Page 144 of The Publicity Stunt
“Theo?”
All three of us turn to the far end of the corridor and the source of that voice.
Holly Moore. Wearing her baby-blue satin maid-of-honor dress.
I look at Theo and he hasn’t moved an inch, almost as if Holly’s presence has set him into stone somehow. His stare is so intense, so fierce, that I’m convinced if a meteor hits this very corridor right now, he still wouldn’t budge.
Holly walks toward us, her frown deepening with each step, and Theo goes on looking at her like she’s the best sight in the world.
“Looking like an actual human being for once,” Theo drawls, looking her up and down. His tone is soft and crisp. “You clean up nice, Hollister.”
“Call me that one more time and the only thing I’m going to be cleaning up is your blood from this floor,” she grits and turns her attention to me. “Where have you been? I sent three guys out looking for you. Mom thinks you forced Parker to elope.”
“Elope?” I repeat. “Why would I do that?”
“Same reason you’re getting married to him.” Holly points to Parker. “Sheer insanity.”
Parker snorts and touches his chest in mock hurt. “I’m devastated.”
She shoots him a sharp glare. “Go to hell.”
“And risk running into you for eternity? Not a chance.”
Okayyy, time to butt in again. “Hey, Hol? Apparently you left something in Theo’s car?”
Holly looks between all three of us, slightly alarmed, trying to unravel whatever it is she thinks we know. “His car?” she says way too quickly. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. I haven’t been in his car.”
“Leave the lying to the experts, love,” Theo remarks, amusement shimmering through his voice. He reaches into the inner pocket of his blazer, pulling out every older sister’s nightmare.
A pair of red lace underwear.
“And here I thought Satan was allergic to color,” Parker says.
I wince. “Oh, Hol. Please don’t tell me you had sex in that dress. And please tell me you’re wearing underwear right now. That dress is going to be in a lot of wedding pictures. I don’t want to associate it with … his junk all up in you.”
“We did not have sex!” she snaps.
“Not yet,” Theo banters, his grin blinding.
“No. Nope.” Parker groans. “Take this fucking conversation somewhere else. Far from us. There are images starting to form in my head that I need to get rid of.”
I smack his arm. “Stop picturing my sister naked!”
“I’m not picturing her naked!” He smacks me back.
Theo laughs. “Thanks, man. I’m flattered.”
“I’ll show you flattery.” Holly pulls Theo’s arm, dragging him to the far end of the corridor and out the side door toward the altar. They lightly bicker about something the entire way. I turn to look at Parker, who appears visibly disturbed.
I loop my arms around his neck and his make their way around my waist. “Don’t be sad,” I tell him. “He’ll come back to you eventually.”
Laughing, he bends down to kiss the tip of my nose. “Like you did?”
I can’t help but smile a little.
My mind goes back to the night we met. The party, the diner, the constant bickering over who the better X-Men character is. That night I went back home with the biggest smile on my face. I couldn’t sleep, too excited to talk to this boy at school the next day, and thinking about how much I wanted to make him smile again. Perhaps even laugh. I replayed bits and pieces of our conversation, occasionally smiling at something he’d said or done.
I wonder what would’ve happened if Parker hadn’t stumbled upon me in the bathroom that night. Maybe we would’ve become friends regardless, or maybe we would’ve been strangers forever.
