Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
THEO
Theo: Rupert, where are you?
The house is empty, quiet, the broken table still on the kitchen floor. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence that Rupert has even returned since this morning, and now I’m starting to worry because I don’t recall there ever being a time where Rupert and I fought, so why now?
Have I missed something?
He’s never been one to talk about feelings, we’ve always just fucked around, but now I’m starting to think that I’ve been missing signs. This summer really has been all about me. Should I have been paying closer attention to Rupert?
And what the hell did he mean when he said “last hurrah”? Is he going somewhere? Does he think I’m not returning to the U.K.? I mean…I might not be. Is that what he’s talking about?
I take a seat on the couch and glance at my phone screen, seeing that he hasn’t even read the text message.
What if he went back home and didn’t tell me?
I hop up from the couch and take the stairs two at a time, going straight to his room, where I open the door and find his bed made, nothing on the bedside table, and not a trace of him anywhere.
Panic erupts in my chest as I fling open the closet, where I find his clothes still hung, but his leather duffel bag is missing.
I head toward the bathroom, where I find his toothbrush missing as well as his other toiletries.
Is he over at Renley’s house?
I fly down the stairs, head outside, and cross the yard to Renley’s, taking the porch steps two at a time.
We just parted ways after locking up the candy store, so she’s probably going to be surprised to see me…and hopefully not mad, since we have an agreement to keep this quiet.
The door unlocks and then opens, Renley’s confused expression greeting me.
Whispering, she asks, “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Rupert, is he here?”
Her brow knits together as she shakes her head. “Not that I know of.”
“Can I come in and talk to Kitty? He’s not answering my texts. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course.” Renley opens the door for me and as I walk in, I let my hand drag over hers momentarily before entering the living room, where Kitty is on the couch, watching videos on her phone.
“Hey, Kitty,” I say, pulling her attention.
“Theodore,” she answers with a smile. “Have you decided to delight us with your company for our Sunday roast this weekend? Renley asked you, right?”
“She did.” I nod. “And yes, I will be there.”
“Splendid,” she says with a hint of an accent before turning back to her phone.
“Aunt Kitty, I think Theo has a question for you.”
“Is that so?” She sets her phone down and crosses her arms at her chest, the swoosh of her tracksuit filling the silence. “What is it that you need to ask me?”
“It’s about Rupert.” I stuff my hands in my pockets. “It seems as though he’s not at the house and I was wondering if you perhaps knew where he was.”
“Did he not tell you he was headed up north for a few days?”
Feeling like an arsehat, I shake my head. “He did not.”
“Ah, well, must have slipped his mind. He’s staying at a bed and breakfast up north. It sits right on the shore. Said he wanted to experience waking up to the sound of the waves right at his window. He’ll be back for the Sunday roast though. I made sure of it.”
“Oh, yeah, he, uh…he did tell me about that. Must have slipped my mind,” I say, trying to save face. I scratch the top of my head. “What bed and breakfast was that again?”
“The Pillow Room.”
“Ah right, the Pillow Room.” Who names a bed and breakfast that? Feels more like a name for a club than a quaint seaside residence.
“If you’re worried about my training schedule, he gave me a list of things to practice while he’s gone, so I’m all set.” She plops her right leg on the coffee table and then starts stretching, reaching her fingertips toward her toes but not quite making it. “See how bendy I’ve gotten?”
Looks like she’s about to snap a hamstring.
“Yeah, real bendy.”
“Rupert likes that I’m getting bendy.” She snaps her teeth at me, like she’s trying to pretend to eat me.
What the hell?
“Oh-kay,” Renley steps in. “I think we’re good here. Theo, any other questions, or can I show you those paint samples I’ve been meaning to show you?”
What paint—ohhh.
“Yeah, I think we’re good. Sorry to interrupt.” I offer Kitty a wave. “See you on Sunday.”
“See you Sunday. Wear your best.”
“Of course.”
Together, Renley and I exit the house, and I follow her to the detached garage, where she pulls me behind the building. We are hidden behind a large hydrangea plant.
When her eyes meet mine, she asks, “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” I drag my hand over my mouth. “Should I go up there and talk to him? I don’t even know how far of a drive that is. Rupert and I have never really fought, so I’m just…I’m surprised. I don’t really know how to handle this.”
“I can drive you up there if you want.” Her hand climbs up my chest.
“No, you can’t afford to lose another day, especially since you’re taking me fishing on Saturday.” I blow out a heavy breath, my mind racing. “Maybe I can call him at the bed and breakfast. Because the last thing I want to do is show up and then have him push me away.”
“That might be good. I don’t know him that well, but maybe this is a situation where he just needs some room, you know?”
“Maybe,” I say, feeling all sorts of off. This is so not like Rupert, and I honestly don’t know how to react other than to feel dumbfounded. Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I turn my attention back to Renley and say, “Are you doing okay? Are we okay?”
When we were in the shop, things still felt tense, so when we parted ways, I felt uneasy, almost like everything was slipping from my grasp. Not quite yet, but just about there, and if I don’t cling on tightly enough, I could lose it all.
“We’re okay,” she says softly.
“Promise?”
She nods. “I promise.”
I cup her cheek and speak softly. “You know it was all real, right?”
She leans into my palm and grips my wrist, holding me in place. “Yes, you explained yourself, Theo.”
“I know, but I just feel…uneasy.” I bite my bottom lip as I ask, “Is it too much trouble to ask you to slip out of the house later and spend the night with me?”
“I don’t know,” she says, looking unsure.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked. You probably want some space right now to think everything through.”
“It’s not that, I just…I don’t know, would it be weird to go over when you’re fighting with Rupert?”
My brow creases. “You realize that Rupert is not my lover, right?”
She snorts and covers her nose.
“He’s a friend. It’s okay for me to spend time with you.”
“I just think that maybe you should clear things up.”
“And what if he doesn’t answer my call?” I ask. “I’ve already tried texting him and he hasn’t responded. Are you really not going to spend time with me until things are cleared up with Rupert?”
“No,” she says with a shake of her head. “I just, I don’t know, I just feel weird coming over when he’s not there.”
“Do you like an audience?” Her expression is unamused, so I grip her hips and say, “We don’t have to do anything. I just want to hold you after everything we talked about today. It would make me feel more secure about where we are. Please, Renley?”
She glances away and sighs. “Well, when you put it like that.”
I kiss the top of her head and softly say, “Thank you.”
Her arms slip around my waist, and to my surprise, she pulls me into a hug, letting her head rest on my chest. I return the embrace and spend the minute she is offering me just holding her and sinking into the idea that this entire summer has been a whirlwind of surprises that all started with one simple dare.
Now I’m in another country, finding it hard to stay away from someone I didn’t even know a few weeks ago, and feeling more accomplished from helping install a toilet than from all the years of showing up at events and shaking hands just for the hell of it.
This summer has changed me in the best way possible, and even though things are rocky with Rupert—something I know I can figure out—I can honestly say this is the best summer I’ve ever had.
When she lifts her head, she stands on her toes and places a soft kiss on my jaw. “I’ll be over later.”
“Okay.”
She pats my chest. “Fix things with Rupert.”
“Plan on it.”
With one more kiss, we part ways and I head back into my house. When I get inside, I pull my phone from my pocket, where I look up the phone number for the Pillow Room. I plug it in and when the phone starts ringing, I take a seat on the couch.
“Hello, you’ve reached the Pillow Room, how can I help you?”
I clear my throat and sit taller on the couch. “Hello, I was hoping to be transferred to Rupert Walsh’s room?”
“Of course, just a moment.”
The phone goes silent and then starts ringing. Hopefully he’s in his room to answer.
After two rings, his voice comes on the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey…mate,” I say, bracing for him to hang up on me.
“Theo?” he asks, his voice semi-annoyed but also surprised.
“Yeah, it’s me. I, uh, I called because you didn’t reply to my text and I wanted to—”
“To disturb me while I’m trying to get some distance from you?”
“Rupert, come on, man. Talk to me, let’s work this out.”
“So now that I’m no longer at your beck and call, you want to work things out?”
Slightly offended, I say, “No, because you’re my friend and you’re upset, I want to work things out.”
“I’m not in the mood.”
I can feel him wanting to hang up, so I quickly say, “I can come visit you, we can spend the weekend together.” I know I have fishing with Renley, but I’m sure she would give that up so I can work things out with Rupert.
“No, thank you. Not in the mood for your company.”
What the actual hell? Where is all of this animosity coming from? I don’t think I’ve ever been more confused.
“Rupert, we’ve never gotten in a fight before. I…I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Of course you wouldn’t; you weren’t listening every time I mentioned wanting to spend time with you, just like Kitty said.”
Uh…what?
“What do you mean ‘like Kitty said’?” I ask as I stand from the couch and dig my hand into my hair. “Did you talk to her about me?” And every time he mentioned wanting to spend time with me? When did that happen?
“I talked to her about me,” he emphasizes. “Not everything is about you, Theo. Now, I would like some peace, so I’m hanging up. See you on Sunday for the roast.”
And then the line goes dead. I pull my phone away from my ear, staring at the screen for a few seconds, my mind racing, because what the hell did Kitty say to him that could possibly break up a friendship that has been strong for decades?