Chapter 8 Theo
Chapter eight
Theo
The purple lights of the honky tonk bar are blinding as they shine down on the dancefloor just a few feet away. This is one of the few—if only—places in Cedar Ridge to go out on a weekend. They have bar food, drinks, and, of course, line dancing.
It’s a place I’ve been countless times, even with the same three people I’m with now.
Only this time, it’s different. This is my and Cora’s first official double date with Cruz and Addison.
And on the surface, it’s truly not that different.
The four of us are sitting around a high-top table by the dancefloor, nursing beers and chatting.
Only this time, the topic of conversation is us.
“When did you know you were in love with her?” Addison asks me, elbows propped on the table as she stares at me intently.
Fuck. I take a sip of beer to try to buy some time. “I guess, uh … not that long ago?” I shrug.
Cruz rolls his eyes. “Come on, man.” He gives me a look.
I wish I could punch him in the face. “Okay, well … maybe ...” I trail off.
Addison makes a face. “Theo, I don’t want a timeline, I want the story.” She widens her eyes at me. “What was it that made you just know?”
I glance sideways at Cora, but she’s refusing to look at me, instead seemingly incredibly interested in her beer.
In fact, she’s seemed increasingly interested in pretty much anything other than me since we had our little post-shower run-in earlier in the week.
I’m trying not to think too much into it, that she’s just adjusting to this new life change and all, but things just feel … off.
I clear my throat, coming to the realization that I’m not getting off the hook on this one. I wrack my brain, torn between honesty or something that just seems plausible. “I guess it was earlier …”
Addison makes an I knew it face.
“Three months after she started working on the ranch,” I go on.
“It was raining that day. Not pouring, just drizzling. I was in the mess hall having lunch, and Cora walks in, her hair frizzy, her eyelashes wet, this huge smile on her face. It took me a full ten seconds to realize she was holding a kitten—one of the barn cats had had a litter. Said she’d found it wandering alone and that she’d bring it back to its mama after lunch.
So we spend lunch eating and chatting and playing with this kitten and … I don’t know, I just knew.”
Silence settles over the table for a heartbeat, and then Addison is clasping her hands together and awing.
“Now that I believe,” Cruz says with a smirk.
I brave a glance at Cora, and to my surprise, she’s looking at me this time. Her eyebrows are drawn together ever so slightly, and she meets my gaze for a few seconds before looking away.
It’s then that Addison declares it time for dancing, pulling Cruz off the stool beside her and dragging him to the dancefloor.
Cora and I quietly follow. The four of us join a line in the corner of the dancefloor and simply follow along, Addison and Cruz having an obviously better time as they reach for each other and flirt as they dance.
The music shifts, and I take the opportunity to move closer to Cora, abandoning the line dance and simply swaying with her, my hand resting gently on her waist. “You okay?” I murmur quietly in her ear.
“Yeah,” she answers immediately. She offers me a weak smile. “It’s just been a big week.”
I nod, a bit of relief flooding me. I was right. Just a weird week. Nothing more. “Yeah, it’s been crazy,” I agree.
We sway in silence for a few heartbeats. “That story you told Addison,” she eventually says. “That moment—it was a real thing that happened.” She looks up, and her eyes meet mine.
My throat bobs. “I …” My voice wavers. “I figured blending it with the truth would make it more believable,” I say.
She nods slowly. “Three months in?”
I shrug a shoulder. “People have fallen in love faster.”
Her gaze moves away from mine. “You’re very convincing.”
I don’t know whether to be relieved or panicked by her comment. Sure, convincing is what we’re meant to be. But somehow I’ve found myself in a situation where I’m lying to everyone about everything.
And that story I’d just told Addison and Cruz? It’s the first truthful thing I’ve said during this whole fiasco.
Because I’d fallen head over heels in love with a frizzy-haired Cora holding a soaking wet kitten, and I’ve fallen deeper and deeper every goddamn day.
“Cora—” I start, but suddenly the music stops and a pop of the microphone grabs everyone’s attention.
“Sooooo,” a bandmember says into the mic, surveying the crowd. It’s just then that I notice Addison standing near the stage, just below the man. What is she doing over there? “It’s come to my attention that we have some newlyweds in the house.”
A flash of heat rushes through me as the crowd cheers, and Cora stiffens in my arms. Shit. What the fuck, Addison? She’s jumping up and down and pointing at the two of us. Suddenly one of those godforsaken purple beams of light latches onto us, propelling us into the center of attention.
The wedding march plays, along with hoots and hollers from the crowd.
“Congratulations to Theo and Cora,” the man says, the words echoing off the walls, zeroing in on us as I stare down at Cora. With the harsh light, it’s not like I can see anything else beyond the black that surrounds us. She stares up at me, smiling softly.
My grip on her waist tightens.
The man chuckles into the microphone. “For god’s sake, kiss your wife already!”
I try to read Cora’s eyes, searching for permission. She purses her lips, smiling just a bit wider, although I think it’s more from nerves than anything else. She nods almost imperceptibly. “Kiss me,” she whispers.
And I do. My lips brush against hers, and electricity surges through me.
At first, I mean to keep it like our kiss at the courthouse.
Short, sweet, to the point. But then my mind wanders back to my story.
To that memory of Cora holding that kitten and just falling off the edge.
I think of that man standing in front of her, knowing he was in love but too scared to do anything about it.
I think of him flashing forward in time, to a courthouse wedding, to kissing under these lights, and how fucking ecstatic he would be—whether this thing is fake or not.
And suddenly, my fingers are digging into the flesh of Cora’s waist, right between her high-waisted jeans and the cropped sweater she’s wearing. My lips are pressing harder against hers, my tongue sliding along her bottom lip. And to my surprise, her tongue meets mine there.
And I’m a goner.
The kiss deepens, my mouth moving against hers like I’m drowning and she’s the only air in the room.
The cheering of the crowd languidly pulls my mind back to reality, and when we finally break our kiss, I simply stare down at Cora, her lips slightly swollen as she lightly pulls the lower one between her teeth.
There’s a faint blush on her cheeks that makes me want to dive back in for more.
“That’s newlyweds for you!” the bandmember says over the mic, and the cheers and laughter continue.
The lights go back to normal—thankfully—and suddenly Cruz and Addison are there, Addison bouncing around and chattering.
Cora’s wide eyes meet mine for just one heartbeat before Addison grabs her attention.
Cora steps back, and my hands fall to my sides.
Cora and Addison are giggling amongst themselves now, but their words don’t make it past my ears.
Instead, all I’m thinking about is that kiss, the feel of Cora’s waist under my fingertips, and how fucking badly I want to do it all over again.
I need air.
Shooting a quick smile and wave at Cora, I brush past her, through the dancefloor and out the front door of the bar. The chilly evening air washes over me, giving me a good slap in the face that I need.
I take a deep breath, leaning against the wall of the building, my head back against the brick as I run my hands over my face. I can hear the music from outside, beating in time with the rhythm of my heart.
I both hate and love Addison for what she just did. Having to kiss Cora—getting to kiss Cora.
And against my better judgement, I hope to God I’ll get to do it again.