“Yeah, I’m alright.” Arlo smiles at him.
Something tells me he’s not tired at all and just wants to get the hell out of here with Jasper.
“We should head out too,” Theo says, pulling away from his hiding spot at my side to look at me.
“We should do this again soon,” Luca says. “I had fun.”
I nod. “Me too. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Open invitation from now on,” Austin says. “I know we’ve grown apart over the years, but I’d like to change that.”
That makes me smile. “Me too.”
After we all say our goodbyes, Theo and I walk outside to my truck. The sun is just about to set, and the sky is gorgeous. Theo pauses, staring across the field to watch it. “You don’t see things like this in the city.”
“The sunset?”
He nods. “Yeah, it’s so beautiful. Everything feels so… serene here. The air itself feels lighter.”
“I should take you out in the fields at night. The stars are so bright away from the light pollution.”
Dragging his gaze away from the sunset, Theo smiles at me. “I’ve seen the stars out there many times. It’s gorgeous.”
I shake my head. “I mean, yeah, it is, but we’ve got lots of lights out there with the barns and the house. Out in the middle of a field? Unreal.”
He grins, ducking his head. “Okay, I’d love that.”
I love you.
My heart thumps. “Are you ready to head home?”
“Yep.”
After climbing into the truck, we start the trip home. Theo stares out the window in wonder for most of the short drive. “What are you thinking about?” I ask softly, placing my hand palm up on his thigh.
Like a magnet to metal, his fingertips land on my palm, then start their slow stroking.
“Just how much my life has changed, and how much of it I owe to you.”
I shake my head. “No, you don’t owe it to me. You did it yourself, sweetheart.”
“No, but hear me out. You were the first person in a really long time to make me feel like I mattered. At a certain point, you almost convince yourself that you’re not worthy of anything.Ihad convinced myself that I wasn’t worthy of anything, and you shifted my mindset. That was all you.”
My heart races, and I bring Theo’s hand to my lips to kiss his knuckles.
“Can I ask you something?” It’s a question that’s been plaguing me for weeks, and I don’t know how to ask, but while we’reon the topic of his perceived worthiness, it feels like the perfect time.
“Sure,” Theo says, resting his head on my shoulder.
“Why don’t you look at yourself in the mirror?”
Theo’s quiet for a second. So quiet that I’m almost convinced he’s holding his breath. Then he finally exhales softly. “Well… At first, it was the abuse. I was always covered in bruises. My throat, my arms, and my torso. I’d have black eyes and bloody lips. I hated it. Hated seeing myself like that.”
There’s nothing I can say to fix that for him, so I don’t even try. I just keep my hand on his thigh so he can keep soothing himself with touch.
“And then, after I left, it was my scar. I hated that reminder. The reminder that he won.”
“He didn’t, sweetheart,” I say softly.
