His brain short-circuited.
By the time Audrey was done with him, the buttons from his shirt were scattered all over the floor. The shirt itself was nowhere to be found. His pants were…somewhere, and his new glasses might have been sitting more than slightly askew on his face while Audrey lay beneath him, cradling his head against her bare chest and stroking his hair while practically purring in contentment on their couch.
And Theo thought that maybe, just maybe, he could live with wearing glasses after all.
It was sevenmonths and two weeks ago that they had their first real fight.
And of course, it was about money.
Audrey’s student loan repayments had kicked in. Theo saw thestatements where she’d left them out on the table—and confronted her about it.
It didn’t go well.
“I don’t understand why you just won’t let me pay them off for you!” He held his hands out, pleading after who-even-knew-how-long they’d been arguing. “It’s stupid, Audrey! I have plenty of money, fuckingscadsof it, and you’re paying a ridiculous amount of interest! That’s how these banks get you for life, they’re predatory like that. You’re not even paying the principal, and you won’t be foryears. It’s a waste of your paycheck.”
“Stupid?!”
As soon as she repeated the word, all the blood drained from his face.
He’d fucked up.
“I-I didn’t mean stupid, Audrey. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I meantstubborn, I used the wrong word, I—”
Her face was red, and she’d already turned on her heel and ran halfway up the stairs. He followed, a strange, hollow feeling sinking into his stomach. “Audrey—”
“I’m notstupid, Theo,” she shot over her shoulder, tears already streaming down her cheeks. “I may not be as smart as you, but I know the fucking numbers! I’m the one who signed my life away for them.”
“You’resosmart, this has nothing to do with—”
She stopped and turned to face him fully. “It’smy goddamn problem, and I don’t need you to save me! Quit trying to steamroll me just because you’re so used to having your way. Everyone’s right: youarespoiled. You have no fucking idea how privileged you are. You’ve never had to really work for anything. Everything has always been easy for you!”
She disappeared.
He froze on the stairs and listened to their bedroom door slam.
She didn’t come down, and he didn’t try to go up. He didn’t bother sleeping in any of the extra bedrooms on the second floor either. Instead, he relegated himself to the couch.
That was what he deserved.
He stared at the shadows on the ceiling until long after midnight. It was no use.
He couldn’t sleep without her now.
The stairs creaked.
And when he looked over, Audrey stood there, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
She must not have been able to sleep either.
Her face was a mess.
It broke his heart.
When he held an arm out, she rushed over to him, throwing herself onto his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck while she sobbed into his shirt.
“I’m a horrible, stubborn bitch,” she finally wailed. “I’m sorry, Theo.”
“You’re only one of those things, sweetheart.” When she jerked her head up to glare at him, he couldn’t help but flash her a crooked grin while wiping her tears away with his thumb. “Stubborn,” he whispered. He kissed the tip of her nose when she wrinkled it at him. “And I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have pushed.”
