Saint and I share a look. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask.
“Only one way to find out,” he replies. “Message Diesel, and ask for a meet.”
Diesel messages a short while later to say he’s out of the country and he can’t meet for a couple days. I have to reassure him I’m fine to stop him from sending a colleague to check up on me. This conversation needs to happen with Diesel and only Diesel. I tell him it can wait until he returns, and we make alternative plans.
The guys leave just before dark to stake out The Bulls’ clubhouse. They already have Parker’s charred remains wrapped up in the trunk of Saint’s Land Rover, so it’s a matter of watching and waiting for the right moment to plant them on the enemy.
Theo agrees to come along with me. I’m stopping by Ashley Shaw’s house on the off chance I might catch her at home. She’s head cheerleader at Lowell Academy, and her palatial home functions as party central for the crème de la crème of academy society most weekends, because her parents are absentee rents and rarely at home. We were never friends, but we weren’t enemies either. So, I’m hoping she won’t slam the door in my face when I rock up uninvited.
We make a quick stop at my house so I can ditch the sweats I borrowed from Theo, and I change into a new pair of ripped jeans, a lacy black tank, and a clean hoodie before we head out.
An hour later, Theo and I leave Ashley’s home with an invitation to her party Friday night. Having Theo with me helped, and making the request on behalf of The Sainthood worked like a charm. I’m sure the guys won’t have to do much to take over the supply chain at my former school.
“The guys won’t be back for hours,” Theo confirms. “You want to have that talk?”
I swivel in the passenger seat and look at him. “Yeah. I think we need to have it.”
“The park is too risky with someone gunning for your ass. Are you okay to talk at our place?”
“That’s cool.”
We stop at a local store in Prestwick on our way to stock up on beer, chips, and some other supplies before heading to the barn. Thank fuck for fake ID and a bored cashier who ignored the obvious fact we’re underage, because I really need alcohol for this conversation.
“How is it so warm in here?” I ask as we step inside and a blast of heat hits me in the face.
“We replaced the heating system with a remote-controlled system,” Theo explains. “It’s hooked up to all our cells. I switched the heating on when we were at the store. This place can get hella chilly with the high ceilings.”
“You were always thoughtful,” I admit, opening the door to nostalgia.
“Until I wasn’t.” His lips pinch tight.
Our eyes connect across the kitchen counter. “It almost killed me when you cut me out of your life,” I admit.
“It almost killed me too.”
I believe him. I see the honesty written all over his face. I just don’t understand it.
“I want to get out of these clothes,” he says, backing up toward the stairs.
“Take your time. I’ll grab us some beers.” It’s past dinnertime, and we should probably eat, but I’m not hungry for food. Only answers.
I grab some cold beers from the refrigerator and slide the twelve-pack we just bought on a shelf to cool. Then, I pad into the sitting room, kick off my boots, and sit cross-legged on the couch, sipping from my beer as I wait for Theo.
He arrives downstairs a couple minutes later wearing gray sweats and a long-sleeved white Henley that clings to his lean muscles. His feet are bare, his hair is hanging loose around his neck, and he has never looked more gorgeous to me.
But my attraction to Theo is more than skin deep.
I’ve always been equally attracted to his intelligent mind, his kind heart, and his spiritual soul.
When I lost him, it was akin to losing half of myself. I have never found another soul on this planet I connect to in the way I connect to Theo. We could sit and talk for hours, about everything and anything, and he understands me on a level no one else does. I used to think it was the same for him, but the way he cut me so efficiently from his life seemed to confirm that bond was more one-sided than I’d thought. And that hurt so fucking much.
Theo kneels in front of the fireplace, tossing some logs in before setting it alight. I watch him work, silently admiring the steadiness he brings just by his presence. He stands and walks toward me as flames lick the walls of the fireplace, casting faint shadows across the room.
Outside, nightfall is creeping across the skyline, adding to the overall surreal quality of the moment.
I never thought Theo and I would ever recover what we’ve lost, and now, we’re on the cusp of a second chance.
Theo sits at the other end of the couch, adopting my pose, and the tips of our toes meet in the middle.
