33
NORA
I headed downstairson Sunday morning, not entirely sure what I was supposed to do with myself.
When Charlotte was here, there was always a routine. Breakfast. Getting her dressed. Playing outside. Trips to the park or the pool. Snack negotiations with a very determined three-year-old who firmly believed goldfish crackers counted as a major food group.
But without her here, the house felt strangely quiet.
And with the way Theo and I had left things last night…
With the whole dress unzipping thing and what my romantically delusional brain wanted to interpret as sparks… it just kind of felt like things might be a little different than they’d been even twenty-four hours ago.
Which was both exciting and mildly terrifying.
Still, despite whatever sparks may or may not be sizzling just beneath the surface, the last thing I wanted was to wander downstairs looking like I expected Theo to entertain me all day.
So, putting on the new pink athletic set I’d gotten yesterday, I grabbed a quick protein coffee from the kitchen and thenheaded to the basement to get in a workout that I was very much in need of.
Was I secretly hoping I might also find Theo getting in one of those workouts that he said was imperative for his mental health?
Maybe…
But when I walked into the home gym and didn’t find him there, I did my best to smother the flicker of disappointment rising in my chest.
Theo had his own life. And just because I happened to be living here now, it didn’t mean we’d be spending our Sundays together like some sort of couple.
So, pushing my thoughts aside, I turned on my upbeat gym playlist and did one of the upper body weight training routines I’d done a thousand times.
By the time I went back upstairs, my muscles were pleasantly tired and my thoughts had stopped replaying all the little moments I’d been twisting to be romantic since last night.
Mostly,at least.
After eating breakfast and taking a quick shower, I decided to head back downstairs to see if I could find a book to read. But when I stepped out of my room, I noticed Theo’s bedroom door was open. And I could hear him moving around inside.
For a moment, I hesitated with my hand on the banister at the top of the stairs, debating whether I should stop by and see what his plans might be for the day.
But would that look too needy?
Yeah… probably.
But then I remembered that I still had the dress from last night hanging in the closet of my new room and decided that returning it would give me the perfect excuse to drop in and say hi. So I went back into my room, grabbed the dress, shoes, and clutch, and carried them down the hall.
Theo was standing near his dresser when I knocked lightly on the open door.
“Hey,” I said, lifting the bundle slightly when he looked up. “I just wanted to bring these back. Thanks again for letting me borrow them.”
“Oh.” His eyes dropped to the items in my hands for a moment before he stepped forward and took them from me. “No problem.”
He set the things down on the bed behind him.
And that was when I noticed the slight droop in his shoulders. The tired look in his eyes. Like he hadn’t slept very well.
Something about his energy felt off.
My stomach twisted a little as the thought crept in.
Was it because of me? Because of last night?
