“You okay with that?” he asks, his voice soft, understanding.
“I mean, how could I really stop you from proposing? If you want to, you can, but it doesn’t mean I’ll say yes.”
“You will,” he says with enough confidence to make your head burst. “All in good time, Renley.”
Ignoring him and the way my heart is fluttering, I continue on.
Rule Number Six: Renley hopes that Theo helps her with her candy shop, because she understands what it means to feel proud of something.
I’m your main man; you need anything, I’m there for you. I want this just as much as you, and I can’t wait to see you succeed.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
“I mean it,” he replies, and I know he does. He’s been one of my biggest supporters this entire time. In fact, if I’m honest, I wouldn’t have the store anywhere near ready had Theo not been here. Even though I’ve had to teach and direct him, it’s still saved me a lot of time.
Rule Number Seven: Theo and Renley need to practice healthy communication. Meaning she will answer his texts, but he needs to also be upfront and honest.
Theo and Renley are nailing this. Renley needed a little help opening up, but for the most part, healthy communication is the only communication they know.
“Thank you for pushing me to open up.”
“I’m here for you, love.” He kisses me again. With this kind of attention, how could I possibly not develop feelings for him? He’s saying all the right things, doing all the right things, teaching me that I’m important and what I do or create matters. He’s showing me what it is to trust myself and love myself, even with the baggage I carry.
And he’s doing it through charm, joking, and an understanding of who I am as a person. I wouldn’t have expectedsuch behavior from him when I first met him. I guess that’s why you never judge a book by its cover.
Rule Number Eight: The candy shop is the most important thing in Renley’s life right now and she can’t be distracted from pursuing her goal of making it a success. Theo needs to know that the candy shop comes first.
Theo understands this more than anything. He’s also hoping that when the candy shop opens and Renley is feeling comfortable, she can put their relationship in line with the candy shop, because he likes her a lot and wants to spend time with her as much as he can. Also, he doesn’t want to sneak around much longer.
I turn toward him, feeling so guilty. “I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “No, don’t apologize. There is no need to apologize. I understand the purpose of putting the shop first. I want you to put it first right now. It’s important. But when it’s open and you’re putting smiles on people’s faces, I hope you can shift your thought process just a little to include me as a priority.”
I nod, cupping his cheek. “I can.” Then I press my lips to his and he sighs as his hand around my waist tightens.
When I pull away, he groans, but I say, “I have three more rules to get through.”
Rule Number Nine: Renley has a tough time forming bonds with men given her relationship with past men in her life. She has a hard time trusting them and giving them a chance to have any part in her life. Theo needs to know her reluctance is not against him, but from having to mend the scars left on her heart—not really a rule, just an understanding.
Theo is here to help mend those scars. Tell him what you need, and he’s there for you.
“I just need you,” I say, leaning into him. “That’s all.”
“You got it, Gossy.”
Rule Number Ten: Renley doesn’t want to be hurt by Theo.
Theo has zero intention of doing this. He’d rather hurt himself before he hurts Renley. Renley needs to trust that Theo likes her a lot and wants to see where this goes and is just asking Renley to give him a chance and to stay open and honest with him.
“I do trust you,” I say, almost surprising myself. But if I were to truly think about it, I do. I trust him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have let him into my world of renovating, I wouldn’t have brought him to my pond, I definitely wouldn’t have let my guard down and cried in front of him, and I wouldn’t be sitting here on his bed, developing strong feelings for him.
“You do?” he asks with a breath of surprise.
I nod. “I really do.”
“Thank you.”
I kiss him one more time and then focus in on rule number eleven.
