“Nope.” He so obviously lied, stepping away from me to stand beside me “the guys want to go out drinking tomorrow.”
“Hm.”
“You in?”
“Are you?” He hadn’t been coming out much lately. He kept claiming that he was tired, though I suspected that it had more to do with the fact he hated seeing me drunk. He’d confessed to it one night, mumbling into my neck that it was like I were another person and it was unsettling before blatantly feigning sleep.I’d felt guilty for it, just not guilty enough tonotget drunk. The alcohol was an escape, albeit an unhealthy one.
“I think so.” He murmured, catching my eye “if you behave.”
“I will behave.” I promised him, trying to transmit all the sincerity I could into my words.
“Okay.” He replied simply, raising a joint to his lips. I blinked. I hadn’t even realised he’d been holding it.
Theo took a long drag and blew the smoke out in my face. It reminded me of the first time we’d met, the memory so cherished to me I couldn’t even bring myself to be annoyed about it.
“Want a hit?”
“Sure.” I shrugged.
We passed the joint around for a while, then Theo continued smoking it once I got sick of it.
Everything felt amplified. The sound of Dean and Alex shrieking from inside, the birds cawing in the trees, the way the rapidly fading light caught on the strands of Theo’s messy hair.My heart seemed to race, not just from the high but from the way his eyes sparkled, a shade of blue that was permanently printed into my mind.
“Hey,” Theo mumbled “you’re staring. You good?”
I nodded, words feeling heavy as if stuck somewhere in my throat. Instead, I let my gaze linger a little longer on his face- the way his jawline defined his features, the small birthmark on his cheek, the slight dimple that appeared when he smiled.
“You’re so beautiful, you know that?”I finally managed, my voice slightly breathy as if I were letting out a secret.
Theo barked a laugh “I prefer hot. But I’ll take beautiful.”
“You are.” I insisted, voice sounding distant to my own ears “you’re so fucking perfect and I- I don’t know. You’re just wow.”
Theo’s eyebrows raised, clearly amused by my sudden boldness. “Wow, huh? I guess I’ll take that as a win.”
I grinned, taking him in and feeling that familiar warmth inside me, a fluttering sensation that spread from my chest to my fingertips. Everything around me seemed faded to the point that all I could focus on was the way Theo’s lips curled into a teasing smile, the mischievous glint in his eyes making me want to lean in closer, to bridge the space between us.
“I want you so much.” I whispered.
“I’m right here.”
“You know what I mean.”
Theo stared at me for a moment, joint hanging loosely from his lips as he appeared to elaborate a response.
He leaned in closer to me, so close I could smell his scent mingling with the lingering smoke, sweet and intoxicating. My breath caught in my throat.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
I closed the distance, hungry, rough, needy. I pushed Theo onto his back, my brain not even registering that we were on aroof, and kept kissing. Theo seemed perfectly content to comply, moaning softly, allowing me to slip my hands up his shirt as I continued, his own hands tangling in my hair and tugging. We broke apart for air, but I was quick to begin kissing his jaw, thekisses gradually becoming longer and more purposeful as I got to his neck and nipped the skin there.
“Matt.” He whined “bed.”
“Now?”
“Mh. It’s been too long.”
I couldn’t agree more.
