I raised my eyebrow at him.As if. Da laughed.
“So, any nice woman in Draelon?” He asked casually, after a few more moments.
Theo almost choked on his food.
I cringed, scrambling for an excuse “we’re not supposed to…do that. On duty. So I wouldn’t know.”
He rolled his eyes at me, mumbling a “boring,” and turning to Theo inquisitively. He grinned.
“There are. Stryker has a really hot girlfriend. I’ve…had a few hot ones too.”
I felt my body tense, not quite being able to shove away the wave of jealousy that washed over me. Theo nudged my knee reassuringly.
“Ah. Popular with the ladies?”
“I work in a pub, so…” he trailed off, letting da interpret what he was trying to say. He did, chuckling “ah, I was like that in my day.” He murmured dreamily. I screwed my nose up. I didn’teven want toimaginethat.
“You two planning on going out tonight? Having a drink?”
“Actually, I…” I shifted awkwardly, clearly unsure on how to phrase that they were just staying at home without it seeming weird.
Theo jumped in to try and save me “I was working late last night. On border patrol. So I’d probably prefer to turn in early-“
“Nonsense.” His dad laughed “you’re young. Enjoy yourselves a little!”
I winced, mumbling reluctantly “I suppose we could…just for an hour?”
CHAPTER 26
Theo
I came to the conclusion that there was something severely wrong with me.
In what universe did you meet someone’s parent at their house and go off with another person at the pub on the same night?
In an idiot’s universe. In my universe, apparently.
Matthew clocked onto it as soon as I re-emerged from the bathroom after having left him at the bar nursing a beer. It was worse than the last time. We didn’t argue. He didn’t say anything at all. But his expression was broken, eyes hard as he tilted his head towards the exit, me following, biting my lip, knowing full well that I’d massively screwed up.
There was silence the whole walk home.
He said nothing.
The silence was worse than the shouting.
“Goodnight.” He muttered once the front door had closed, heading towards the stairs.
“Matt-“
He didn’t give me any time to even finish the sentence, whatever that sentence would have been.
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, debating on the best course of action. I was grateful his dad and siblings were either asleep or not at home.Eventually, I followed Matt to his room- though staying at the bottom of the stairs all night seemed closer to what I deserved- not knocking and finding him sitting on the edge of his bed, hands in his hair, breathing shakily. His head jerked up at my arrival.
He looked upset.Reallyupset. More upset than my fuck up could probably make him.
I searched Matthew’s eyes, unable to ignore the festering concern.
“Do you have something you want to tell me?”
