“You had a big day.”
“Somehow, you make it sound like I’m both a child and an old man. I don’t know how to feel about it.”
“You can be whatever you feel like today.”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s worse.”
I laughed before my attention turned back to the phone, where Joey’s message was still displayed.
“Piper, is something wrong?” All mirth was gone from his voice as he stared at me.
“Kind of. Joey read my new book.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not usually.” I ran a hand through my hair. Theo waited for me to collect myself.
“Tell me, love.”
“I was struggling to write when I first moved. I finally got inspired when I met you, and some of you made it into the character.”
Theo’s eyes widened. “You wrote about me?”
“Not everything, but a little, yes.” My face was hot and I tucked my chin against my chest. “The tattoos were the main thing.”
“That is adorable.”
“Shush.”
“No, it is.”
I jumped when his lips pressed to my cheek, but then I leaned into it. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Not for me. I’m not usually important enough to be written about.”
That was when I finally turned to him. “You are to me.”
“I know.”
There was a moment where all I could do was stare at this man and wonder how I got so lucky. I was so used to things going wrong for me that I had no idea how I ended up here.
Then Joey’s message pushed to the front of my mind.
“I haven’t told them,” I said.
Theo blinked. “Because they won’t approve?”
I hated to agree, but I had to. “Yes.”
He nodded, but his mouth tightened. “I get it.”
“There’s still nothing wrong with what we’re doing, and most people know that,” I rushed to say. “Joey may not, though.”
“I know,” he muttered. “You can keep it from them.”
