Chapter 10
BECCA
After an indulgently long shower, I pile my wet hair on top of my head and pull on the t-shirt Theo gave me to wear.
It’s soft and navy blue, with a Georgia Jaguars logo on the front, and it smells incredible, like clean laundry and Theo.
I keep lifting it to my nose, breathing in the scent like some sort of obsessed bloodhound.
But it just smells so good. By the time I crawl into bed, I’m pretty sure I could pick this shirt out of a lineup.
Speaking of beds … this one is possibly the most comfortable in all of Atlanta. The sheets are silky smooth, the mattress is divine, and the pillows have just the right amount of fluff.
Theo clearly bought the best of everything.
I make more than enough to meet my needs, but I’ll never be in the same tax bracket as these sheets.
I reach for my phone, which I left charging on the bedside table, and find a text from Mia.
Mia
Hey. I just got home, but you aren’t here. Is everything okay? Your location says you’re close, but I’m still a little freaked out.
I quickly key out a response.
Becca
Hey! I’m good. Totally safe. Believe it or not, I’m actually in Theo’s guest room.
Mia
Um. WHAT?
Becca
It’s a long story.
Mia
Can I call you?
Before I can respond to her message, my phone vibrates with an incoming call.
“Okay, spill it,” Mia says as soon as I answer.
I give her the rundown of what happened, from the breakup to Theo’s rescue to my forgotten keys. “I’ll walk home in the morning,” I say. “Sorry I worried you.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” she says. “Also, Rory is an idiot. You’re better off without him. I hope you know that.”
“Yeah, I do,” I say. “I mostly feel relieved.”
“You’re relieved? I’m relieved. It took a lot of energy to pretend I thought he was interesting.”
I chuckle. “You’re terrible.”
“I just know what you deserve, and I don’t want you to settle,” she says. “What’s his apartment like? Is it amazing?”
I stifle a yawn. “It’s beautiful. Perfect, really. I could live here and not change a thing.”
“I’m going to manifest that for you,” Mia says. “Just a heads up. It would be easiest if you fall in love with the guy who already lives there.”
“Stop it,” I say, but I smile anyway.
“I’m just saying. I mean, I suppose you could fall in love with some other insanely rich guy and convince him to buy the place fully furnished, but I’ll be honest, that feels like a lot of unnecessary steps.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I say through a laugh.
“You’re the one who said you wanted to live there.”
“I said I could live here. That’s not the same thing. Go to bed. I don’t need you putting these ideas in my head.”
“I hate to break it to you,” Mia says, “but I think they’re already there. Love you. Don’t walk home before nine because I will not be awake to let you in.”
“Love you,” I say, then I end the call and drop my phone onto my chest.
I don’t know what I did to deserve Mia, but I don’t think I could do this life without her.
Before I go to sleep, I pull up my family group chat so I can fill them in on the breakup.
They only met Rory once—when they all traveled out to California to go to Disneyland—so I don’t think they were particularly invested in our relationship.
But they are invested in me, so they’ll still want to know.
Becca
Hi family. Just FYI. Rory and I broke up tonight. I’m okay. Saw it coming and feel relieved it’s over.
Gigi
bye snoreeeyyy
Becca
Snorey? Seriously?
Gigi
Tell me it doesn’t fit…
Alyssa
I like borey a little better cause he’s such a bore
Gigi
Snorey borey!
Mom
Be nice, girls. I’m sorry, Becca. I’m glad you’re feeling okay about things.
Becca
Thanks, Mom.
Gigi
I’m sorry too. breakups suck. but you can totally do better.
Alyssa
for real
For a split second, I debate whether I should tell them where I am, if only for the shock factor.
My sisters remember Theo. They were younger when we dated but not so young that they don’t have any memories of him.
They did the 5k with us right after Mom was diagnosed with MS, and they always loved it when he came over to the house.
He and I took them trick-or-treating and to high school football games, and they were always trying to convince Theo to drive the three of us up to Buc-ee’s to get them some Beaver Nuggets.
Theo was a total pushover. He made the drive way more frequently than my parents did.
Needless to say, my sisters would lose their minds if they knew I was sleeping at his place. They would also jump to the same conclusion Mia has—that the obvious next step is dating him. And I’m not ready for that kind of peer pressure.
I’m also not sure what my parents would think.
They were a little more aware of my post-breakup devastation than my sisters were.
There was a lot going on that summer. My dad’s mom had Alzheimer’s, and in the month right after my high school graduation, her health turned from bad to much, much worse.
Heartbreak over Nana’s memory loss on top of heartbreak over Theo really wrecked me.
I don’t think my parents still hold any ill will toward him, at least now, all these years later. But I was their little girl, which means they might.
Probably best not to mention Theo in the family group chat just yet.
Though I do have a question for my mom that might help me gauge how she feels about him.
Becca
So, Mom. Were you going to tell me you started playing pickleball with my ex-boyfriend’s mom?
Alyssa
uh, why is this the first I’ve heard about this?
Gigi
which ex-boyfriend?
Alyssa
probably the only one whose mom lives in Frisco?
Gigi
Theo? he was the best. not boring at all.
Mom
Maybe if you answered your phone every once in a while, I would have told you. I’m actually having lunch with Kim tomorrow. I forgot how much I like her.
Alyssa
wait. the Kim you’ve been talking about is Theo Williamson’s mom? how did i not know this?
Gigi
how did i not know ANY of this? am i even in this family?
Dad
Don’t worry, Gigi. I hadn’t made the connection either.
Mom
That’s on you because I told you the first day I saw her again. We had a whole conversation about it.
Alyssa
lol dad
Dad
You said she had kids who went to school with Becca.
Mom
I said a lot more than that.
Gigi
was he working on his sudoku when you told him? if he was, he was only half listening…
Alyssa
so true. excellent time to ask dad for money, just fyi
Dad
Sorry, Cas. I promise I was listening. Just didn’t connect the right dots.
Mom
I love how serious you are about your puzzles…
Dad
I’m serious about a lot of things … wink, wink
Alyssa
did you just type out wink wink? use an emoji dad
also i’m concerned
was that innuendo?
Dad
Where’s the eggplant? Is that the one I’m supposed to use?
Gigi
DAD EW NO
Alyssa
dad i will literally leave this chat if you send even one eggplant
Becca
I really feel like this conversation got away from us
Mom
And you’re surprised?
Becca
Not even a little. I’m going to bed. Tell Kim I said hi.
Mom
I definitely will. Is it weird for you? That I’m seeing her?
Ha. If mom only knew.
Becca
It’s a little weird? But it doesn’t bother me. I always liked her. I hope you have fun.
Mom
I’m sure I will. Love you.
All of you.
I’m laughing as I close out the text thread and put my phone back on the nightstand. My family is ridiculous. But I didn’t pick up on any lingering animosity toward Theo, so that’s good.
It doesn’t occur to me until I’m almost asleep that if I didn’t hope to spend more time with Theo, I probably wouldn’t care what my family thinks.
My alarm wakes me from the best sleep I’ve had in months.
Most of the apartments I stay in are short-term rentals that come fully furnished, so I’ve slept on a lot of crappy mattresses.
Maybe I’ve just forgotten how comfortable a bed can be, but I swear this mattress was made in heaven.
Even the one at Indigo’s doesn’t compare.
If I weren’t so determined not to overstay my welcome, I might go back to sleep. Indulge just a little longer. Then again, now that I’m awake and rested enough to have a clear head, I’m probably too aware of where I am to relax again.
I slept at Theo’s apartment.
I called Theo.
And weirdly enough, I didn’t even hesitate. He always did make me feel safe, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. But now, I’m second-guessing everything.
Why didn’t I just let Rory get me an Uber? Why didn’t I call about getting my own account unlocked? Honestly, it wasn’t even that far. Why didn’t I just walk?
I mean, the rain was terrible. But a little water never hurt anyone. I would have been fine … probably.
But I just felt so frozen. So alone.
And then Theo came, and he was kind and gentle and reassuring, and then the way he looked at me, the sincerity in his eyes when he told me he was sorry about the breakup … I can’t truly regret calling him.
But where does that leave us now?
I have to go out there and face him.
I have to put on last night’s dress and go talk to Theo Williamson like it’s no big deal.
I tug a pillow over my head and press it against my face, giving real consideration to my earlier plan: I’ll never get out of this bed.
See? Problem solved.
As if mocking me, my stomach immediately grumbles with hunger, then my bladder wakes up and alerts me to the fact that I really, really need to pee.
I sigh and toss off the covers. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Theo won’t be awake yet? I could always try to sneak out, then send Theo a thank you text once I’m safely back at Indigo’s.
It’s the best plan I’ve had all morning, so I make quick work of getting myself ready. Or as ready as I can with no toothbrush, no hairbrush, and not a stitch of makeup.
My bare face still looks a little tired, puffy from all the crying I did yesterday, and one of the shoulder straps on my dress breaks when I’m putting it on, so I wind up with Theo’s t-shirt on top, cinched up and tied at the waist. But all in all, it could be worse.
I carry my shoes into the living room, tiptoeing as softly as I can. But then my phone slips out of my hand and clatters to the floor. I freeze, waiting, listening, but I don’t hear movement anywhere in the apartment, so I bend down and scoop up my phone and make my way to the kitchen.
“Are you heading out?”
I turn to see Theo standing in his bedroom doorway. He’s wearing a plain white t-shirt and pajama bottoms slung low on his hips. His hair is disheveled, his voice gravelly with sleep, and he could not look more sexy.
“Yeah,” I say. “Sorry if I woke you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m glad to see you before you go. Do you want a ride?”
“Not for two blocks,” I say.
He nods as he looks me over, then his lips quirk up in a smile. “Are you stealing my shirt?”
I look down at his t-shirt. “Yes? The strap on my dress broke. So it’s either that or walk home with one of my boobs out.” I practically wince as soon as the words are out of my mouth, heat climbing up my cheeks. Did I seriously just mention my boob?
Theo chokes on a laugh. “Well, please don’t do that.”
“I’ll bring it to the MS Walk and give it back then,” I say. “As long as that’s okay.”
“Just keep it,” he says. “I’ve got plenty.”
Somewhere in my room at home, probably stuffed into a box in the back of my closet, there’s another t-shirt that once belonged to Theo. I stole it from him so I could sleep in it, and then I never gave it back.
“Thanks,” I say. “And thanks again for last night.”
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Good,” I say. “Relieved.” I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “Still a little foolish.”
He shakes his head. “He’s the foolish one, Bec. A smart man would recognize how lucky he is to be with you. He’d never let you go.”
My breath catches in my throat at his words. It’s the kind of thing people say after a breakup. He doesn’t deserve you. You’re better off without him. But coming from Theo, the words land differently.
Because he did let me go.
All these years later, the sting of that hurt is still worse than anything Rory did.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you later?” I say.
Theo runs a hand across his face. “Right. At the MS Walk?”
“Definitely. I’ll look for you,” I say. Then I turn and let myself out of his apartment.
I make it half a block before I catch myself doing it again—lifting the collar of Theo’s shirt to my nose and breathing him in like I have any right to do it.