THEO
Practically dead inside.
Theo collected a bunch of papers on his desk and shoved them into one of his drawers, doing his best not to think about what Harper had said to him on the phone last night. After all, what didsheknow? The two of them weren’t friends. They hardly knew one another. She couldn’t speak to him like that, as if she knew anything atallabout him. She couldn’t pass judgment. Who did she think she was?
Practically dead inside.
No, he damn well wasn’t! Theo had plenty going on emotionally.
But he couldn’t help being reminded of his father, of his decision to abandon the family when they were young. He had asked his mother once, after the divorce, why Dad had left. Where he had gone. His mother had smiled sadly and tousled his hair and said, “Don’t worry about it, Theo. You and your brother and me, we love one another. Your father just doesn’t have as much love in his heart as we do.”
I’m not like him. I’m not. And Harper can’t say that I am, because she doesn’t even know me.
He gritted his teeth. He was not a cold and uncaring person. Just because he understood that love was a societal construct, a story that people told themselves to feel better and more secure about the partnerships they chose to form, that didn’t mean he had no heart. He did love his brother, after all. He was doing all this because he cared about Max.
But she would say I’m not doing it. She would say I’m doing the bare minimum, that I’m not really invested and I don’t really care. And even though that isn’t true — I do care! — I guess I have to admit that I can see her point. I’m not doing as much as she is for this wedding. Iamjust trying to get the whole thing over and done with.
That certainly didn’t mean he cared any less for his brother, and he would never allow anyone to say so. But it bothered him that she even seemed to think it, and suddenly he found himself wanting to do something to prove how much he cared for Max. To set the record straight.
He grabbed his phone and dialed Harper’s number before he could overthink it.
She answered on the second ring. “Theo?” she asked. “What is it? Is something wrong with the invitations? I’ve gotten some RSVPs, and no one has mentioned any problems, but maybe they’re just being polite?—”
“Nothing is wrong with the invitations,” he cut her off.
“Oh. Then why are you calling?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the venue,” he told her.
“You did?”
“I thought we should go look at a couple of places. We want to get that choice made quickly, right? Before places book up and we don’t have as many options?”
She was silent for a moment. “I didn’t realize you would have thought about that,” she admitted.
“Well, I’m notcompletelyheartless,” he said pointedly. “I don’t want to drop the ball and let my little brother say his vows in a parking lot somewhere. But I’m not surprised you’d think that about me, because anyone who doesn’t believe in marriage couldn’t possibly give a damn about their family either, right?”
“Come on, Theo. You know I never said that.”
“Anyway,” he said loudly, because he didn’t want to hear whatever excuse or apology she was going to make, “why don’t we each come up with an idea, and then we can go and look at them together?”
Harper was quiet.
“Or does that not work with your schedule?” he asked her. “Do you want me to just handle this task on my own? I’m happy to do it, if you’re too busy.”
“I’m not too busy,” she said.
“Good, then. Saturday?”
“Theo… listen. I shouldn’t have said those things to you the other day. I didn’t mean them.”
“You said what you wanted to say,” he told her gruffly. “And you have every right to say it. What you think is none of my business. Maybe just keep it to yourself next time, because I really don’thave time to get into arguments with you. It’s better for Max and Tara if you and I are getting along, don’t you think?”
“Of course I do.” She sounded abashed, and a petty part of him was glad. Sheshouldfeel bad after talking to him so harshly.
“Okay,” he said. “So, from now on, we keep it business. No personal comments or judgments. Whatever you don’t like about me, you can tell your mom or your therapist about it. You don’t need to tellme. It’s not like we’re going to be spending time together once this wedding is over, so we don’t need to know everything each one of us thinks about the other. We just need to be able to work together.”
She cleared her throat. “You’re right,” she said, her voice more brusque and tough now. “Nothing personal. We keep it business.”
