Chapter four
Present Day
Theo walked out of the bathroom and shrugged. “Sloanes covering the expenses… fancy a little midday tipple?”
“I do like how you think sometimes Bennett.” A chuckle escaped my lips as I sat on my side of the bed.
There was a wine bottle sitting by the mini bar, unchilled which was fine with me - it looked to be a Rose, which was also fine because I was not actually a big wine fan - actually I hardly ever drank because I didn’t like feeling hungover.
Theo popped the cork and half filled two wine glasses before walking over to hand me one.
He sat on the chaise and shifted around, before leaning against the back of the cornered side and lifting his legs onto the plush fabric. He looked ridiculous, with his legs overhanging the end by over a foot. I laughed and then sipped on the sweet wine.
“Hungry?” Theo said standing up from the chaise, he walked to the room service menu and picked up the phone.
“A little. I’ll just have whatever you’re having.”
He grinned and then spoke into the phone.
“Yeah, can I get two cheeseburgers and fries to room 7 thanks. Yeah, charged to the room, thanks.”
He hung up and phone and looked over at me and grinned like he was the cat who’d got the cream
“We’re children.”
“No, being a child would have had me order truffles and caviar.” he laughed.
20 minutes later there was a knock at the door. Theo went to answer it and the staff member walked the trolley in with the food. He opened a long back book with a receipt in it and then patted his uniform for the pen.
“I’m so sorry. Do you have a pen?” He asked Theo who just shrugged and then looked at me.
I nodded and picked up my purse. God I hoped Theo didn’t notice.
I opened the zip and then plucked the silver engraved pen out before standing and walking over to the two men.
I turned round so the engraving was facing away - in some small effort to hide it…
but I could tell by the way Theo’s eyes snapped on to me that he knew.
He knew I’d kept a pen he’d given me over ten years previous. Fuck he probably thought I was tragic.
18th July 2012
“He’s here!” Sloane said with a grin. She got off her bed and grabbed onto my hands to pull me up with her.
Right now she was excited, but I already knew the minute they were face to face she’d pretend to be nonchalant.
Secretly I was a fizzy mess inside. Theo Bennett was the boy of my dreams.
He had been since I’d started noticing boys, which unfortunately for me had been just before he left for college.
I’d pined from afar living only from the crumbs of what Sloane told me and the facebook photos he’d posted.
His parents were hugging him as he walked in the door and he looked over at Sloane, before breaking into a huge grin. She, of course, pretended not to care that he was back before running over and giving him a huge hug.
He looked at me and smiled, which did something funny to my insides - even though I knew it was just friendly.
He walked into the kitchen and instead of walking past me he reached out and ruffled my hair, just like he had on New Year eve 7 months ago. “Heya Trouble.”
“Hey yourself.” I replied, folding my arms across my newly ample chest. Fuck my life. I unfolded my arms again and let them fall at my sides.
Theo gave everyone gifts - which was sweet. Almost to be expected after 7 months away. What wasn’t to be expected was when he handed me a small black box.
He’d bought me a present?
Theo Bennett had thought of me?
I felt my face turn crimson and inexplicably tears formed in the corners of my eyes. I unwrapped the box and then opened it. Inside it was a silver ballpoint pen. A good one too by the weight and feel and engraved on the side of it, it simply said ‘Believe’.
There was a little card in the box, which just said Gin, From Theo. But I’m not lying when I say the box, the paper, the ribbon and the card went straight into my keepsake box… and the pen… well…
Theo signed the receipt and the worker left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Theo twirled the pen between his thumb and index finger. He looked at me and his eyes were soft - he opened his mouth but then stopped, licked his lips and handed me the pen back.
I put it back in my purse as Theo took the food off the trolley and placed it on the table.
Suddenly I wasn’t hungry anymore. There had been a tonal shift in the room. Maybe he was uncomfortable with me still having the pen… god, maybe he thought still I was neck deep in the teenage crush…
I mean it wasn’t far from the truth exactly, but I was sure I was better at hiding it now.
I walked over and sat at the table with my glass of Rose.
The fries were probably the best fries I’d ever eaten…
but that didn’t actually matter with millions of butterflies currently flitting about my stomach.
I picked at the food, in an attempt to make it look like I was eating it, but I wasn’t sure how genuine it seemed.
Theo on the other hand seemed unaffected as he wolfed the food down.
Once he was done though he leaned back in his chair and then took a deep breath.
“Gin,” He spoke low and slow, the same way he had when we’d stood by the window. I ignored the way my body reacted, how the hairs on my arms stood on end.
“Theo,” I mimicked his tone, as a mockery more than anything.
“The pen.” He said finally. “You still have it.”
I shrugged and played it off like it wasn’t one of my most prized possessions. Like it didn’t have its own spot in my purse. Like I hadn’t sourced refills for it.
Except it was, it did and I had.
“It’s a good pen,” I interrupted, maybe too quickly. “I use it all the time. For important things. Signing contracts, taking notes at meetings, you know.” I was rambling. I knew I was rambling. But I couldn’t stop.
“You kept it.” he leaned forward.
“It was a gift.” I shrugged, hoping it minimised it enough that he didn’t think it was weird. “People keep gifts.”
“I know… I just.” He stopped. “Nevermind.”
Something was different with us this time.
We kept running into these moments of tension, which okay, they’d always been there but not like this.
It was almost constant and every little moment seemed to pile on to the last.
We’d been together a little over 24 hours and I was already beginning to feel smothered by it.
“Do you keep all the gifts you receive for ten plus years?”
No. I’d thrown out everything Thomas had ever given me.
Had donated most of what my other exes had given me to Goodwill within months of the breakups.
But Theo’s pen? That stupid pen with “Believe” engraved on it?
That had moved with me to three different apartments.
It had been the pen I used to sign my first job contract, my lease agreements, every important document.
The pen had been with me on every important life altering decision… It was sentimental.
“Why does it matter?” I asked instead of answering.
Theo shook his head and shrugged. “It doesn’t, uh we should probably head over to the house.”
I nodded and cleared up the dishes. Placing them on the tray and pushing the trolley back out into the corridor. I walked back over to the bed and picked up my purse before following behind Theo who was already over by the door.
We drove in silence to the Bennett house.
The moment Theo parked I unclipped the seat belt, opened the truck door and slid out the car like it had an emergency slide.
I walked inside and said hello to Sloane and Theo’s parents Kay and Steve who were sitting at the kitchen table making wedding favors.
They stopped and both got up to give me a big hug, but I retreated from the room before Theo even made it inside.
I went upstairs to Sloane’s room and knocked gently on the door.
“That better be my Ginny” She squealed.
“Of course!” I giggled on the other side.
Sloane opened the door and pulled me into a big hug.
It had been too long since we’d both been in the same town.
Her and Jasper - her husband to be had moved back to Harrison Falls after college.
They’d had plans to buy a house, but Kay and Steve liked having them here so much that they’d all kind of just stayed together.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much.” Sloane said, her voice thick with emotion. I swallowed my own feelings down and nodded. “I’ve missed you too.”
She pulled me into the room and then looked me up and down. “Oh my god. You look gorgeous. I love this new self acceptance road you’ve been travelling.”
I shrugged. “It’s a lot of fake it till you make it.”
It was more fake it than make it - but Sloane didn’t need to know that.
“Well whatever it is… you look fucking gorge. Now where is my brother?”
I shook my head and looked out the window. I truthfully had no idea where he’d gone. He could have hopped back in the truck and started driving home for all I knew. I wouldn’t have blamed him - If I was feeling the weirdness I knew he had to be too.
“Is it that bad?”
I glared at her, and then narrowed my eyes. “What the hell were you thinking Sloane?”
“In my defence… I wasn’t.” She squeaked and braced for impact, not that I was actually going to hit her.
“That isn’t much of a defence.” I sighed.
“I can clear the bed off in the spare room.”
I remembered what Theo had said about the lack of sleep and I knew he was right. Judging by the parents working bee down stairs - this place was probably in full swing, night and day with all the wedding prep.
“We’re adults. We’ll survive. Just be aware your brother is going to end up ordering truffles and caviar at your expense.”
Sloane rolled her eyes and laughed. “Of course he is.”
“Of course he is, what?” Theo’s voice filled the room. I looked to the door and saw his head poking around it. How long had he been there?
“Theo!” She exclaimed, jumping to her feet, she ran across the floor and flew into his arms. “Thank you for getting my Ginny here in one piece.”
“Anytime.” He replied. “Uh, Jasper said the four of us are having dinner at the Cliffside tonight?”
Sloane nodded. “Yes!” She smiled wide, “They have the best cocktails and Karaoke at the bar next door!”
“Dinner.” Theo reminded her but she just rolled her eyes.
“The restaurant has delicious surf and turf.” She said, “Anyway. You’re going to sing with me.”
I shook my head. “Hard pass.”
“But come on! All those nights in college, we had such a good time. That boy…. God what was his name… Phil… Peter….”
I wanted to tell her to shut up. I also wanted to disappear. Yes Karaoke in college had been fun, but I remembered the night with Paul a lot differently than she did.
Jasper had been with us, and it was very very clear to any one with eyes that Sloane and Jasper were a head over heels in love couple. Still Paul had flirted with me, sung with me, danced with me and then… When it came time to go home he asked if I would set him up with Sloane.
I’d never told her, mostly because I was never proud of what had happened next. I’d told him she was in a relationship, and he accepted that - then leaned in and told me that he thought I was pretty too before kissing me.
Sloane had seen that, she had cheered and asked me for all the dirty details the next day. I’d never seen Paul again after that night, and it was that night, early in my freshman year, that I realized casual sex and I did not go hand in hand.
“We’re not going there.” I snapped, harder than I’d wanted to.
“Okay.” She replied with a frown. “But at least think about the cocktails and karaoke.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. But only because this is your wedding week.”
“We’ll meet you at the restaurant at 7pm.” Theo murmured. “I need to go take care of something and I’m sure Gin wants to freshen up properly after the drive.”
I actually wanted to fall into bed and go to sleep just to make the week go faster, but I found myself agreeing instead.
“Yeah I do actually.”
Sloane gave me another hug and then said she would see us at seven.
We slipped back out and Theo drove me back to the hotel.
He gave me the keycard and told me he’d be back around 6pm, which meant I had 2 hours to myself.
Two hours to de-stress, to reset and not feel like every inch of space was filled with tension.