Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Wren
The day comes and goes. Theo is visibly more relaxed, happy even. He hummed to himself as he fixed us both drinks this morning, a grin tugging on his lips. It was the first time I’d seen him so lighthearted in days, and I couldn’t help but smile back. His energy lifts my own, but the lingering twist of nerves in my stomach is hard to ignore.
It has to happen today.
Amanda gave him until Friday, which is tomorrow. Everything is happening so quickly. I hardly had time to prepare. What do I even prepare for? I’ve never done anything like this. I don’t have a thin stomach. Hell, my thunder thighs might take up the entire frame.
I whimper into my hands. This was a bad idea. What in the world was I thinking!? Theo thinks he isn’t good enough for me, but he has no idea that my own doubts weigh twice as much. I don’t have thick skin, despite growing up with my mother. And while I don’t intend to read the comments, I know I won’t be able to help myself. What’ll happen if people start to question us? Me in particular?
She’s huge!
Not even remotely attractive.
Blink twice if you need help, Theo.
Nothing like Amanda.
I peek through my fingers and stare at the computer screen. 2:07 p.m. Almost time to clock out. . . But the thought of sitting here for another hour and a half makes my temples throb. A familiar ding sounds from the speakers. I glance at the message and tug on my hair.
Vera: What is the update on your current case?
Nope, not today.
Against my better judgment, I put myself on “in a meeting,” open a blank Word document, place a stray trinket on my space bar, and walk away. A lot of people who work from home have their own tricks, but it always felt a little dishonest—until today.
I step into the living room, my socks padding against the floor. The weight of my thoughts clings to me, thick and oppressive, but the sight before me stops me in my tracks. Theo stands near the window, his profile outlined by the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains.
He’s wearing jeans, the kind that hug his frame just enough, and a plain white T-shirt that clings to his shoulders. His hair is slicked back, but not too much—it’s still a little messy, a few stray strands curling near his ears. He’s effortlessly put together, as if he woke up like this. As if this was just. . . him.
A lump forms in my throat. How does he manage to look this good without even trying? It’s almost unfair.
Theo glances over his shoulder, catching me staring. His grin spreads, lazy and warm, like the sun itself. “Done already? Or. . . Wren, are you skipping the last hour?” He clicks his tongue with an amused smirk.
My cheeks warm. “I couldn’t stand to be in there anymore,” I mutter, tugging at the hem of my shirt.
My insecurities hit me all at once—my rumpled clothes, my flushed face—like I’ve been hiding under a desk all day.
He crosses the room in a few strides, and before I can retreat, he’s standing in front of me. His eyes soften as they scan my face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great.” I lie, but my voice wavers, betraying me.
Theo raises an eyebrow. “You’re not.”
I want to tell him I’m fine, to push past the awkwardness and keep everything bottled up. But the way he’s looking at me—like he can see every single worry etched across my face—makes it impossible to pretend.
I shrug, letting out a shaky laugh. “I guess I’m just... nervous. About everything.”
His brow furrows slightly, but there’s no judgment there. Only understanding. “About the video?”
“About the video, about me, about you...” I drop my gaze to the floor. “I don’t want to mess this up or make things worse.”
“Wren.” His voice is low, almost a whisper, but it pulls my attention back to him. Theo reaches out, his fingers brushing against my arm, grounding me. “You’re not going to mess this up. And you’re not going to make anything worse. You’re the only thing keeping me sane right now. I almost lost you until you helped me see straight.”
His hand slides down to take mine, his grip steady and sure. “I know you’re nervous. Hell, I’d be worried if you weren’t, but you’re not in this alone. You have me.”
For a moment, the tension in my chest eases, replaced by a flicker of relief. He believes in this. In us. And maybe... just maybe, I can believe too.
He steps back, his grin returning as he gestures toward the door. “Speaking of nerves, I’ve got a plan to help with that.”
I narrow my eyes at him, wary. “What kind of plan?”
“You’ll see.” He winks, grabbing his keys from the counter. “But first, you’re going to need to change. Unless you’re planning to go out in those pajamas?”
I glance down at my wrinkled shirt and joggers. “I—wait, go out? Where are we going?”
Theo just laughs, the sound light and teasing. “Relax, Wren. You’ll like it. Trust me.”
The corners of his mouth tug up in that infuriatingly charming way that always gets to me. The warmth of his hand sends a spark skittering up my arm, and my heart stutters in response.
“C’mon, Wren.” His voice dips, soft and teasing, as he pulls me just a little closer.
My breath hitches when I realize how close we are now—close enough that I can see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw, the way his eyes gleam with mischief.
“Theo. . .” I start, but my words falter as he brings his free hand up to caress my face.
The movement is slow, deliberate, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
His gaze drops to my lips for the briefest of moments, and I swear my knees might give out. “You trust me, right?” he murmurs.
“I. . .” My pulse is thunderous in my ears. “I do.”
He chuckles, the sound rich and full of something I can’t quite place. “That’s my girl.” He dips his head, his nose grazing mine, and for one dizzying second, I think he’s going to kiss me, but just as my lips part, just as my heart leaps, he pulls back, a sly grin spreading across his face. “But first, you’re going to have to change.”
I blink, my brain struggling to catch up. “What?”
“For our date.” He brushes his thumb over my knuckles as he releases my hand. “Go on, Wren. I’ll wait.”
I stare at him, torn between annoyance and the giddy fluttering in my chest. “Kiss me first,” I mutter.
“Later.” He casually leans against the back of the couch, his arms crossing over his chest. “Clock’s ticking, love.”
I hide my whimper with a huff and turn toward my room, his eyes on me the entire time. If this is his attempt to try to ease my racing mind, the least I can do is go with the flow.
The dim lighting in the escape room lobby does little to calm the twist of nerves in my stomach. The glowing Alien Invasion: Save the Planet! sign above the counter flickers, and a faint hum of eerie sci-fi music fills the air. Theo stands beside me, hands shoved in his pockets, a smug grin plastered across his face.
“So, what do you think?” He gestures around the room.
“You want us to save the planet?” I don’t bother fighting back my wide grin. “Us?” I repeat again.
“Yes, us . We’ve proven to ourselves time and time again that we are capable of anything.” Theo takes my hand and raises it to his lips. “And I wanted you to use that brain for something other than worrying.” He kisses my knuckles, and damn, did it just get thirty degrees hotter in here. “You’re so red right now.” He hums with a slight laugh.
I snatch my hand away and tug on my jacket. “Must be another flare-up.”
“Mhm, whatever you say.”
The game master appears, decked out in a rather official-looking captain’s uniform. “You must be my new recruits,” she says, standing tall.
“Yes, ma’am,” Theo says while taking my hand. “Reporting for duty.”
She leads us through a dark corridor. At the end of the hall, a red LED panel appears. The woman types in a code, and the steel door opens.
“This spaceship was heavily guarded when we found it. We figured it was of high importance, so we commandeered it. After some research, it was discovered that this ship alone can destroy the main hub. It’s your job to get into the locked room and take over the weapons system. We have sixty minutes before we’re all blown into space. Good luck.”
Our captain leaves without another word, locking Theo and me in. A TV in the corner of the room lights up, reminding us of our time limit.
Theo turns to me, giving me a mock salute. “All right, partner. Lead the way.”
I huff a laugh, glancing around the space. It’s all puzzles and patterns, and something inside me clicks into place.
“Look for clues,” I say, already moving toward a table stacked with files.
“Fuck, I love a bossy woman.” He teases me, leaning against the console. “Should I just stand back and let you do all the work?”
“If you want to be useful, start checking the panels for anything weird,” I reply, flipping through the documents.
His laugh is low and warm, filling the space. “Weird, huh? That narrows it down.”
I ignore him, focusing on the files. It doesn’t take long before I notice a series of alien symbols repeating on several pages. They’re familiar—too familiar to be random. My mind races, connecting the dots.
“These,” I say, pointing to the symbols and then to the buttons on the console. “They match. If we press them in this order, it might start something.”
Theo peers over my shoulder. His arm brushes mine, and I catch the faint scent of his cologne—rich, familiar. My heart skips a beat, but I push the distraction aside.
“You’re sure, Einstein?” His voice is teasing. “Wouldn’t want to summon the aliens by mistake.”
I can’t hide my grin. “Do you have a better idea?”
“Nope,” he says, tapping my nose lightly. “I trust you. Just don’t get us abducted, all right?”
Together, we input the sequence, and the console lights up green, and a robotic voice echoes overhead as we finish rebooting the device: “Communication re-established. Warning: Weapons system offline. Fuel insufficient.”
Theo’s eyes light up, and he laughs. “I forgot how smart you are.”
I glance at him and try to hide my smile. “It wasn’t that hard,” I say as I look at the reinforced door on the far side of the room.
A keypad glows beside it, taunting us.
Theo squints at the door and the wall around it. “Let me guess, there’s a secret code or something?”
“Maybe,” I murmur, scanning the room. My eyes land on a poster pinned to the wall—a diagram of the alien ship with numbers and symbols scrawled in the margins.
I grab the poster and hold it up. “These numbers might correspond to the keypad.”
Theo peers over my shoulder, his arm brushing mine again, and my stomach does a tiny flip. “All right, genius, what do we press?”
I study the numbers carefully. “It’s got to be these four,” I say, pointing to the sequence. “You press them. I don’t want to mess it up.”
“Oh no, you’re not putting that on me.” He nudges my side. “If we blow this, it’s your fault, not mine.”
I roll my eyes but step aside, letting him take the keypad. He glances at me, his hand hovering over the buttons. “You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” I reply, though my heart is pounding.
He enters the sequence, and for a tense moment, nothing happens. Then, with a hiss, the door slides open.
“See?” he says, flashing me a cocky grin. “I’m a natural.”
“You followed instructions,” I retort, stepping past him into the weapons room.
The room is dimly lit, with a glowing control panel in the center and a massive cylindrical device along the back wall. A label reads FUEL SYSTEM in bold, blinking letters.
“Step two,” I say, pointing to the device. “We need to fuel the system.”
“Fuel it with what?” Theo asks, glancing around.
I spot a series of canisters stacked in the corner, each labeled with alien symbols. Beside them is a chart, showing how the symbols correspond to different energy levels.
“These,” I say, grabbing a canister. “But we need the right one, or it won’t work.”
Theo picks up a canister, studying the alien script. “Any guesses?”
I glance at the chart again, my mind racing. “We need the one with this symbol,” I say, pointing to a mark on the chart that matches a canister near the bottom of the stack.
Theo crouches down, carefully pulling it free. “Got it. Now what?”
“We load it into the system,” I reply, pointing to the cylinder.
Together, we maneuver the canister into place. It clicks, and the system hums to life. The control panel lights up, displaying a series of blinking codes.
“Final step: Input weapons activation code,” the robotic voice announces.
“Of course there’s a code,” Theo mutters.
I step closer to the panel, scanning the numbers. “Wait—this looks familiar.”
Theo tilts his head, watching me. “Familiar how?”
I point to a set of numbers scrawled on one of the documents we found earlier. “These were on the alien files. They have to be the code.”
“Then let’s punch them in,” he says, stepping aside for me.
My fingers hover over the keypad, nerves prickling my skin. “What if I’m wrong?”
“You’re not wrong,” Theo says, his voice steady. “You’ve been right about everything else so far. Go on.”
His confidence steadies me, and I press the sequence. The system hums louder, and the screen flashes green.
“Weapons system activated. Alien vessel neutralized.”
“We did it!” I leap into his arms, and he swings me around before stopping.
“ You did it.” Theo corrects me, his tone soft and admiring. “I was just the muscle. You’re the brains here.”
The air between us shifts, charged and electric. He presses his forehead against mine, and my heart thunders in my chest.
“Can I—” he starts, his voice almost shy.
I nod before he can finish, and then his lips are on mine. It’s soft at first, hesitant. But when I lean into him, his hand comes up to cup my cheek, the kiss deepening with desire that makes me tremble.
When we finally part, both of us are breathless but grinning.
“Game’s over,” he says, his voice teasing but tender. “Now, what do you say we grab some food? I’m starving.”
I laugh, my fingers lingering on his arm. “Lead the way, Torres.”