“But you’re not sucking anything right now and that’s the problem.”
I barked out a laugh at his petulant tone and rolled off the bed, tugging my arm free of the half-hearted grip he had on my elbow. After a little coaxing and a promise to suck him dry later, we made our way downstairs for lunch.
“There are my boys! Late to the party, as usual.” Mom set down the dish in her hand to hug us both. Dad, Dani, and Uncle Don were already seated and piling food onto their plates when Theo and I joined them. Grandpa wasn’t coming down until Thursday and as excited as I was to see him, it also stirred up a hornet’s nest in my stomach.
“Theo, we’re glad you could join us,” Dad said warmly. I was confused by the stiffness in Theo’s frame and the tight smile he gave in return. “Grady is visiting your grandparents this week, right?”
“Yes sir. They couldn’t make the trip out here this year, but he’ll be back on Friday.”
I was selfishly thankful that Theo declined to go with him since it meant we didn’t lose any time together this week, especially after my back to back away games. Dad continued to try to make conversation, but Theo remained tense and awkward the entire time. I shot Dani a pointed look, silently pleading with her to interject and draw Dad’s attention.
Her brow crumpled as she looked between Theo and Dad, clearly noticing the same weirdness that I had, but she quickly cut in with a story about a house party she went to last weekend. Predictably, it horrified Dad and set off his inquisition, so I knew I would owe her big time.
We finished lunch in record time and even though we typically stayed to help Mom clear the table, she waved us off. I grabbed Theo’s hand and dragged him outside with me, leading him to the golf cart. He was quiet while I drove us down to the barn and he hopped out the second I hit the brakes, stomping off towards the structure. I was so thrown off by the abrupt change in Theo’s mood that it took me a few seconds to snap out of it and follow him.
“What was that with you and Dad just now?” I called out as I jogged to keep up with him.
“Nothing.”
“That’s bull and you know it. Did something happen that I don’t know about?”
“It’s not a big deal. It was just a stupid talk we had last time I saw him. Forget it.”
“What kind of talk? When was that?” I asked bewildered, both by the statement and his irritation. Theo rolled his eyes and shrugged, but the warning in my gaze urged him on.
“It was at your first game. Your dad sat by me and started talking about how important your NFL career was and how mybipolar disorder can screw everything up for you and I should think about that if we’re going to try to be together.”
“What? He actually said that to you?” I asked angrily.
“I mean, not those exact words, but I knew what he meant.”
I shook my head in confusion. “Wait…what exactly did he say?”
“He just…” Theo broke off with a frustrated grunt. “He said something like your job would keep you crazy busy and you wouldn’t always be there to help me with this shit, so we needed to make sure we knew what we were getting into because he didn’t want it to mess with your career or my health. But it was clear he didn’t think we should be together…”
“Did he eversaywe shouldn’t be together?”
“Well no, but why would he say any of that if not to scare me off?”
“Theo, it doesn’t sound like he was trying to scare you off. That’s not like Dad, he’s always been supportive of us! And it’s only because he thinks I’m going to the NFL and wanted us to be careful, but it doesn’t matter since I’m not going. Why are you freaking out about this?”
“Because it’s obvious he doesn’t think I’m good enough!” Theo cried. “He clearly thinks that I’m going to mess up your life with this fucking illness…”
I widened my eyes at how far off the tracks this conversation seemed to be getting and I worked to make sense of it.
“Baby, what are you talking about? That’s not what he meant, I can guarantee it. Both my parents love you and know you’re more than good enough. Why are you being so…paranoid?”
Theo froze at the quiet question and I wanted to take it back. “Paranoid” was probably no better than “crazy” in his book, but there was no other word to describe it. He was starting to spiral for some reason and I didn’t understand why. I saw a rangeof emotions dance across his face before he strode over to me, taking my lips in a heated kiss.
I clung to his waist as he forced us backwards until I hit the wall, attacking my mouth with a fervor that made my head swim. His tongue lashed out and sparred with mine while he ran his hands frantically over every muscle he could reach. It was an attack on my senses that left me reeling and in any other context, I’d be raring to go. But something felt off about it that made my stomach clench nervously.
“Theo, slow down,” I gasped out as he nipped and sucked at my neck down to my collarbone, purpling my flesh.
“Let me show you…I’ll show you I’m good enough. Let me make you feel good, baby,” he pleaded, voice gravelly with lust and desperation.
His hands landed on the front of my jeans and he quickly undid my belt and fly, freeing my aching length from its confines. He spit in his hand and started a furious pace of pumping me in his tight fist, the sensation both divine and overpowering.
“Ngh…b-baby, wait. This is…hold on, p-please stop.”
