Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Wren
“Please stop!” I beg.
The kitchen cabinets slam shut. Her face is bright red, twisted in fury. “We’re in trouble because of you!” she hisses, her voice straining in her throat. “I could go to jail because of you!”
I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. I never wanted this. I didn’t ask to be sick. Why doesn’t she understand that? Does she think I enjoy feeling this way?
“At least two out of three of my daughters aren’t fucked up.”
The words stab straight into my heart, leaving me gasping for air. Two out of three. . .
“You’ll amount to nothing.” She continues as I walk toward my room, ready to hide from her torment. “Such a disappointment.”
Two out of three.
“I’m a good mom.”
Two out of three.
“You’re the problem here, not me!”
Two out of three. . .
“I hope you’re happy!” she hollers when I reach my room.
As I turn the doorknob, my knees give out, and I fall to the ground. I don’t land on the carpet, though. I plummet straight through the earth as her words ring through my head:
Two out of three.
My eyes fly open, and the chatter of birds reaches my ears. I try to allow their song to stabilize my racing mind. My heart is pounding, pumping blood through my veins and throbbing in my eardrums.
“She’s not here,” I tell myself. “You’re safe.”
Releasing a shaky exhale, I work on grounding myself. With my hand flat against the mattress, I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling. Following the breathing technique I learned in therapy all those years ago, I inhale in the first corner, exhale in the second, and repeat until I form a box.
Two out of three.
“No,” I mutter.
These are merely stress nightmares. Nothing more. I’m safe. Theo won’t let her anywhere near me.
Theo, where did he?—
The door opens, so I tilt my head back as Theo strolls into the room.
“Oh good, you’re up,” he chirps while walking around the bed.
With a groan, I sit up and run my fingers through the knots in my hair. “What time is it?”
Theo pulls back the curtains, and the sun blinds me. “11:00 a.m.”
“Ugh, I haven’t slept this late in years.” I bring my arm in front of my eyes. “When did you wake up?”
“I was up at the ass crack of dawn, buying you essentials, slaving over a hot stove, and scrubbing the floors with nothing but a toothbrush.” He drapes the back of his hand over his forehead and fans his face with the other.
“And by that, you mean you placed an order on an app, picked it up without leaving your car, ordered takeout, and vacuumed?” I ask, scrubbing my hand down my face.
“It’s tiring work,” he says, heaving out an overdramatic sigh.
“You have my condolences.”
I stand from the bed, stretching, and walk into the living room with Theo trailing behind me. My eyes widen at the sight of all the food he ordered.
“Are you feeding an army?” I ask while scanning the table.
He ordered from my favorite gluten-free sandwich place. Hoagies, chips, fries, and milkshakes crowd the table. The delicious aroma fills the room, making my mouth water.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?” I ask with an arched brow.
“No.” He smirks. “Just trying to make sure those curves stay curvy.” He trails his eyes down my body, and I swallow hard in response.
Shit. The easy way he jokes, the casual charm, it’s all part of who he is—yet I can’t shake the feeling that I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve him because who would want to be with someone like me? Someone so ill and mentally fragile. . .
His phone rings and sends my thoughts scattering.
He locks eyes with me again, his lips curling into a half smile. “I should answer this.”
“Okay,” I sigh, pushing my thoughts and my mother’s venomous words out of my head, but they cling like barbed wire.
Theo disappears into his room, his laughter carrying through the space, and my heart clenches.
I hover near the table, the food not as enticing now as it was a moment ago. His laugh cuts through me. Soft but genuine—like whoever’s on the other end of the line means something. My stomach twists, an uncomfortable knot forming deep inside.
I try to shove the thought away, but it lingers, gnawing at the edges of my mind. Theo’s always had women in his life—beautiful women who are confident and sure of themselves. Women who don’t carry the kind of baggage I do.
I scroll through my phone, trying to distract myself, but every time I glance toward Theo’s room, the ache in my chest deepens. I can’t shake it—whatever I’m feeling, it can’t be rationalized away.
Minutes tick by, Theo’s voice filling the silence as I sink into the couch. It’s just a phone call. I shouldn’t feel this way.
But I do.
I close my eyes, and suddenly, it feels like the room is shrinking. My mind spins, connecting dots that may not even be there, but it’s too late. The seed of doubt is already planted, sprouting fast.
I grab a pillow and hug it closely, turning my head to look outside the grand window. The sunlight spills in, but it doesn’t reach the cold pit in my stomach. I’m still fighting with myself when Theo finally emerges from his room.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
I force a smile and nod, turning away from the window. “Yeah, just... thinking about work.”
He tilts his head, narrowing his gaze slightly. “You sure?”
I shrug, trying to push it down. “I’m fine, really. Let’s eat.”