Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Wren
The sheets are cool against my skin, not a drop of sweat to be found. A light hum leaves my chest, and I smile while shoving my face into my cold pillow. I’ve never fallen asleep naked, but after round two with Theo, I passed out in his arms.
I never thought I was deserving. Mom made me believe I was worth the bare minimum. It wasn’t until Theo walked into my life that I discovered she was wrong. I had to reframe my thoughts to believe I was worth more. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve all the great things in my life. I can’t have Theo and good health. It has to be one or the other.
I interlock our fingers and hold onto him for dear life, willing myself to believe I do deserve this. I am worthy.
A sudden vibration sends a jolt through my body. Turning my attention toward my phone, I reach for it, and Theo sighs against my back.
Who is calling me this early?
The blue light forces me to squint, but when I see Brandy’s name, it doesn’t surprise me.
“Morning, sunshine,” I say low enough so Theo doesn’t wake.
“ The Wren Jacobs is awake at 9:00 a.m.?” she gasps.
“Don’t sound too shocked,” I chuckle, and Theo stirs behind me.
“How are you? We haven’t talked in a few days.”
Theo kisses my shoulder blade and pulls me closer. “Who are you talking to?” he whispers in my ear.
“I’m great. How are you, Brandy?” I say, hoping he gets the hint.
“Can’t complain. I’ve been having a hard time sleeping.”
“Oh? How come?” My mouth drops open as Theo nips my jawline, trailing down my neck.
“Not sure. Mia thinks I would benefit from therapy.”
“Stop,” I mutter to Theo, and he fucking nuzzles against me.
“What did you say? I couldn’t hear you,” Brandy says.
“Nothing. I think therapy is a great idea—ah!”
Theo’s fingers spread my folds, and he chuckles against my neck.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I choke out as he starts to dip lower.
“Should I call back later?” Brandy asks.
Before I can answer, Theo steals the phone from me, “Yes, she’s busy.” And he hangs up.
“Theodore!” I scold him, but I can’t stop my smile from growing.
“What? You’re busy.” He shrugs.
“She’s going to know we’re up to something.”
“So?”
“You know how she feels about you,” I sigh.
“I don’t care.” He presses the tip of his finger inside me, but I flinch. “Are you okay?”
“Just a little sore.” I press my lips together. “I’m not used to being so active.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. We’ll take it easy today; I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I snicker, and he smiles at me. “What?”
“You? On your best behavior? Those words don’t belong together.”
“And you love it.” He kisses my cheek and rolls out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
“If I’m to behave, we need to get dressed. You’re a temptress.”
I toss a pillow at him as he runs out of the room. A smile rests on my lips, and a laugh bubbles up.
This is real.
Holy shit.
I bring my fingers to my lips. I’ve dreamed of a love like this for so long, but deep down, I started to lose hope that it was meant for me. Now that it’s here, in the palm of my hand, it’s like a dream.
When I first met Theo in the game, he became someone I relied on. He was my only friend, someone who made me smile and laugh even during my darkest days. I never had to worry about bothering him because he messaged me if I didn’t message him first.
When we met in school, I thought the universe was playing a cruel joke on me. Everyone has a different persona online. I hoped that Theo and Glavnir had some similarities, but I didn’t have to worry for long because they were always the same person. He never pretended to be someone he wasn’t.
I’m not sure when I fell in love with him. For all I know, it was a random Tuesday. It doesn’t matter, though. He’s mine now, and I’ll cherish every minute with him.
I grab a fresh set of clothes and head to the bathroom. I change into sweatpants and a baggy graphic tee, brush my teeth, and fix my hair, not hiding from my reflection because, for once, I don’t hate what I see.
The carpet is plush under my bare feet, and my head is in the clouds when I walk into the living room. Theo is nose deep in the fridge, bobbing to a song in his head. He changed as well, opting for a cozy Saturday like myself.
I walk over to him but I stop when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
“What?” I mumble, unsure I’m reading the text correctly.
“Are you okay?”
“Read this for me.” I show Theo the screen, and he squints.
“Would you and Theo want to come over for dinner tonight?” He reads the message. “What’s wrong with that?”
“It’s from Brandy.”
“And?”
“She doesn’t like you,” I say, and he grasps his chest.
“Ouch, my feelings.”
“Oh, shut it,” I laugh.
“Maybe she’s coming around? I mean, I’m rather charming.”
“That’s definitely not it.” Side-eyeing him, I scoff, and he winks at me.
“Well, my darling.” He strolls toward me and pulls me against his chest. “I guess we’ll find out for ourselves later this evening.”
The late spring breeze is cool, yet the air is warm. I borrowed one of Theo’s zip-up hoodies. The sleeves are long, and the fabric is worn, and his scent whirls around me.
Theo’s hair is damp from the shower he took before we left. With one hand in his pocket, he knocks on their townhouse door without a care in the world, the definition of poise.
Meanwhile, my heart is racing faster than it used to before I had to present a project in school. My palms are clammy, and as I release a nervous breath, Theo rubs the small of my back.
“It’s going to be okay,” Theo whispers, and I nod. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Stop the presses.”
He chuckles. “Although I do have to say, you look ravishing in my clothes. May I ask what’s underneath?”
I raise my hand to slap his arm, but he catches my wrist and smirks. “Careful, love. I like it rough?—”
The door swings open. “Oh, we know.” Mia clicks her tongue.
My lips curl into a fake, wide grin as I drop my arms and hold them behind my back.
“Mia, you look as beautiful as ever,” Theo says, trying to charm her.
With a sly smile, she bats her eyelashes and says, “I’m not the one you need to win over, cam-star. Your real challenge lies ahead.”
Theo follows me as I take the final stair and enter their home. Mia has lived here for a few years now, and while I’ve been here more than once, it’s never felt this homey. Something sizzles from the kitchen, and the aroma of soy sauce, sesame oil, pan-fried chicken, and fresh vegetables fills the air. Knowing I can trust her not to gluten me relaxes my shoulders.
Theo’s body heat radiates at my back, and as I smile at Mia, she grins at Theo. “Make yourselves at home.”
Usually, I would kick my shoes off and plop down on the L-shaped couch face-first, but today, my stomach is in knots, and it’s stifling the urge.
“You have a lovely home,” Theo says as he admires Mia’s book collection.
“Thank you. I’m sure you know by now, but don’t touch those. I doubt you have any pearls to grasp, but you never know.”
He chuckles, and the sound of it makes my stomach flutter.
“And who are you smiling at?” Mia whispers, nudging my arm.
Schooling my features, I turn to look at her. “Nothing. Can’t a girl smile at her best friend?” I whisper, making sure not to gain Theo’s attention.
“Not like that .”
“Like what ?”
“Like something has happened since we spoke last.”
“Hi, Brandy.”
My gaze shoots toward Theo, only catching a glimpse of his back as he enters the kitchen.
“Is that what tonight is about?” I mutter.
“This was all Brandy’s idea, and trust me when I say she knows only what the three of us discussed.”
“Then why?—”
“There you are,” Brandy says as she strolls into the living room.
She pulls me into a hug, and I’m quick to return the embrace. I didn’t think I missed her as much as I did until now. I hold onto her for as long as I can, not willing to let go, and her hold on me doesn’t relent either.
If my mom didn’t show up, we’d still be living with one another. I wouldn’t be with Theo, and she wouldn’t be practically living with Mia. I used to think I held her back, but that thought doesn’t fester this time. Instead, the notion that everything happens for a reason replaces it.
Brandy and I were good roommates for one another, but time had a different path for us. She’s now with the love of her life, and I’m with Theo—the man who always meant more to me than I let on.
“How are you?” I say without pulling away.
“I’m good, you?”
“I’m good too.”
With a final squeeze, we separate and smile at one another. I don’t have to tell her how much I miss her because she already knows. We never had to express our emotions out loud; we always knew how the other felt.
“Is Theo behaving?” I nod toward the kitchen.
“Brandy, can we eat now? This smells amazing!” he shouts from the other room.
She rolls her brown eyes. “Men have no patience.”
I snicker. “Tell me about it.”
“Brandy?” he calls again.
“Patience!” she shouts back, her cheeks turning pink.
“I have none. Ask Wren!”
“Unfortunately, he’s correct,” I sigh.
“Okay, let’s go.” Brandy walks back into the kitchen.
I glance at Mia and mouth, “What did you do to her?”
Dropping her shoulders, she drapes her arm over me and says, “She’ll do anything for you, even put her prejudice aside and give someone a chance.”
“I’m so full,” Theo groans from the floor, sprawled out on his back.
“That’s what you get for having three helpings,” Mia chuckles.
“It’s not my fault Brandy knows her way to my heart. I’ve never had fried rice like that before.”
Two things Brandy excels at are mathematics and cooking. She used to tease me, saying she applies statistics and calculus to cooking fundamentals, which is why everything she makes never fails. I call it a load of bs because I’m horrible at math, and I make killer Italian food. There’s something special about her touch, though, and if it is math. . . maybe it’s not as awful as I thought it was.
“You make it sound like I’m a bad cook.” I tease him.
He darts his eyes to mine, looking up at me from the floor, pursing his lips.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, and his brow wrinkles. “Theodore, I’m not a bad cook.”
“I didn’t say you were.” He shrugs, dropping his previous facial expression.
Grabbing a decorative pillow, I toss it at him. He laughs as he catches it, and I cross my arms over my chest.
“I’m going to remember this the next time you ask me to cook dinner,” I grumble.
“Was she temperamental with you, Brandy? Because damn, this girl can go from zero to one hundred like that.” He snaps his fingers.
Brandy’s lips tilt into a half smile, her eyes sparkling when she looks at me. “She had her moments. Just don’t ask her to snap.”
“What? Why?” he asks instantly.
I shake my head and mouth, “Don’t.”
But it’s too late.
“You didn’t know? Wren can’t snap.”
“What!?” Theo sits straight up and beams his flawless smile at me. “Since when?”
“Since always!” I fire back.
“Show me,” he says insistently. “I need to see you try.”
“No way.”
Scrambling to his feet, he plants himself in the small space between Brandy and I. Theo takes my hand, bringing a wave of heat over my body. “Maybe you’re not doing it right.”
He tries to get me to snap, but no matter how hard he and I try, nothing happens.
“Will you let me go?” I giggle, trying to free myself from his grasp.
“You’re not pressing down hard enough,” he says.
“She can’t help it. Her fingers are too delicate.” Mia snorts.
Theo’s brown eyes gloss over, almost as if a devious thought crosses his mind.
“Theo.” I threaten him, but my tone is light.
“That’s not the only delicate part of her,” he blurts out, and my eyes widen.
Slapping his hand away, I attempt to push him off the couch, but he grabs my wrists and holds me still. “What? I was talking about your stomach! Jeez, woman, get your head out of the gutter.”
“I’m going to poison you,” I tell him.
Mia and Theo laugh, but Brandy’s silence is all I can hear. Shifting in my seat to get a better view of my best friend, I lock my gaze with hers, and when she speaks, the words are like a dagger to my stomach.
“I’m going to guess you two finally gave in.”
“What?” I let out a nervous laugh.
“You’re together now, aren’t you?” she asks.
Theo and I glance at one another before I release another awkward giggle.
“You can be honest with me. I was there during our first conversation, and Mia said?—”
“What did Mia say?” I cut in, glaring at the woman I thought I could trust.
She holds up her hands in surrender, her complexion turning pale. “I just said we don’t need to worry about you and Theo anymore.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I look back at Theo, and my shoulders drop.
“So, are you two more than friends?” Brandy asks.
“No,” I say.
“Yes,” Theo says at the same time.
Our eyes grow twice their size as I try to grasp for a response. “Yes.”
“No,” Theo responds simultaneously.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” I rake my fingers across my scalp, gently pulling my hair.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say!” Theo exclaims.
“The truth,” Brandy offers.
“We are,” I mumble, hoping she hears me.
“Finally.” She arches a brow.
Silence encompasses the room. I avert my attention to Mia, and she smiles at me with a slight nod.
Is this what she meant when she said Brandy was willing to put her previous judgment to the side? Is she going to give him a respectable chance?
“Look,” Brandy starts. “I’ll admit there were things I didn’t notice until they were pointed out to me. I would be a fool to say I don’t see them now. I mean, Theo, you haven’t been able to take your eyes off her all night.”
The man beside me frees an exhale, and while I don’t look at him, I can feel his gaze on me.
“And Wren, your entire demeanor changes when he’s around. You’re not the shy girl who hides away in her books. You’re your genuine self. I didn’t give it the time of day before, but you steal glances when he’s around, almost like you’re committing him to memory.”
This time, I look at Theo, and the muscles that were once stiff and locked in place are loose. Warmth fills my chest, spreading throughout the rest of my body. Theo is my person, and nothing I could do will hide that fact.
“I’m happy for you.”
I can’t wipe the relieved smile off my face. “Thank you, Brandy. That means a lot.”
Mia jumps into the air, grinning ear to ear. “It was the porn, right? That’s what did you over?”
“Mia!” I shout as I stand.
“Porn?” Brandy whispers.
“You just couldn’t keep that between us, could you?” I ask Mia.
“Do you know how difficult it’s been holding it in for this long? That man has left a scar on my frontal cortex!”
“You’re gay!”
“Why do you think I’m so confused!?”
A chuckle vibrates in my throat, spilling free. Mia joins me, and our combined laughter has me doubling over and holding my middle.
“I can’t stand you.” I sniffle as our laughter dies down.
“You’d be bored without me.” As she wipes her tears, someone squeezes my shoulder.
When I look at the woman who surprised me this evening, I can’t help but smile.
“I know I never gave him a chance. I have to ask: are you happy?” she whispers.
“Very.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
I can’t contain myself any longer. Instead of holding back, I hug my best friend and hold her tight.
“Thank you,” I mumble. “For everything.”
“I have your back, Wren. Always have, and always will.”
“Just promise me one thing?” I ask as I pull back. “Don’t let Mia tell you about the porn.”
“Why not!? It was fucking hot!” Mia exclaims.
“Do not!” I point a finger at her.
“Just one more!” she pleads.
“I can honestly say this is new for me,” Theo adds.
“Shh, it’s better when you don’t speak,” Mia says, and he zips his lips.
“This is oddly normal,” Brandy says, and we stop bickering. “It’s good to know nothing is going to change.”
“I’m just happy to be here.” Theo rests his arms on the back of the sofa and kicks his legs out. “Hey, darling, can you get me another bowl of rice?”
“Sure, but I can’t guarantee it won’t be poisoned.”
“You’re no fun.” He pouts.
“I’ll get you one,” Brandy offers and heads to the kitchen.
“At least someone loves me!” Theo shouts, and Brandy laughs.
Taking the pillow I threw at him earlier, I chuck it at his face and snort when he doesn’t catch it in time.
“Okay, I deserved that,” he grumbles before puckering his lips. “Kiss and makeup?”
Walking toward him, I lean close. Our noses brush, and as our lips touch, I whisper, “You wish.”
“Is it hot in here?” Mia teases, fanning her face. Theo and I look at her, and she says, “Don’t stop on my account. If anything, this will save my wallet.”
“You’re disgusting,” I laugh.
“What? I’m a paying customer!”
“You paid for his porn?” Brandy interjects, holding back a laugh.
“Don’t judge me!”
“I don’t know, Wren. I can’t deny a loyal fan.” Theo holds his hands out.
“You’re not helping,” I tell him, and he grins at me.
“I love you two together,” Mia sighs.
With a smile, I look at her and then at Theo. “I do too.”