Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
THEO
I’m just putting away the last book on the shelf in the library when I hear Kennedy calling out from downstairs. My stomach does a childish flip at the sound of her voice, and out of nowhere, I suddenly feel nervous to see her.
Aidan, Joanna, and I spent all day cleaning the second floor of the house.
We managed to get most of the necessary cosmetic tasks done, but Aidan broke the news that the house needed a lot more than just a good scrubbing.
He wants to come back with a team to inspect the structural soundness of the home, and instead of fighting him on it, I wholeheartedly agreed.
My eagerness to start the process surprised both Aidan and his mate, but based on the knowing look they exchanged on the way out, they seemed to have a pretty good idea where my change in heart is coming from.
Kennedy calls me again, and I hear her bounding up the stairs. “Theo? Are you up here?”
I shifted back into my physical body only a few moments ago, so I walk out of the library casually, hands tucked into my pockets. “How was your day?”
She stops in her tracks at the top of the stairs. I also changed my clothing for the first time since she arrived, and clearly it was a good decision. Kennedy looks me up and down, slowly dragging her eyes from the black sweatpants hanging on my hips up to the matching hoodie clinging to my chest.
It had been so long since I’d worn anything else from my own wardrobe that nothing felt comfortable.
Everything I tried on grated against my skin or sat awkwardly on my frame.
After spending nearly an hour changing, I finally had the idea to use a bit of magic and duplicate an outfit I saw Aidan wear one time that I liked.
Clearly Kennedy likes it too, because she’s still staring at me.
“W-what did you say?” she stammers.
I approach her steadily. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m hoping that by following my instincts, I won’t make a fool out of myself.
“I asked how your day was.”
Her deep blue eyes finally meet mine. “It was good. Umm, what about you?”
I nod to the bedroom to her right. “I cleaned the second floor.”
She turns and treads lightly into what, for all intents and purposes, is more her room now than it was ever mine.
“All by yourself?” she asks, flopping onto the bed. She kicks off her black sneakers and runs her hands over the freshly laundered duvet.
“I had some help,” I admit.
She sticks out her bottom lip. I want to bite it. “I thought I was going to help you.”
“Trust me,” I state with a groan, “there’s still plenty to do. Aidan just left a note with all the suggested improvements the house needs. There’s a checklist.”
Kennedy’s pout turns upward. “Sweet. Let’s HGTV this shit.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Clearly I still have much to teach you.”
I relax and lean my shoulder against the doorframe. “You? Teach me?”
“Yeah.” The bed dips as she shifts her hips. “I thought, since you’ve been teaching me about ghost stuff, I can teach you about the modern world. Things you’ve missed out on.”
“I’m intrigued.” I saunter into the room channeling the swagger of a 1920s gangster. All the while, my stomach feels like lava. “So, what’s this HGTV?”