“That might be good. I don’t know him that well, but maybe this is a situation where he just needs some room, you know?”
“Maybe,” I say, feeling all sorts of off. This is so not like Rupert, and I honestly don’t know how to react other than to feel dumbfounded. Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I turn my attention back to Renley and say, “Are you doing okay? Are we okay?”
When we were in the shop, things still felt tense, so when we parted ways, I felt uneasy, almost like everything was slippingfrom my grasp. Not quite yet, but just about there, and if I don’t cling on tightly enough, I could lose it all.
“We’re okay,” she says softly.
“Promise?”
She nods. “I promise.”
I cup her cheek and speak softly. “You know it was all real, right?”
She leans into my palm and grips my wrist, holding me in place. “Yes, you explained yourself, Theo.”
“I know, but I just feel…uneasy.” I bite my bottom lip as I ask, “Is it too much trouble to ask you to slip out of the house later and spend the night with me?”
“I don’t know,” she says, looking unsure.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked. You probably want some space right now to think everything through.”
“It’s not that, I just…I don’t know, would it be weird to go over when you’re fighting with Rupert?”
My brow creases. “You realize that Rupert is not my lover, right?”
She snorts and covers her nose.
“He’s a friend. It’s okay for me to spend time with you.”
“I just think that maybe you should clear things up.”
“And what if he doesn’t answer my call?” I ask. “I’ve already tried texting him and he hasn’t responded. Are you really not going to spend time with me until things are cleared up with Rupert?”
“No,” she says with a shake of her head. “I just, I don’t know, I just feel weird coming over when he’s not there.”
“Do you like an audience?” Her expression is unamused, so I grip her hips and say, “We don’t have to do anything. I just want to hold you after everything we talked about today. It would make me feel more secure about where we are. Please, Renley?”
She glances away and sighs. “Well, when you put it like that.”
I kiss the top of her head and softly say, “Thank you.”
Her arms slip around my waist, and to my surprise, she pulls me into a hug, letting her head rest on my chest. I return the embrace and spend the minute she is offering me just holding her and sinking into the idea that this entire summer has been a whirlwind of surprises that all started with one simple dare.
Now I’m in another country, finding it hard to stay away from someone I didn’t even know a few weeks ago, and feeling more accomplished from helping install a toilet than from all the years of showing up at events and shaking hands just for the hell of it.
This summer has changed me in the best way possible, and even though things are rocky with Rupert—something I know I can figure out—I can honestly say this is the best summer I’ve ever had.
When she lifts her head, she stands on her toes and places a soft kiss on my jaw. “I’ll be over later.”
“Okay.”
She pats my chest. “Fix things with Rupert.”
“Plan on it.”
With one more kiss, we part ways and I head back into my house. When I get inside, I pull my phone from my pocket, where I look up the phone number for the Pillow Room. I plug it in and when the phone starts ringing, I take a seat on the couch.
“Hello, you’ve reached the Pillow Room, how can I help you?”
