Chapter 42
THEO
Silas looked over his shoulder at me from his spot on Mav’s couch as I came in. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Scout circled around me, eager for pets. I reached down, scratched behind his ear.
“Do you guys ever get off the couch?” I asked. When I moved here, I didn’t expect them to be such a lazy group.
“Football,” Silas and Mav said at the same time.
Bridget lifted her head from Mav’s chest where they were sprawled on the long end of the sectional. Football was on. A bag of chips and a bowl of salsa was on the coffee table along with a few beers and cans of soda. “What happened with Mallory?”
I froze, my fingers stilling on Scout. He licked my palm, then gave up. I stood slowly. “Mallory? What do you mean?”
Bridget rolled her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d ever play dumb.”
I glanced at Mav, who was eyeing me, but not moving from his ridiculously comfortable spot. “I’m with Bridge on this one.”
I looked to Silas. He held up a hand. “Didn’t say a word.”
Bridget pushed up so she sat at Mav’s hip, her hand on his stomach. “You don’t think we don’t know about you two.”
“There is no us two,” I countered.
Her eyes widened behind her glasses. “That wasn’t the two of you having sex in the bathroom?”
I actually felt my neck heat.
“Or whatever it was you two did in the guest bedroom last weekend?”
Now my cheeks were probably bright red.
“Fine. We’re having sex. I’m surprised Mallory didn’t tell you. You two talk about everything.”
“I was letting it play out. Now I know why Tom didn’t work out.”
“Who’s Tom?” Silas asked Bridget.
“A guy who–holy shit,” Bridget said, popping up to her feet faster than a meat thermometer in a Thanksgiving turkey.
“Holy shit, what?” Mav wondered, his lax body going tense. Now he got involved since Bridget was freaking out. Scout offered a woof of concern.
Her eyes narrowed. “You knew.”
“What?” I asked.
“What?” Mav repeated.
Silas glanced back and forth clearly trying to keep up.
“You knew that Tom had a–that he…you did. You sneaky little–”
“What?” Silas shouted. “And who is Tom?”
“Tom, the history teacher I fixed Mallory up with about two weeks ago. Who bailed at the end of their date. Because Mr. Diarrhea over here knew that Tom had an STD.”
Clearly she remembered the reason I ran off that night I was supposed to have dinner with her and Mav.
Silas stared at her as if she needed a reboot. Mav frowned but said nothing. Bridget was a genius with a photographic memory. He knew not to question the accuracy of her words. The clarity, definitely.
“Who is Mr. Diarrhea?” Silas wondered with a grimace.
“How do you know Tom had an STD?” I asked.
“Because he told the gym teacher, he slept with that she should get checked and because she was pissed, she might have gotten chlamydia from him, she got revenge by telling everyone during the inclusivity meeting.”
“Let me get this straight,” Silas said, sitting up and opening a can of beer that had been on the coffee table. “You set Mallory up with a guy who had chlamydia and it didn’t work out for some reason and she ended up having sex with Theo?”
Bridget nodded.
“How did Mallory find out about the STD?” he asked Mallory.
Bridget ignored him and raised an eyebrow at me. “Diarrhea?”
“What’s the deal with the shits?” Silas asked, getting frustrated.
“Somehow, Theo knew Tom had a dirty dick and ran out of here to break up the date,” Bridget said. She was quiet for a moment as the computer brain of hers worked. “Oh, not Theo, Dr. James knew all about it.”
I didn’t say a word, just went around the table, snagged the full beer from Silas’s hand and dropped onto the couch.
“Hey!” Silas muttered.
She was smart, I’d give her that.
“Okay, so you had this Tom guy as a patient and can’t say a word. I have to admit, brother, your privacy skills are impressive.” Silas then looked at Bridget. “That all makes sense, but what’s the deal with diarrhea?”
I looked to Silas. “Do you really want to know?”
He studied me, considered it. Did anyone really want to know a diarrhea story unless you were seven? It was right up there with farts. “No.”
Mav only laughed, pulled Bridget down on top of him and gave her a kiss. “You should work with Hunter at the police station. Your detective skills are impressive.”
Hunter. Fuck. The guy who’d interrupted me and Mallory.
“Back to Mallory. Why did you come in here all pissed?” Silas asked. “I know I don’t live here and all, but I’m trying to keep up. It’s really fucking complicated for small town life.”
“Move here,” Bridget said earnestly.
Silas laughed as if the idea was ridiculous.
“I bought her a gift and she didn’t like it,” I answered.
“That’s not like her,” Bridget responded with a frown. “Mallory loves cute things. What did you get her? A necklace? Lingerie? Those cute fuzzy socks she always wears around the house?”
I shook my head. “A house.”