Page 44 of The Evidence of Us

The hallway feels longer on the way back. He walks quickly, though not enough to seem hurried, the soft soles of his house shoes making no sound on the polished floor. Even without looking, he can feel Giles’s gaze on him. He doesn’t expect to find anything, but glances once over his shoulder anyway. Nothing. Just an empty hall and flickering light.

After climbing the stairs, he shuts their bedroom door behind him and heads straight for the bathroom. The click of the lock sounds loud in the quiet. He leans over the sink and spits the half-dissolved pills and their remnants into the basin, runs the tap, and rinses his mouth until the bitter taste is gone. He spits again, watching the foam swirl down the drain.

When he’s sure there’s no trace left, he turns off the water and takes in as much air as possible before stepping back into the bedroom. Lila’s still asleep, her lithe body a faint rise and fall under the sheets. The sight of her knocks the breath from him, as usual.

He pulls his shirt off, drops it onto the chair, and climbs back into bed. He lies on his side, facing her, careful not to disturb her. In the dim light, he can see the outline of her face, the curve of her shoulder beneath the blanket.

He hopes she’ll forgive him if he’s right. Hopes, more than anything, that he isn’t. That there’s another answer—cleaner, better, one with a happier ending.

Theo stays there, staring at her, aching in a way he can’t name. He wants her. So, so badly.

Not just her body in this bed but her trust, her laugh, her future. Things he most definitely should not want.

If he’s wrong, maybe none of it matters. If he’s right—who really knows?

He shifts closer without touching, the space between them full of everything he wants to say to her. Her breathing stays steady, soft. She looks peaceful, and he clings to that for a moment, as if by watching her he can keep it true.

Eventually, with his eyes still on her, exhaustion drags him under—along with an unspoken knowing that things are about to turn volatile, and the unsettling realization that in this house, someone is always watching.

August: okay so i’m watching law & order and i have QUESTIONS

August: if a lawyer sleeps with a witness, does that automatically void the case or just make it extra spicy

August: follow-up: what if the lawyer didn’t KNOW they were a witness yet

August: follow-follow-up: how illegal is it to break into your ex’s office to get the truth out of them (asking for the episode, not me)

August: also WHY do tv lawyers drink whiskey alone in their offices with bright overhead lighting are there no lamps in new york city

Theo: No.

August: oh my GOD, he LIVES look who finally decided to rejoin civilization

Graham: He probably just woke up.

August: uh huh sure or maybe he’s been busy

Theo: Busy?