“You’re okay,” Theo whispers into my hair. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
I let myself sink into him, drinking in the scent of him, the steady beat of his heart, the way his hand moves up and down my back in slow, soothing strokes. The fair roars on around us, lights flashing and music blaring, but I don’t hear any of it. There's only him.
“You came,” I choke out, my voice breaking.
“I’ll always come for you,” he says fiercely, pulling back justenough to cup my face. His thumb brushes away a tear slipping down my cheek, his eyes burning into mine.
I want to say something. Anything. But all I can do is stare at him, this beautiful, broken man who dropped everything to save me without a second thought.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” I manage.
“I wasn’t,” he says. His voice roughens, sounding ragged. “I told myself to stay away. I tried. But I couldn’t.”
A soft, shaky laugh escapes me, half-sob, half-relief. “Good thing you didn’t.”
He presses his forehead to mine, closing his eyes like the feel of me grounds him. We stand like that for a long breath, swaying slightly, the world tilting under our feet.
“Come on,” he murmurs eventually. “Let’s get you out of here.”
I nod, trusting him implicitly. He takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine like he’s afraid to let go, and we start to walk back toward the parking lot.
For a moment, it feels okay. For a moment, it feels like we’ve escaped.
And then I see her.
Standing not twenty feet away, frozen in place, staring at us like she’s just witnessed a murder.
Mrs. Crenshaw.
My mother’s friend. The biggest gossip in the church. The biggest gossip in town.
The blood drains from my face. My hand goes limp in Theo’s.
Mrs. Crenshaw blinks, once, like she can’t believe what she’s seeing, then spins on her heel and vanishes into the crowd.
Gone, but not forgotten.
I stand there, rooted to the spot, my heart pounding in my ears. Because I know. I know that by tomorrow, my mother will know, too. And whatever bubble Theo and I have been living in… it just popped.
35
SOPHIE
Itake Theo’s hand and just go.
I don’t know if she recognized me or if Mrs. Crenshaw truly understood what she saw… and even if she did, she has no idea whoheis. We’re fine. It’s all going to be fine.
At the gate, I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to Sal, letting her know I’m heading home with Theo. I’ll give her the details later.
Let her enjoy the rest of her night in peace.
We slip into his car, the smooth leather cold beneath my thighs. The moment the door shuts, I finally exhale a full breath. It feels like I’ve been holding it since the second I saw Mrs. Crenshaw in the crowd, watching us. The tension in my body eases, just a little.
Then the guilt creeps in. I need to tell Theo. And just like that, my anxiety flares to life all over again.
“Theo…” My voice is low and tentative.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Are you okay? I know that was horrible, and if I?—”
