Chapter 26
Theo
Sam waves at me from the table he snagged on the far end of our favorite diner. I smile at the hostess and point toward him before heading over and plopping into the booth across from him.
He hands me a menu with a smirk. “So, funny story. I got a curious message from an unknown number. It was basically threatening my life if I didn’t go with you to your apartment.”
My mouth drops open even as something inside me preens at his protective nature. “He did not.”
Sam chuckles good-naturedly and shakes his head. “Nah, but he did text me and ask nicely. Seems like he’s taking on the role of concerned boyfriend pretty wholeheartedly.” He taps his fingers against the table as he chews on his lip. “Are you sure he’s ready for this?”
“It was his decision.”
“You had zero influence on that?”
I smile at my brother and his concern. “Well, it goes without saying that I had some influence on it. I’ve told him I wanted him pretty much every single day since we met, but I didn’t push it on him.
There was a guy hitting on me at our show in Raleigh, and when he asked me out, Dante went all caveman.
He pushed him out of the way and kissed me right there in front of everyone.
” I replay it in my mind with a dreamy sigh. “It was sweet.”
“I really like Dante, but please be careful. You’re in this pretty deep, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Dante and I have both known for a long time that we wanted to be together,” I explain as I grip his arm. “He’s got things from his past that he had to work through, and he had to be ready. Now that he’s said he is, I have to trust him to make that decision.”
“Look at you being all mature and shit,” he teases. “You deserve this.”
“Trust me, I know,” I drawl.
He shoves my hand away and rolls his eyes, sparking even more laughter from me. The server comes over right as he throws a balled-up napkin at me, and he looks chastised as she gives him an exhausted stare.
The rest of our lunch is drama-free, and Sam tells me he can come with me to my apartment. As we walk into the parking lot of the diner, he grabs my wrist and steers me toward his car.
“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing at my car a few spots away.
“Dante insisted I chauffeur you, since your crazy stalker dude won’t recognize my car.”
“Oh my god, you’re as bad as he is,” I mutter, though I don’t put up a fight as we climb into his car and drive to my building.
“Why are you even keeping your apartment if you’ve moved in to play house with Dante?”
“It’s temporary. He asked me to stay with him because he was worried about me. It wasn’t a ‘Hey, let’s move in together and get married and adopt all the babies’ type of situation.”
He responds with a very noncommittal hum and keeps driving in silence.
“What does that sound mean?” I demand. “What’s the hmm?”
“Where are you sleeping? The guest room? The pull-out sofa?”
“That is none of your concern,” I say as I try to swat him.
“Oh, I see,” he taunts, dodging my hand. “There’s no pulling out happening at all, is there?”
“Are you insulting my virginal qualities?” I demand, fighting back a laugh. “Calling me a harlot? A common strumpet?”
He smirks and shoots me a vicious side eye. “Virginal my ass.”
“Well, technically, it’s my ass,” I snap back.
Sam gags, making an extraordinarily dramatic heaving sound. “I don’t need to hear about that!”
“You started it, dickweed!”
“Did not, buttmuncher!”
We’re still slinging insults back and forth as we pull into my building, then get out of the car and walk calmly inside like we weren’t just bitch-slapping each other. Sam keeps a protective eye out as we open the door, eyeballing everyone with suspicion like he could do anything to protect me.
Brotherhood is strange.
Brenda’s face lights up as we step into the lobby, and she darts over to pull me in for a hug. “I have missed you, my sweet boy! Is that handsome man of yours treating you well?”
“He takes excellent care of me,” I promise as I hug her back.
“He is such a gentleman,” she gushes. “After you filed the restraining order, he brought a copy for me to keep on file. I tried to match the name with a face on the security camera footage, but those things are just so damn blurry. I gave him what I had, but I’m not sure it made a difference.”
I return her motherly smile with a genuine one of my own. “It did to me. Has he come in since the day with the flowers?”
“Not that I’ve seen, but I can’t always have eyes on the place.”
“Well, I still consider it a win. We’re here to grab a few things from my apartment, so I’ll let you get to work.” She gives my arm another quick squeeze before heading behind her desk to continue sorting the stack of packages she had been working on when we arrived.
“Oh, Theo! Stop by on your way out. I have a few boxes I put aside for you.”
“You’re an angel!” I yell back.
We step into the elevator, and it takes just a few seconds until it arrives on my floor. The hallway is quiet, and the apartment even quieter. It feels eerie with the curtains and blinds closed, but the feeling passes as I flip the lights on.
“Anything specific you need me to pick up for you?” Sam asks.
“The rest of my guitars. They’re in the second bedroom.” He nods and trots off as I grab another suitcase from my closet and stuff it with the clothes I can’t live without. Once it’s hard to force the zipper closed, I frown at my dresser where my lingerie and toys are stored.
“Well, can’t forget those,” I mutter to myself, finding an extra bag to stuff full. Sam walks into the room right as I pull a more scandalous toy out of the drawer. I shove my hands behind my back.
He cocks an eyebrow. “Was that… actually, you know what? Don’t tell me. I don’t want to find out.” I cram it into the bag as he pointedly looks the other direction.
After going through the house and confirming everything is fine, we take my bags and go back down in the elevator. A pit stop at the concierge desk leaves me with an armful of small packages, and after another quick hug to Brenda, we’re in the car and returning to the diner.
As I load my things into my trunk, I glance sideways at Sam. “Make sure you text Dante that you supervised me. For some idiotic reason, he thought that you and your fear of tiny flying bugs would somehow protect me.”
He glares. “I was a teenager.”
“You were a year away from being able to vote! From being able to serve in the military, Sam!”
His eyes narrow even more, making it where I can barely see his irises.
“Alright, ladybug, give me a hug,” I say as I hold my arms out.
“Not if you keep calling me names.”
“Aww,” I coo, pulling him into a stiff embrace as he stands there, arms stubbornly crossed over his chest. “Is the wittle boy getting his feewings hurt by his baby brudder?”
“Ugh, fine, I’ll hug you if you promise to never, ever make that voice in my presence again.” He finally drops his arms and squeezes me back.
“It was pretty gross, huh?”
“The grossest,” he agrees.