23. Piper #2
Work didn’t come easily, but I wanted a reason to stay, so I found something to do on my laptop. Kelsey came by a few times to chat, which took up some more of my time, but I was impatiently waiting for the shop to close.
It felt like it took forever for Theo to finally flip the sign to closed, and by that time, I was up and moving.
“Yes?” he said, turning to me with a raised brow.
The sight was way too hot for words. A ball of cotton made its way into my throat, and I had to fight it to speak.
“H-how was your day?” I nearly cringed when I asked it. That wasn’t the best way to start a conversation, and I knew it.
But can you touch me again was far worse.
“Fine. You got to see most of it.” Theo had a mop in his hand, but fully turned to me. “How’s your burn doing?”
“Mildly annoying, but I’m managing.”
His eyes narrowed. “You have something on your mind.”
“I do.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to stay calm. “I wanna try something else with you.”
Theo reacted immediately. He swallowed, eyes wide. “And what’s that?”
“A hug.”
There was a long pause between us where all I could hear was my own heartbeat in my ears.
“Like you hugging me?”
“No.” My voice shook. “The full package. You hugging me back too.”
“Are you ready for that?”
My heart sank. I’d heard that question a lot. “I don’t know, but I want to try.”
Theo’s cheeks went red, and I got a sick sense of satisfaction. Finally, he was blushing and it was because of me.
All was right with the world.
He took in a long breath, but then nodded. “Okay.”
I perked up. “Really?”
“Yeah. As long as you bail when you need to.”
“I will. Trust me, nothing will stop me if I want to be away.”
“Okay.” He nodded and leaned the mop against the counter. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” I said immediately.
“That quick?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
Theo nodded and opened his arms. My heart felt like it was in my throat as I took a step forward, and then another.
My face collided with his chest and I instantly tensed. He didn’t wrap his arms around me immediately—something I had mixed feelings about. I knew what he was doing. He was waiting for me to fully relax.
And with a shaky breath, I managed it. Finally, he hugged me back.
His arms landed right in the center of my back, and the tenseness returned. My mind flashed to when someone grabbed at me and I didn’t get a say in when it ended. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would go away and not turn into a panic spiral I couldn’t get out of.
“Piper.” Theo’s voice rumbled through me. It pulled me out of my mind. “Need to bail?”
“Keep talking to me.”
“Why?”
“It’s helping.”
“Oh, uh. Right. God, I’m a terrible talker.”
“Try?” I asked. “Just tell me a story.”
Theo hummed as he considered it, and oh. I liked that sound.
“I do have something from my handyman days. Have you seen anything about the Bell’s Brews closet?”
“It sounds familiar, but I can’t remember anything.” I had a lot more on my mind.
“You might know it as the BBC.”
Despite being wrapped up in someone else’s arms, I laughed. “Is that what that means around here?”
“To everyone but Mark, the owner of Bell’s Brews, no. We all know the meaning.”
“And no one corrects him?”
“Absolutely not. It’s hilarious.”
“I’m surprised you find that funny.”
“Well, it made you laugh, didn’t it?” Theo asked. I could practically hear him smile, but I didn’t want to pull away to look at it and risk losing the hug. He continued. “Anyway, the name is even funnier because a lot happens in there.”
“What, are the cleaning supplies getting freaky?”
“No, but most people in town do.”
I gasped. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Most people go to the bar to socialize, and they don’t wanna go to the hotel that’s twenty minutes away. It’s so bad that I had to install a lock on the door.”
“Did it work?”
“I think so, but when I installed the lock . . . I caught someone in there.”
“Who?”
“Dale, with a footlong sandwich.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“He was talking to it. I swear he was seducing that thing.”
“Oh my God. Why are the people in this town so weird?”
“There must be something in the water.” He said it softly and his voice was warm. I couldn’t help but smile. “How are you doing?”
My arms were still wrapped around him, but they weren’t squeezing anymore. My body had relaxed as I talked with him. His voice had started this, but now I knew I felt completely safe in his arms.
And even better, I liked it.
“I’m good.”
Theo moved, and for a moment, I thought he was pulling away. Instead, his hands moved up and down my back, leaving heat in their wake.
“Is this also okay?”
“Yeah. I really like it, actually.” Like wasn’t a strong enough word. All my life, touch had come with pain. With every movement, Theo eased one moment of misery. My mind clung to his hands, desperately wanting to remember this and not all the misery that came before.
I wanted more. I wanted to experience what touch was like when it wasn’t pain.
We stayed like that for a long time, and I wondered if I would ever be ready to pull away.
Theo paused first. “M-maybe I should get back to closing.”
I came back into myself and slowly pulled away.
My skin felt cold.
“Yeah, of course. Thank you for that, Theo.”
He looked me over, seemingly lost in thought for a long moment. I tilted my head at him, wishing I could read minds. “Any time, Piper.”
My breaths were shaky, and I could only nod and grab my laptop. I wasn’t nervous. Instead, I was buzzing with a different sort of energy. I wondered if Theo was feeling the same thing.
But he was working on closing, not facing me.
For a moment, I tried to get a read on him. It was hard when he seemed determined not to look at me. Then he glanced back, catching my eye.
They were wide, as if he felt the same thing I was. My own emotions felt warm but delicate, like the wrong word could tear them all down.
“Did you mean it when you said any time?” I asked.
He answered quietly, “I did. You gonna wear out that offer?”
“Is it okay if I do?”
He gave a jerky nod and relief made my shoulders sag.
I could do this again. He would be close to me.
It was all I wanted.