Page 107 of Reckless
When I glance over at him, he seems pensive. His brows have lowered in concentration, like he’s really turning my statement over.
And while he does, I blurt out the other thing I’ve been thinking about. “I don’t want you to stay next door anymore.”
“What?” He looks gutted.
“No.” I hold a hand up. “I’ve been wording this a million different ways in my head for the past ten minutes. Trying not to sound too bold, but also not wanting to come off indifferent, while worrying about seeming needy. What I meant to say is, I want you to stay with us.”
“You do?”
I straighten, rolling my shoulders back as I suck in a centering breath. It’s important I’m as honest with Theo as he is with me. “Yes. I’ve grown to hate you being next door when I wish you were next to me. We should try this thing out.”
“Winter.” The cheeky grin I’ve come to love graces his beautiful face. The one that comes right before some punchy little remark. The one that makes me smile before he’s even said a thing. “Do you like me?”
I bark out a laugh in the quiet truck and then stare down at my hands, twisting my fingers together. “I think I more than like you.”
“Because I’m your baby daddy?”
“No.” I meet his eyes at the final red light before we pull up to the house. “Because you make me likemyself...and you’re the only one who ever has.” I glance away, because staring at him feels like too much. Too heavy.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I stress about how he might respond to my vulnerability. But in typical Theo fashion, he does the exact right thing at the exact right time.
He takes my hand and rubs circles with his thumb until we pull up in front of my house. When he hops out, I stay seated. He never responded to staying with me.
Maybe with his mom here, he’d rather be more subtle.
He said he wanted to get messy with me, but it’s possible he forgot what a huge mess I really am.
But when he tugs my door open and says, “Let’s go, Tink,” I know the only reason he didn’t respond is because he didn’t need to. I shouldknow. He’s told me enough times.
I get the sense he’ll give me everything if I want it. I just need the nervous voice inside my head to shut the hell up. She sabotages me.
And I don’t want to sabotage this relationship.
As Theo lifts me out of the truck like I’m a princess and walks me up the front steps to our daughter, I realize that I really, really want this.
He doesn’t treat me like a child or placate me. He doesn’t play stupid, passive-aggressive mind games or gaslight me into agreeing with him the way Rob always did.
He let me struggle in the deep end with figuring out what I want and wasthere. There to lend a hand. There to step in when I was too tired to keep myself afloat.
Theo hasn’t overstepped or tried to control me. He fit himself into my chaotic dynamic without complaint. I’m not sure if he did that on purpose, or if it just happened naturally, like it always has with us.
His thumb never stops brushing against mine, even as we enter the house. Even when we come face to face with his mom watching herGrey’sreruns on the couch.
“You two wanna sit down and watch an episode?”
He doesn’t make a show of what he says next. It comes out so easily. “Thanks, Ma. But I think we’re going to head to bed. Want me to walk you home?”
Loretta grins at us, borderline maniacally as her eyes land on our linked fingers. “Nope.” She slaps her thighs as she pushes to stand. “I think I can find my way, seeing as how it’s right next door.”
After a couple of quick hugs, through which Theo keeps a grip on my hand, she sees herself out.
Then he’s dragging me down the hallway. We go straight into my room, where he shoves me up against the door, slamming it shut as he drops his mouth to mine. His ability to go from joking around to stealing my breath is unmatched.
I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back, smiling against his lips while his hands slide over my ass.
But only for a moment. Because we both hear it and freeze.
My head tips back on a groan. “Why is she so mellow all day and then so sensitive at night?”
