19. Loose Ends
19
LOOSE ENDS
T heo
The next morning, I awoke feeling like I’d had the best sleep of my life for a second night in a row. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with a certain redheaded beauty tucked into the crook of my arm.
Her hair fanned out over my pillows and her palm splayed across my chest sent a visceral reaction through me; it made me want to experience it as frequently as I could.
Lux started to stir a few moments later, the shifting of her body against mine doing little to help the hard on I’d woken up with. My desire for her only grew with each moment that passed.
She blinked sleepily, drawing in a slow breath as she looked around and took in her surroundings. Lux gave me a drowsy smile when our eyes connected. “Morning.”
“Morning, gorgeous,” I replied, returning her smile. “How’d you sleep?”
“Amazing,” she murmured, stretching beside me. “What time is it?”
I turned my head, glancing at the alarm clock on my bedside table. “Nine o’clock.” I answered. With no sun slipping in through the cracks in my blinds, it felt earlier than it was. I could hear the rain hitting my window and the distant clashing of thunder, promising the stormy day we’d packed up early to avoid.
“We should get up, then,” Lux sighed, though she made no effort to move. I was in no rush either, though I let out a sigh of contentment in response. I could lay there with her all day and be happy just holding her, but a buzzing from my dresser interrupted our peace.
“That’s probably Jasmine.”
“Probably,” I grumbled, a little annoyed at the interruption. If I had it my way, we’d be staying in my bed all day exploring each other’s bodies.
Lux got up, searching for her clothes I’d peeled off and tossed haphazardly around my room. She put on her underwear, bra, and shorts—her shirt still missing in action—before she grabbed the phone and opened it. Her lips twitched into a smile as she read.
“Yup, Jasmine’s wondering if our epic boning session is over yet. She wants to go for breakfast.”
My stomach growled. “I could go for breakfast. Are you hungry?”
“Ravenous,” she replied, eyeing me as if I was the meal. The sheet covered my lower half, but it did little to hide the effect she had on me, not that I wanted to hide it.
I grinned, tossing the sheets off, and climbing out of bed, my cock standing at attention. Lux’s gaze dropped down, her eyes widening as she took me in. She licked her lips, making my cock jump as the blood surged.
“When do you have to go home?”
“I was supposed to go this afternoon, but technically, I don’t have a curfew,” Lux managed, finally lifting her eyes to mine. She had a devious twinkle in her eyes, like she was thinking the same thing I was.
Still stark naked, I moved towards her, my palms going to the smooth skin of her waist. Lux’s eyes dropped down to my length, and her hand reached out to grip it. She fisted it, pumping slowly as she ran her thumb across the tip. I closed my eyes, letting my forehead drop against hers. I couldn’t help but thrust into her hand a little.
“When we get back…” I paused, opening my eyes and arching a brow suggestively. Lux pumped me again, her smile growing, but before she could respond a knock sounded against my door.
“We’re heading out to breakfast in ten minutes, if you guys want to join.” Desmond said, his voice muffled through the thick door.
“Better get dressed, Theo,” Lux teased, releasing me and stepping away. She picked up her shirt, pulled it on, and rooted through her backpack for her toiletry bag. She opened the door a crack, checking to make sure the coast was clear before sending me a smile over her shoulder and leaving my room.
I dressed quickly in a pair of clean cargo shorts and a black t-shirt. I put on some deodorant and ran my hands through my hair to tame it before hiding it beneath my cap.
Lux was leaving the bathroom when I stepped out into the hallway. She’d brushed her hair and washed her face. She had forgone makeup and still, she looked radiant.
“God damn, you’re gorgeous,” I put my hand on the doorframe over her head, leaning in to capture her lips in a chaste kiss. I’d have delved into her mouth like the starved man I was, but the fear of my own morning breath held me back. I could taste the hint of mint on her lips, though.
Lux smiled at me prettily when I pulled away. “They’re going to leave without us if we don’t hurry.”
“She’s right, you know!” Desmond called from the kitchen area. I nodded, moving around Lux to brush my teeth quickly and take a piss.
When I finished in the bathroom, I found Desmond and Lux talking quietly and waiting in the front hall with their shoes on. I took one look at Lux in her shorts and thin t-shirt, then turned around. I went back to my room, opening the closet door and grabbing my Trent University sweater.
I returned, handing it to her, and she took it from me with a curious look on her face. “It’s going to be cold at the restaurant.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Lux smiled, tugging it on over her head.
The three of us made our way outside to see that Talia and Jasmine were already waiting on the front porch. Jasmine’s car was still loaded up with camping gear, and Desmond’s truck was only a three-seater, so we took my car. I drove a Volkswagen Golf R. It wasn’t my dream car, but it got me around well enough.
Lux, Jasmine, and Talia slipped into the backseat and Desmond climbed into the passenger seat. I got behind the wheel, and we headed to our favourite restaurant on Lasalle.
Weekends and evenings were usually packed at Rudy’s. Everyone in town knew it was the best place to go for burgers. Their breakfast menu was great too, and the service was unbeatable, even when it was busy. Since it was a weekday and it was storming, there wasn’t much of a lineup.
When we walked in, a group was leaving so we scored a booth. Talia, Jasmine, and Lux squeezed into one side of the booth while Desmond and I sat across from them. I had the gorgeous view of Lux across from me, and she smiled when she caught me perusing her, tucking her hair behind her ear.
A moment later the waitress came by with a cloth to wipe the table down, five menus tucked under her arm, and a steaming pot of coffee. While she wiped down the table, another waitress arrived with five clean coffee mugs and a bowl of creamers, setting them down with a smile before scooting off to her next task.
“Well, if it isn’t some of my favourite regulars,” the waitress, who’s name tag read Bonnie, grinned, looking at us all. “And a fresh face! Welcome to Rudy’s!” she added, her welcoming gaze going to Lux.
“Thank you,” Lux murmured, her cheeks heating at the attention.
“Can I get you some coffee to start?” Bonnie asked her kindly. She was in her early sixties and had worked at Rudy’s for as long as I could remember. Bonnie had curly dark brown hair, always tossed up in a messy bun. She’d been serving us for years now and knew our order well, so while she waited for Lux to reply, she filled up four of the mugs with coffee.
“That sounds good,” Lux replied with a nod.
Bonnie poured her a mug too, then sent a cheeky smile to our group. “Let me guess, a Hangover special for Miss Talia, Western with Bacon for Miss. Jasmine, Lumberjacks for Mr. Theo and Mr. Desmond?”
“Are we that predictable?” Talia teased as Bonnie wrote down our orders on her notepad.
“Not predictable, just reliable. At least when it comes to your breakfasts,” Bonnie laughed, her gaze going back to Lux. “What about you, sweetheart?”
“Uhh,” Lux scanned the menu quickly. “The two egg special sounds good, with bacon and the home fries.”
“How do you want your eggs?”
“Sunny side up would be great,” Lux answered, smiling warmly. I lapped up this new tidbit of information about her eagerly.
Bonnie jotted it down with a nod, then collected the menus. “We’ll get that right out to yous,” She said, heading to the kitchen to put the order in.
“So, do you still want a ride home this afternoon?” Jasmine asked, turning her head to look at Lux beside her. “Because I work tomorrow, unfortunately.”
“Uh…” Lux’s eyes went to me briefly before she looked back at Jasmine. “I guess so. I should get back and start making arrangements if I’m going to be moving in next month.”
I wasn’t ready for her to go. “You’re welcome to hang out with me. I could drive you back whenever. I don’t have to be back at work until Monday.” The offer spilled from my lips before I could call it back, not that I wanted to.
Lux looked back at me, debating. “That might create more problems for me,” she admitted. “To have an unfamiliar guy drop me off and then announce I’m moving would make my parents question my choices even more than I know they already will.”
“I’m not unfamiliar,” I winked at her, referring to all the ways we’ve gotten to know each other in the last few days, making her lips twitch in a repressed smile. “But I understand.”
“I could drive you back Friday. My parents are hosting Camellia’s birthday dinner this weekend,” Jasmine chimed in. “What arrangements do you have to make?”
“I need to go buy a car so I can get around, and I’ll have to pack my things up. Plus, I need to…deal with some family stuff.” Lux said.
“Ah, yes. The evil sister,” Talia nodded sagely. “You don’t have to deal with that right away, though. You could kick around for a few extra days, put our poor Theo out of his misery.”
I frowned at Talia, not liking that she was calling me out. I wouldn’t be miserable if Lux left, but I wouldn’t say no to spending a few more days with her before I had to head back to work.
“You’ll need furniture, right? You could get Theo to take you to the furniture surplus store in town and pick something out, so it’ll be delivered before you move,” Jasmine added helpfully, her eyes bright with excitement. She was stoked that Lux had agreed to be their roommate.
Desmond shook his head, trying to hide his grin behind his coffee mug. The way the girls were working hard to convince Lux to stay a little longer had me internally laughing.
“I don’t mind taking you to the furniture store,” I told her.
Lux glanced at me, considering my offer. But before she could reply, Bonnie returned with three heaping plates, and the other waitress from earlier who carried the other two.
“Breakfast is served,” she said with a flourish, setting our plates down. “Anybody need a refill on coffee?”
“I will,” Desmond held his empty mug up. “Thanks, Bonnie.”
Bonnie and the other waitress left us to our food, with Bonnie returning briefly to top up coffee for us before making the rounds at other tables to do the same.
Conversation lulled into a comfortable silence while we all dived into our breakfasts.
Lux
After breakfast, we returned to the duplex and Jasmine insisted on stealing me for a couple of hours. “Don’t worry, Theo. we’ll have her back by dinner,” Jasmine teased, tugging me toward the door.
I still hadn’t decided on if I wanted to stay a few more days, and I could tell Jasmine wanted to talk about that and about my night with Theo. Plus, she had some clothes I could borrow. I was a little sick of the few outfits I’d brought, and I desperately needed to do a load of laundry if I was going to stay.
“Alright, spill. Why are you hesitating on staying a few extra days? Are you second-guessing your decision to move here, because if so I’m going to be really sad,” Jasmine demanded the moment the door closed behind us. Talia was watching, her expression a mixture of amusement and curiosity—like she was invested in my answer and entertained by the entire situation.
“I’m not second-guessing that decision,” I assured her, rolling my eyes at her dramatics. “I mean, I know my parents aren’t going to be thrilled with the idea, but they’ll have to get used to it. I can’t remain in that house much longer. There’s nothing there for me.”
“Yeah, I know. I saw the posts,” Jasmine made a face, dragging me to the living room and flopping down on the couch.
“What posts?” Talia asked, taking a seat too.
I joined them, figuring there was no escaping the girl chat session.
“Lux’s sister is rubbing it in that she’s currently dating Lux’s ex. It’s weird, and gross,” Jasmine shivered. “I could not do that, be with someone my sister had been with. Ick.”
“Yeah, that’s next level,” Talia wrinkled her nose. “What do your parents think about the whole thing?”
“They don’t know yet,” I replied, shrugging. “I’m sure they won’t be happy about it. They never really liked Scott, either. They were relieved to hear we’d broken up. My mom said it was about time when I told her.”
“So, you’re going to tell them the whole truth when you get home, right?” Jasmine prodded.
“Feels a little like tattling on her. I’m sure they’ll find out on their own eventually. I’m going to tell them I’m going to be your new roommate and that there are plenty of job opportunities out this way.”
“I think you should totally rat her out. Your parents need to know what psychological warfare she’s been unleashing on you. It’s amped up since high school.”
I shrugged again, uncomfortable. “I don’t want to cause more friction. Who knows how long this fasciation of hers with him will even last? Brinley loses interest in guys so quickly.”
“Yeah, but the intent to hurt you is concerning.” Talia chimed in, siding with Jasmine. “I don’t know your sister at all, obviously but… that whole situation is twisted. I’m thankful I’m an only child.”
“I have sisters, and none of them would ever do something so vile to me. Brinley needs to be checked,” Jasmine shook her head. I didn’t disagree. I was so used to our parents sweeping Brinley’s concerning behaviours under the rug. It would shatter my heart if they did it again.
“Did you post any photos from the trip yet?” Talia asked, a wicked grin on her face.
“Not yet.”
“Oh yes, let’s definitely do that,” Jasmine held out her hand for my phone and I gave it to her. She selected several photos from my gallery and typed out something before passing me my phone back for approval.
The caption read “Jumping into new adventures”, and the photos were the ones Jasmine took of me jumping off the cliff with Theo. The way he looked at me in the photos caused butterflies to riot. I bit my lip and posted them.
“So, tell me again why you’re hesitating about staying a couple more days?”
“I don’t want Theo to think I’m like, obsessed with him or something.”
“I think Theo would love it if you were obsessed with him,” Talia commented with a grin. “I’ve never seen him so interested in someone before.”
“I second that, he’s already obsessed with you. I’m sure he won’t mind a little return-obsession. Besides, you can hang out for a few more days and really get some of that good dick therapy.”
“Dick therapy, I like it,” Talia cackled, doubling over. “Although I’d prefer a different type of therapy myself…”
“Speaking of, did Eliza call you back?” Jasmine asked. I had no clue who Eliza was, but judging by the smitten look on Talia’s face she was someone Talia was interested in.
“Yeah, she did. We’re going out for dinner, then going back to her place for the night. So, I won’t be home,” she grinned.
“Oh, pity, I’ll have the whole house to myself, since Lux will be shacking up with Theo again.”
“I can hang out with you, if you want,” I said quickly, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.
“Don’t be silly, we’ll be roommates soon enough. You get that good dick girl, you deserve it,” Jasmine teased, her eyes sparkling.
I tossed a throw pillow at her, and she caught it, laughing. “I mean, it is really good,” I admitted, biting my lower lip in contemplation. It was hard not to be obsessed with him, with the way he made me feel.
I didn’t have much to compare it to, but I knew the connection Theo and I shared was something special, that our chemistry was intense.
“So, again, why the hesitation?” Jasmine circled back, arching a brow at me.
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I don’t want Theo to think that I’m expecting a full-fledged relationship. We haven’t defined what we’re doing and I’m already moving in.” We’d touched lightly upon things the night before, but the most we’d clarified was that we enjoyed being around each other and having sex.
“You’re moving in with us , not Theo,” Talia corrected, easing my mind a little. “And do you need a definition?”
“No, not right now,” I rushed to explain. “I don’t want him thinking I have a bunch of expectations for things. Having him take me to a furniture store seems really couple-y.”
“You’re not picking out furniture together, you’re going to pick out furniture for your own room here .”
“True, I guess. But isn’t it weird that I’m having sex with my about-to-be-landlord?” I frowned.
“So long as you aren’t getting a deal on rent because of it, we don’t care,” Talia laughed.
“Actually, if you could get us a deal on rent too, I wouldn’t be mad,” Jasmine teased, setting off another round of giggles.
Once they subsided, Talia looked at me with a deep understanding. “I think you’re worrying too much about everything. Let the chips fall where they may and enjoy life as it’s happening. Do something spontaneous for the sake of spontaneity.”
“Can you do that, Lux?” Jasmine challenged.
She knew me better than most, and she knew I had a hard time letting go of my meticulous need for control. My tendency to over-analyze everything was often more of a fault than a perk. Sure, it meant I was pretty organized and thorough with schoolwork, but it didn’t exactly translate to a peaceful mindset in the rest of my life.
“I can try,” I managed, finding a timid smile for her.