half my body is draped across his as I lie there gasping, trying to catch my breath. His hands are on my waist, and the heat sears into me, making me dizzy.
Theo’s breathing is even—like he didn’t just pull up a hundred and forty-pound woman from near death—but mine is harsh in my ears, although I did relatively nothing.
Life really is unfair sometimes.
“What were you thinking?” Theo growls, dragging me out of my dazed stupor. His mouth is next to the shell of my ear, and I fight the urge not to shiver as his words wash over me. “You could have gotten yourself killed. Don’t ever do something that stupid again.”
The words are a mocking reminder and a blaring red flag warning that I’m tangled up with a man who calls me hopeless.
My breath hasn’t fully returned to my lungs yet, but I can’t take another second of being close to Theo because, otherwise, I might make another stupid decision. And I’ve made enough for one night. So I jerk back, clamoring to put some space between us, but the side wall of the bucket is closer than I thought. The back of my head slams against it, and a solid curse slips past my lips.
Theo’s teeth grind together. He sits up, reaching for me, and I don’t move because there’s nowhere to go.
“What are you doing?” I ask as Theo’s hands tangle into my hair.
“Checking to see if you gave yourself a concussion in your race to get away from me.” His eyes stay on my face, his fingers gently probing at my scalp, and I keep my eyes everywhere but on him. I try to hold still when he hits the tender spot I just hit, but my lips tighten. And Theo is paying close enough attention that he doesn’t miss it.
He sighs, sitting back and pulling his hand from my hair. “What am I going to do with you, hopeless?”
The question makes me bristle. “Nothing. You’re not going to do anything with me. Can we go down now?”
My words are stiff—ungrateful really—considering the man saved my life, but just like with all our other interactions, Theo doesn’t let it get to him. A dimple pokes into his cheek, and I don’t have to look at his lips to know he’s smirking.
“Sure. Let’s go down,” he says, standing up and lifting me with him. He leans forward, the scratch of his five o’clock shadow brushing against my cheek until he’s close enough to whisper in my ear. “But this conversation isn’t over.”
Somehow, that scares me more. Maybe later I’ll chalk it up as the adrenaline wearing off, but that fear hits me like a ton of bricks.
Chapter 2
Theo
“I’m going to get on the ladder first. You follow right behind me.” The words come out harsher than I mean, but I can’t take them back. I’m already stepping toward the ladder, my back turned to Lily.
I need to get out of this bucket before I do something stupid. Since the moment I laid eyes on Lily Carson, I knew she could be something I could become addicted to. And once an addict, always an addict.
I learned that the hard way, and part of being an addict is acknowledging when you are chasing a high. For reasons I don’t understand, being around Lily is a high. She’s snarky and too stubborn for her own good, but whenever I’m around her, it’s a buzz in my veins. A feeling I don’t want to let go of.
Dangerous. That’s what she is.
By the time I reach the ladder, Lily still hasn’t responded, which is unlike her. Usually, she has a quick remark to whatever I say to her. She can’t resist. A bad feeling settles into my gut, but I ignore it, chalking it up to the adrenaline of nearly watching her fall out of that stupid tree.
“I’m serious, Lily,” I say, turning so my back is to the ladder. I keep my gaze on the ground, watching my footing as I continue talking. “I need you to listen to me on this—”
I look up to where Lily stands, and my words pitter out. Gone is the strong, independent woman from moments before. Her body is trembling violently, and even when she wraps her arms around herself, it doesn’t stop. Her face has gone deathly white, and there’s a vacant look in her eyes where sparks of anger had been earlier. My gaze zeros in on her chest, rising and falling too quickly.
