Chapter 19
Theo
MERCURY
Were you planning on coming over anytime soon or are you just leaving us in suspense?
ME
Aww, missing me already, Mercury?
MERCURY
I’m only missing those sour Skittles you promised to bring.
ME
Ouch! Is that all I’m good for?
MERCURY
Well, it certainly isn’t punctuality.
ME
*Gasp* When did you turn so cold, Hayes?…
DANI
Stop flirting and get over here. Let’s get this marathon on the road!
Ismirked down at the group text we had resurrected several days ago.
Just like old times, we were having a Fast and Furious marathon tonight since Dawson had to return to UT in two days for practice.
Dani and I still had a few weeks before we had to go back, but the thought of being here without Dawson depressed me.
The last two weeks had been better than anything I could have wished for since coming home.
I’d spent every day with Dawson playing video games, swimming, watching movies, and doing pretty much anything we could think of.
It was the first taste of the old Theo I’d had in years and I was starved for more.
The only thing we hadn’t done again was set foot in Neverland. I’d hinted at taking our sleeping bags and spending a night out there like we had done a hundred times before, but Dawson was hesitant. I had a feeling he wouldn’t return there until he could trust me again.
I could wait. I had nothing but time and love to give him, so I’d wait as long as he needed.
Stuffing the two packs of sour Skittles in my pockets and grabbing my phone, I traipsed down the stairs with an eager buzz thrumming in my veins.
I logically knew my medication hadn’t had time to kick in yet, but it already felt like I had turned a corner.
My thoughts weren’t racing, I wasn’t constantly on edge, and I felt grounded in a way I hadn’t for months.
It was as though all I had needed was a new focus, a new purpose.
Or rather a return to what my purpose was supposed to be all along: loving Dawson.
The sound of arguing reached me as I neared the open back patio door. They were so wrapped up in their squabbling, I slipped into the kitchen unnoticed.
“Holy crap, Dani. You drowned the whole tub of popcorn in butter!”
“Uh, yeah? I’m doing us a favor. Without butter, we might as well be eating cardboard.”
“Well, you might as well inject the fat straight into our asses. I swear to God, your eating habits are worse than a toddler’s.”
“Not true! I had a salad just yesterday.”
“That you doused in dressing and croutons!”
“Yeah, because I don’t hate myself. And don’t go throwing stones when you regularly eat your weight in sour skittles.”
“That’s totally different…it’s self-care. Plus, I’m an athlete so I can work it all off. You won’t be young forever and that crap will catch up with you.”
“Go preach to someone else, Dr. Oz. And I get plenty of exercise, thank you.”
“You do know running your mouth doesn’t count, right?”
“Oh, I do cardio alright, just with a workout buddy. Horizontally. In bed.”
I joined in Dani’s cackling as Dawson’s face contorted in disgust and horror. “You walked right into that one, Mercury.”
I made my way over to lean back on the counter, my legs crossing at the ankles.
Dawson swept his gaze over my sweatpants and white tank, and the look he leveled at me heated my blood.
I’d done my best to be a complete gentleman while hanging out, but I was only human.
I’d caught those gorgeous eyes of his trailing over my body more than once the last few days, stripping me of my restraint layer by layer.
Luckily, their parents sauntered into the kitchen with the dog trotting behind them, killing my urge to leap over the island and suck Dawson’s perfect, pouty lips off.
“Uh oh. That’s Dani’s evil laugh. What did she do now?” Mr. Hayes asked sardonically.
Dani scoffed indignantly. “Why do you always assume I did something?”
“Years of experience has taught us that you’re usually the culprit, honey,” Mrs. Hayes teased.
“Only because Captain America here is a rule-following kiss-ass.”
“Don’t pout because I’m the favorite,” Dawson snickered. Dani lobbed a handful of popcorn at him, laughing when one piece pegged him in the eye.
“I doubt he’d be the favorite if your parents knew where that scratch on their new Mercedes came from when we were—”
I was cut off by a volley of popcorn pelting me in the face.
“You Judas!” Dawson shouted, grabbing another fistful and throwing it my direction. I howled with laughter at his panicked outrage, catching some of the over-buttered projectiles in my mouth.
“Hey! Not in my clean kitchen, you heathens!”
“Relax, Emilia. That’s what the canine vacuum is for,” Mr. Hayes soothed his wife, gesturing towards Penny who was happily scooping up the shrapnel of our mini-food fight.
Being around Dawson’s parents after everything was strange, but also comfortingly familiar.
His mom welcomed me back with open arms and a ton of food.
Making me fat was her love language. What worried me was how silent our fathers had been about Dawson and I spending time together.
No warnings, no words of advice. Nothing.
Somehow that put me on edge more than anything.
I was stuck waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.
It’ll probably be a fucking steel-toed boot drop, knowing my luck.
“Don’t worry. I’ll try my best to keep them in line tonight, Mama Em.” I shot her my most charming smile while Dawson and Dani booed in the background.
“And that’s why you’re my favorite,” she said, smooshing my cheeks together.
“Don’t you two have a date night to get to?”
“Yes and our show starts at five so we need to get going. Don’t forget to lock up after you let Penny out tonight,” Mr. Hayes reminded us as he herded his wife towards the door. “And double-check Stella’s pen too. I swear, that damn goat could escape from Alcatraz.”
“Remember to call us if you need anything! Our hotel is downtown so we’re not far!” They disappeared through the door, only for their dad to pop his head back in quickly.
“But only call in an emergency or you’re all disowned.”
“Alright, I’m gonna go set up the movie in the theater room,” Dani said. “You guys know we’re never gonna get through all of them at this rate, right?”
“It’s cool. We always skip two and three anyway,” I explained to her.
“Why would you do that?”
“Well, two is boring and doesn’t have Vin Diesel, and we all pretend three doesn’t exist. If we make it through number eight, I call that a win.”
“I second that,” Dawson agreed. “Why don’t you grab the popcorn and the chips. We’ll bring the drinks.”
Dani’s eyes bounced between us and rolled her lips. “Okay. Just don’t take too long. Or at least keep it down...”
“Oh fuck off and go start the movie.” Dawson flushed and I laughed at his obvious discomfort. Once her footsteps receded, I sauntered over to him, loving the way his pupils dilated and his breathing quickened the closer I got.
“She’s not wrong. You were always pretty loud during…you know.”
Dawson gulped audibly, tensing slightly as I leaned into him. I reached into my pocket for the Skittles, dangling the bags in front of his face enticingly. His lips twitched as I rattled them obnoxiously, finally swiping them out of my hand.
“You know, those used to be worth a song or two.”
Dawson’s brow quirked up. “Maybe my prices have gone up.”
“Maybe I’m willing to negotiate,” I rumbled.
His lips parted on a shallow breath and my gaze darted to his tempting mouth. When his tongue swiped out, my dick jerked in response. I sensed his nerves though and reminded myself he asked for time, so I pulled back.
I went to the fridge, grabbing several cans of soda and turning just in time to catch Dawson’s gaze dart away from my ass.
My smirk told him he’d been caught and he quickly snatched a couple of the cans from my arms, heading downstairs.
I took a steadying breath, willing my erection to go down before I followed him.
And if I snuck a peek or two at Dawson’s ass as I did, that was nobody’s business but mine.
“Oh come on, why did you hit mute?” I griped. I was sprawled out on one end of the large U-shaped couch with Dani curled up in one of the corners and Dawson in between us.
“Because this scene always makes me cry and I can’t listen to that song anymore,” Dani whined.
“Why not?”
“Dawson was obsessed with it when this movie came out and played it on his piano for months. Even Charlie Puth himself would be sick of it after that.”
“Christ, you’re so dramatic. I didn’t play it that much and it’s been years. Get over it already.”
“Yeah, you did and I still have the migraine to prove it. Also don’t forget all the weeks your mopey butt spent playing it after Theo moved.”
Dawson went rigid next to me, but I caught the nervous sidelong glance he shot me in the glow of the giant screen.
A weird rush of emotion hit me. I thought about the lyrics and what Dawson would have been trying to say through the music.
Was it meant to mourn me and my absence, or had he believed and perhaps even hoped that he’d see me again?
“Do you have any filter for that mouth?” Dawson grumbled, sinking lower in the cushions.
“Oh, was it supposed to be a secret that you missed your boyfriend? Because spoiler alert, it wasn’t much of a secret,” Dani whispered sarcastically.
“Neither was the time you snuck the captain of the basketball team in your room when you were sixteen, but maybe I should finally let your mom in on that secret too,” I stage-whispered back.
“What the fuck? You knew about that?” she squeaked loudly. Dawson barked out a laugh and I winked at him playfully, enjoying the spread of pink on his cheeks that told me he’d caught it.
“Whatever. It’s like two thirty in the morning. I’m out. You guys have fun,” Dani yawned, dragging herself off the sofa. We said our goodnights and Dawson spooled up Fate of the Furious.