Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
**TheoTheGreat09 Wants To Start A New Game With You**
**TheoTheGreat09 played BORED for 8 points**
**TheoTheGreat09: PLAY ME BACK!
**TheoTheGreat09: What if I said please?
**TheoTheGreat09: On your way home, can you grab a milkshake? Chocolate please? The baby wants it.
**Rhodes2324: Of course
**Rhodes2324 played NEEDY for 9 points**
L ogan and I were on repair duty for the day. There was a hole in the back of the chicken coop that needed fixing to keep predators from sneaking in and slaughtering the brood.
Lately, Logan had been my shadow. Everything I did, he mirrored. With the transition approaching, it was time for Logan to get more hands-on experience alongside me, broadening his skills to solidify his role as my second-in-command. He’d soon take on the same role I had with Boone once I stepped into full leadership.
Life was good. I was happy. I found myself smiling more when I looked in the mirror, finally recognizing the man staring back. My work was improving, nights were less daunting, and I knew part of that was because of Theo.
What we had—still undefined—was working. Together, we fit seamlessly. Touches lingered, kisses were stolen, and our time together felt unmatched. We’d built a life entirely our own.
At work, I thought about Theo. At home, I wanted Theo. At night, I dreamed of Theo.
Little by little, I noticed a spark returning to her eyes. She wasn’t hiding anymore but showing herself—to me and the world. Just the other day, she went out for a girls’ day with her friends. Whatever this was between us, it seemed to be good for both of us. The thought of it ever ending churned my gut with dread.
I wanted to tell her she was a part of my happiness.
I wanted her to know she never had to look for a new place.
I wanted to show her how much I craved her, as long as I lived in a world where she existed.
“Do you still have the business card for that guy who fixes boots?” Logan asked, chipping away at the rotted wood around the coop’s hole. “These boots are falling apart, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of them.”
He stood to his full height, a few inches shorter than me. I’d been supervising, half-watching while lost in my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat and uncrossing my arms. I reached into my wallet, searching through the cards and scraps of paper I kept there.
Something new caught my attention. Without thinking twice, I pulled it out.
“Oh… wow,” Logan choked, coughing into his fist. “I don’t think I was meant to see that.”
Quickly, I held the photo to my chest. It was a picture of Theo from the other morning after we’d had sex—the one she took. Her hands were on my abs, my cock just out of frame.
“Oh my God,” Logan groaned, covering his eyes with one hand and pointing to the ground with the other. “There’s another one.”
I bent to pick up the second photo, this one taken by me.
Theo. Fucking Theo. She’d printed these photos and slipped them into my wallet, fully aware I’d find them. I probably should’ve been irritated that Logan had seen her like that, but instead, I felt a sense of pride. She was mine in those moments—intimately, entirely.
Shaking my head, I stared at the photos a little longer, remembering the way her body felt against mine. My skin prickled with a lingering desire, yearning for her all over again.
I shoved the photos back into my wallet for now, knowing I’d look at them later. I handed Logan the card.
“The coast is clear. You can open your eyes now.”
He peeked through his fingers, grabbing the card skeptically.
“Why is it always me?” he muttered as he took it from my hand.
“What do you mean?” I asked with a laugh.
Logan shivered, like he was recounting war stories with an old buddy. “I walked in on Boone and Aspen at the Farm Stand while Boone was, uh, under her skirt.”
I barked out a loud laugh, my head tilting back. Poor Logan.
“Sorry for adding to the trauma.”
“So… you and Theo?” Logan asked cautiously, like he wasn’t sure he should.
What could I say?
We’re roommates? Friends? Hooking up?
That I had feelings for her? That I couldn’t imagine my life without her?
All of it was true.
Honesty felt easier. Lies snowball, and eventually, the truth gets lost.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I like her, a lot. But we haven’t talked about it. We’re just… going with the flow.”
Going with the motions felt right for us. We were adults, and allowing fate to control things took the pressure off.
Logan nodded like he understood. “Do you have a plan?”
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to interrupt the good thing we had going, but I knew it was a conversation we’d have to eventually. Avoidance couldn’t be the answer forever.
“Again, I don’t know,” I confessed. “She’s dealing with a lot right now. I don’t want to complicate things for her.”
Would bottling it up make me a hypocrite?
Logan bit the inside of his cheek, pondering what I’d said. “Look, I don’t know much about this kind of thing, but if it were me, it’s better to say something now than regret it in the future. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? At least you’d have your answer.”
That’s what scared me. I was living in my own world where Theo was mine and there was no uncomfortability. If I were to ask her the question, I feared it would drive her away, that she would leave. I don’t know what I’d do if she left me, too.
When I got home, I called out for Theo as I walked through the door. My boots were kicked off by the entryway, my keys tossed onto the table, and my hat thrown over the back of the couch. A chocolate milkshake was in my hand as I made my way to the kitchen.
“One milkshake, ready to be devoured,” I announced.
Theo appeared from the hallway, and damn, she looked adorable. She was dressed in a matching pajama set—hot pink with pinup cowgirls—and her hair was piled messily on top of her head, little strands framing her face. My fingers itched to brush them back.
She held out her arms, squeezing her hands in a playful “gimme” motion, which I happily obliged.
“Thank you,” she cooed, placing her head against my chest. My arms wrapped around her instinctively, and without thinking, I kissed the top of her head.
“Dinner’s in the fridge,” she said, pulling away to sit at the island. “I made soup earlier, so you’ll have to heat it up.”
I’d made my way to the fridge and dished out my serving of food, popping in the microwave. When I turned around, I stared pointedly at Theo until I was able to pull her attention away from her dessert with a smirk on my face.
“What?” she asked, chocolate dribbling from the corner of her mouth. I ripped a paper towel and handed it to her across the island.
“You nearly gave Logan a heart attack today.”
She tilted her head, with a pinched and puzzled expression, like she was digging deep into her mental filing cabinet to figure out what I was talking about.
“I’ll give you one hint: photo.”
There was a beat before the color drained from her face, quickly replaced by a flush of pink.
“I said your eyes only!” she protested.
“Coming from you.” I shook my head with a laugh. “You’re telling me it’s just a coincidence that you pulled a bold move like that after you spent the day with Penny ?”
Theo’s silence spoke volumes as she returned her attention to the milkshake, like I was no longer in the room.
“Hmm?” I prompted again, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed.
“Okay, fine!” she relented, throwing up her hands. “It was Penny’s idea, but I wasn’t expecting Logan to see!”
“And what did Penny say exactly?”
Theo mumbled something too low for me to hear.
“A little louder, Honey.”
“She said she’d swallow you whole,” Theo said in a rush, her voice barely above a whisper. “And that she doesn’t have a gag reflex.”
“Jesus,” I muttered, running a hand over my face.
Theo giggled, avoiding my eyes. “She also said she bets you’re good in bed.”
Now it was my turn to flush. I wanted to ask what her answer to that question was but my voice got caught in my throat.
“Did you at least… like it?” she asked timidly, her hazel eyes flicking up to meet mine for a brief second before going back to her shake.
“Yes,” I admitted, letting out a sigh as I approached the counter. I placed my hands on the cool marble, leaning in. “Theo, look at me.”
She stubbornly kept her eyes on the milkshake, stirring it as if I wasn’t standing right there.
“Your soup is ready,” she finally said, pointing toward the dinging microwave.
I grabbed my food and set it down, minimizing distractions.
“Honey,” I said softly.
That did it. She looked up at me, her expression softening. “Yes?”
“What are we doing here?”
I had thought about this the whole way home. I needed to know where she stood. Pretending everything was fine while we danced around our feelings wasn’t sustainable. Deep down, I knew she felt the same pull I did, but I needed to hear her say it.
“I’m eating my milkshake,” she said playfully, “and you’re eating the soup I made after scrolling Pinterest for hours.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I replied, raising an eyebrow.
Theo groaned, tilting her head back. “Couldn’t you let me avoid it a little longer? Feelings are hard.”
I shook my head.
She sighed, her voice softening. “I like you, Rhodes, but I’m afraid putting a label on us will ruin the ease of what we have.” She gave me her full attention. “I’m content with where we are.”
I felt the same, and it was good to know we were on the same page.
“I’m happy, Theo,” I said. “I like this, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t teetering on the edge of wanting something more.”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“I don’t want to scare you away,” I added.
She straightened her posture. “I’m not some shy thing, Rhodes. I can have fears. That doesn’t mean I’ll run.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I said quickly. “I just didn’t want to put my feelings on you and make things harder. I also can’t ignore that I see something between us.”
She let out a deep breath, relaxing in her chair. “I’m not going anywhere.”
That small reassurance eased the knot in my chest.
“I really enjoy my time with you,” I said. “What we have is effortless, and I appreciate that. Stepping into something like this isn’t easy for me after… well, you know.”
A flicker of understanding crossed her face.
“I know,” she replied. “It’s not easy for me either. The way I feel is foreign yet, it’s also comforting. I don’t know what to do with that. However, with you, it’s been easy to step into a life and feel settled.”
“I don’t want to add more pressure to you, or the baby, things have changed a lot for me.”
Theo nodded, her shoulders relaxing as she settled back into her chair. “Me too. Me too. I like our bubble though. I’m not saying I don’t ever want to step into something more, but right now I’m content with what we have. I hope you understand that.”
I did. I understood where she was coming from. However, I wasn’t going to wait forever to put a label or make what we had deeper. For now, I’d go at her pace. I chose not to tell her I was falling in love with her, directly. I knew I was. When I looked at her, I saw hope, strength, and the life I’d always wanted.
One day, I’d tell her everything. For now, I kept it to myself and let the vague confession linger a little longer.