And besides, their friends and family would kill them. He knew his mother would. Diego would be even worse about it, and he didn’t want to eventhinkabout what Violet would do. Smother him in his sleep, probably. Then perform a ritual to summon his soul back from Hell so she could kill him again—with Diego’s help, most likely.
Better not chance it. Things were going too well.
Theo let the thought pass. He breathed, he relaxed, and he waited.
But this time, letting the desire go didn’t twist in his gut the same way it had before. This time, he focused on Audrey, and he thoroughly enjoyedhimselfin the process.
He stopped worrying about it so much.
How could he worry, when life with her tasted so sweet?
Like strawberries and honey.
When Audrey movedin with him, Theo’s life started all over again.
It felt like he was really being given a second chance.
It was everything he could have wanted.
She started her new job about a week later, and Theo surprised her when she got home by filling the house with fresh flowers. He loved the way she lit up when she saw them, and after that, he made sure to always have some around, in the kitchen or on her bedside table. He even made a few glass vases to keep them in, just for her. Just because.
Just because the flowers reminded him of her.
So soft, and so sweet.
They fell into a new routine. When Audrey didn’t have to get up at four in the morning anymore, she started sleeping—really, truly sleeping, first until six, then seven, then eight. She’d always seemed to sleep better with him around anyway, but now he thought it was because she finally felt truly safe and secure under his roof and in his arms. Now she felt protected. Or, at least, he liked to think so.
On her second weekend as a full-time engineer, she was so tired, she accidentally slept until noon.
Theo let her. She looked like an angel freshly tumbled down to earth, hair spread wildly around her face and across their pillow, dark lashes fanning delicately across her cheeks, mouth open and drooling slightly on his shoulder while she snored softly into his neck.
Beautiful.
A king bed, and she mostly insisted on sleeping on top of him, even now.
She was chaotic and precious, even in her dreams.
On those weekends when she did wake up before noon, he’d cook breakfast and she’d brew him coffee. They’d eat standing at the counters or curled up on his couch, never at the dining table, and they’d talk, or read books, or cuddle while they watched trashy reality television and classic movies, or they’d go out later and spend time in the city and with their friends.
They had a tendency to use the dining table for…other things.
And then one Sunday, one year, two months, and sixteen days ago, Theo woke up before Audrey did.
That was no surprise—he usually did now.
They’d left the blackout shades up that night while they fell asleep to a clear winter sky, the city’s lights glowing brightly beneath a smattering of twinkling stars, and early morning light poured through the windows. Theo turned his head and looked at Audrey, snuggled peacefully into his side. It was extra cold out, and she’dfallen asleep cozied up in his favorite hoodie.Herfavorite hoodie. He was fairly certain he hadn’t gotten to wear it once since he’d let her steal it from him.
His ears burned when he noticed how small she looked in it.
But that wasn’t all. A shaft of golden sunlight had fallen across the bed, glowing in her hair and casting her in an angelic halo.
She was so beautiful, she stole his breath away.
He stared down at her, silent. Waiting.
His breath quickened.
Something tugged at his heart, rolled in his chest, stirred deep in his soul.
