Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
Theo
Mason wants to know if the shark tried to climb onto the metal island.
I laugh with a shake of my head, leaning against the platform railing as I tap out a reply. Sending a photo of a shark in the water didn’t seem like it would be such a big deal, but… with Mason, I should have known better.
He still can’t quite figure out the rig, can he…
I’ve even showed him pictures. I don’t know what else to do.
I huff out another laugh as I picture Mason at Sunday dinner, just losing his mind over the shark and the metal island while everyone is trying to eat. I sent the photo over an hour ago, and he’s still going. But I can only smile, because I’ll have more pictures of marine life to show him at Sunday dinner next week when I’m home.
Maybe we should just let him think it’s a floating metal island.
Probably for the best.
I smile and lift my eyes, staring out over the open water as I take a deep breath in.
Ever since I told Theo what really happened with Nick… everything feels just a little bit lighter. I know I’ll forever carry this guilt, but… even just saying those words out loud shifted something in me. And it’s not as heavy anymore.
His words echo in my mind as I watch the waves roll and listen to them crash against the rig. When he told me it wasn’t my fault… and asked me how I would want Nick to feel if it was me, and not him.
I’d want him to remember everything good that we had.
I’d want him to live , keeping me with him to show me how good this life can be.
I’d want him to love, grow, and be happy.
And that’s what I’m working on.
I unlock my phone and open my messages with Mom. I stare at it for a moment before I take a deep breath, and type out a message that has been a long time coming.
Hi Mom. Just wanted to let you know I’m coming to visit soon.
My heart thumps as she immediately starts texting back.
Mom
Oh Liam, I am so excited to hear this! We miss you so much, mo mhac.
Let us know when, we can’t wait!
I swallow hard, blinking back the tears forming in my eyes as I tap out my reply.
I will. I miss you too.
Love you.
Gu bràth.
I release a long breath as my eyes close, then fill my lungs with the fresh, salty air. And I imagine being at home. With my parents, with Theo… and I let that image sit for a moment, finding comfort in their love.
I can do this…
Then I push off the railing and head back inside, where the guys are all playing ping-pong.
Of course.
“Listen here, fucker,” Keegan points at Russel across the ping-pong table. “That was absolutely a foul, and you know it.”
“Oh,” Russel tosses his paddle onto the table and tosses his hands in the air. “You’re just making up the fucking rules now, are you?”
Keegan huffs and shakes his head, glancing at me. “Liam. Tiebreaker, because none of these assholes are any help.” He gestures to everyone else sitting around the common room, watching this all unfold with smirks on their faces. “If a player accidentally ,” he shoots a look at Russel, “moves the table while playing, that’s a foul, right?”
I draw my brows together, looking around the room as everyone watches me expectantly… waiting for my ruling.
“Uh…” I shrug, “I mean, I guess it technically would be, but?—”
“Ha!” Keegan points at Russel.
“No, no!” Russel shouts, pointing a finger at me and then to Keegan. “The table moved because this bastard didn’t hit his side of the table first, so I had to scramble to get it, so he had the foul.”
I throw my hands up, shaking my head as I step back. “Nope. I wasn’t here to see it, not my problem.”
“Ok, guys, just… start over,” Dylan says, standing up and approaching the table. “Let’s move the fuck on.”
As they all fall into another argument about why they should or shouldn’t do that, I slip out of the room and down the hall, towards my room.
I pull my phone out on the way and text Theo.
Home yet?
I’m just dropping onto my bed when he texts back.
Yeah, Grandpa just dropped me off.
I tap his name and hit call.
“Hey,” his voice sounds through the speaker, immediately putting a smile on my face.
“Hi,” I say. “How’s your arm today?”
“My arm feels ok, but my hand is sore,” he says. “At least this new splint I got the other day in therapy is lighter, so it’s not so big and awkward.”
“How are the exercises going?”
“They hurt,” he admits. “But the scars are the worst part right now. Now that the stitches are out, they’ve put silicone strips on them. My whole arm and hand feels tight and uncomfortable. Sounds like it’s going to be months of scar tissue management.”
“You’re doing all the right things,” I say in a reassuring tone, knowing how frustrated he’s feeling with the amount of therapy he has to do. “With all the work you’re doing, you’ll have the best possible outcome.”
He sighs. “Yeah. I just wish ‘best possible outcome’ was returning to normal.”
“I know.” I release my own sigh. “But you’ll be able to get back to what you love. It’s just going to look a little different.”
“Yeah…” he murmurs.
“Where are you right now?” I ask.
“I just laid down in bed.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and hit video call.
Theo answers with a curious expression. “Hey.”
But there’s a small smile on his lips, and my eyes immediately drop to them.
“Hm,” I hum. “I can’t wait to kiss those lips…”
He lifts an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth twitches. “And what else?”
I huff out a breath of laughter. “You know what else.”
He chuckles and I soak in the sound.
There’s been a new sense of ease for both of us this past week, since we each stepped out from under the weight that’s been pressing down on us. And while there are still hard steps we need to take, knowing that we can face them together and get through it… it feels good.
And I want to make him feel good tonight.
“Set your phone up on the bedside table,” I say.
His brow furrows. “Why?”
I just smile. “You know why.”
Theo cocks an eyebrow at me with a playful smirk. “What about your roommate?”
“He’s on night shift.”
“And if he decides to come back to the room for some reason?”
“Then he’ll get a show.” I shrug.
He chuckles, but then leans over and sets his phone on the bedside table, angled towards the bed so I can see his entire upper body.
I take a deep breath in as I run my eyes over him. “Shirt off.”
He sits up so he can remove his shirt awkwardly with one arm. What I wouldn’t give to have my hands on him…
After he tosses it on the floor, he nods his head towards me on his phone screen. “Your turn.”
I momentarily set the phone down so I can take my shirt off, and I chuckle at his grumbles. But when I pick my phone up again and angle it so he can see me, he draws in a breath with a nod.
“Fuck yeah…” he says.
I slide my hand down my stomach and slip it into the waistband of my pants, moving my phone so he can watch. I’m hard already at the sight of him, and let out a soft moan as I grasp my cock.
“Push them down,” he says, and I do as I’m told.
He groans as he watches me push my pants down and grasp my hard cock. As I stroke it for him, he reaches down to free his dick as well, and I can’t take my eyes off him.
He runs his hand along his hard length as he watches me, and the feeling of his eyes on me is enough to drive me wild. But when he moans and starts stroking himself faster, I can hardly fucking stand it.
“Fuck… sin an rud as teotha a chunnaic mi riamh,” I breathe out.
He lets out a guttural groan. “Fuck that’s hot.”
“Exactly,” I say with a huff. He doesn’t know what I told him, but he basically just agreed with me… because this is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. And I love how Gaelic gets him so riled up.
Another moan escapes him, and I bite my lip while I watch him, letting pleasure flow through me as I jerk myself to the beautiful sight and sounds.
“Fuck I wish your mouth was on me…” Theo pants.
A rush of air leaves me and I let out a groan as he tips his head back and closes his eyes, the muscles of his arm and abs flexing as he rubs his cock.
“What do you want me to do to you when I get home,” I ask, barely hanging on as I tip closer to the edge.
His eyes open, and he turns his head to look at me. “Fuck the cum out of me.”
My breath hitches, and I release my cock, swallowing hard as I try not to bust just at the sound of those words.
But he shakes his head, staring right at me. “Come.”
The second my hand is on my cock, pleasure crashes over me. I try to keep my moans quiet as I stroke myself through it, coming over my abs as I watch Theo’s muscles tense. He grunts, his cum spilling over his stomach as his chest rises and falls with heavy breaths.
Fuck…
We both lie still in our beds as we catch our breath, and I watch him with a soft smile.
“Mo chridhe…” I say slowly.
His own smile spreads across his face as he looks at me through the screen, and he gently taps his chest.
The love I feel for him spreads through me, and I place my own hand over my chest. Now he knows exactly what he means to me.
He’s my entire heart.