Chapter 18
Theo
Now
Theo’s flat
By the time I get home it’s half-past-five and Parker is busy giving his cat a tour of my flat.
“So, this is the bathroom. And that right there,” Parker points to the blue box on the floor, “— is your new litter box.” He crouches down, scooping Dog up with one hand, and holds him up in front of his face so that their noses almost touch.
“You better not pee anywhere else, understand, buddy boy? Please don’t embarrass me in front of Uncle Theo. ”
Dog blinks at him slowly, then lets out a soft meow which, I’m assuming, either means “yes, Dad” or “fuck you, puny human.” I’m hoping it’s the former.
Parker scratches him behind the ears, earning a rumbling purr.
He and April are leaving for Cooperstown tonight after their combined bachelorette or Halloween party or whatever the hell it is at this point.
April wanted to get there a few days early to make sure everything was perfect for their wedding and Parker thought it’d be nice if they could have some “kid-free” time to themselves before all the wedding chaos.
He asked if I could watch Dog before bringing him to the venue with me and I agreed. I adore the little guy. It’s seventy percent of the reason why I’m even friends with him. The remaining thirty percent is to be near Holly.
The thought of her hits me hard and fast. I can still feel her pulse under my fingertips.
I can still see her eyes — the way they darkened, locking onto mine when I pushed her against the shelf.
The way her breath hitched, sharp and shaky, as though she couldn’t decide if she wanted to shove me off or pull me closer.
Either one would’ve done it for me — her anger or her surrender.
I wouldn’t have cared. To be honest, I don’t know what the hell came over me.
It’s not like me to provoke Holly for no reason.
I am a good man. I respect her boundaries, I do her dishes every time I hop over for a visit, I never break into her flat more than twice in one week — and to be fair, she is more than welcome to break into my flat whenever she pleases.
More than welcome to climb into my bed and slide her scalpel between my ribs.
I’d probably wake up before she does, but I won’t stop her.
Not a chance. Because I am a good man. Her man.
But fuck, that was before I knew how much she likes it when I’m a bit assertive, a bit domineering.
A bit rough. Now I don’t want to be good.
I just want to push her up against every metal shelf in this fucking world and have her wrap her legs around me.
“All right, so I’ve kept his food in your kitchen,” Parker says, snapping me back to reality.
“Wet and dry. Feed him twice a day spaced twelve hours apart. I’ve left a few of his toys on the mat in your room.
The squeaky blue ball is his favorite. Other than that, it should be fine.
Oh, and he needs to be cuddled at night or else he won’t sleep. ”
Parker sets his baby down, who then pads over to me, the bells on his collar jingling as he weaves between my legs, purring and leaving a trail of white fur on my black pants.
I pick him up and scratch under his chin, kissing his tiny head. He arches his back and nuzzles his head against my face.
I look at the clock on my wall. “We should get dressed. April’s gonna kill us if we’re late.”
Dog purrs in my arms, as if to agree.
Parker nods solemnly, his eyes still fixed on Dog as if this is the last time he’s going to see him. “I just wanna make sure everything’s fine. We’ve never been apart for more than a day.”
Jesus Christ. “Go change. I’ve got this covered.”
Right that second, Dog snaps his head up, his eyes wide with a sudden burst of insanity. He leaps out of my arms, his tiny paws barely touching the ground as he darts towards my room.
I look at Parker, confused.
“Zoomies,” he says. “You’ll learn to love it.”
Parker grabs his duffel bag off the floor and heads towards the guest bedroom to change into his…well, costume. I have one too.
I walk to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water. My phone rings.
I answer the call, my voice neutral. “Hello?”
“Wow, he’s alive,” Emily says. Her voice sounds hushed, and I hear some chatter in the background.
“Where are you?”
“At Stacey’s. We’re having a sleepover. Her dad made us Chicken Tikka Masala.”
“Very jealous of you, Em.” Holding my phone between my ear and shoulder, I quickly rinse my glass and set it aside to air dry. “So, what’s up? Is everything all right? Do you need something?”
“Am I not allowed to call my brother just because I feel like it?”
“You are, but you never have before.”
“True.”
“What’s the matter?”
She hesitates for a second. “Um, I need fifty quid.”
“What for?”
“New trainers,” she says. “Mine tore and I really don’t want to ask Dad for money right now.”
“Why? Did he say something to you?”
“No, but you know how he is about money.”
Yes, I do. A total fucking dick. That’s how he is. “When is your match again?”
“This Tuesday. I’ll call you if we win.”
“And if you lose?”
“Stop being an arsehole and just give me the money.”
“I’ll transfer some into your account tonight. You still remember the password, or do I have to call the bank again?”
“ZaynMalik4Ever,” she says, and I hear a bunch of girls giggling in the background.
“Jesus, Em. A simple yes would have been fine.” A soft meow catches my attention. I turn my head towards the hallway and see Dog standing outside my room, staring at me with big, green eyes.
“What was that?” Em asks.
“My friend’s cat.”
Dog pads over to the kitchen and plops down next to his bowl, blinking at me, tilting his head, and meowing a bit louder.
“You have friends?”
I fill his bowl with some of the dry cat food. “You don’t sound shocked enough.”
She laughs, but it sounds hollow and unconvincing. “No, it’s not that, I just…I didn’t know you had friends and…an actual life out there.”
An actual life. Out there. Away from me. This time the tightness in my chest is harder to ignore. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Maybe I can finally visit you this year?”
“Em.”
“No, I really think I can convince Dad to let me visit. He’s been in a good mood lately and you know, it’s been so long now. He has to let me come —” Her voice is cut off by a buzzing sound from my phone.
“Hold that thought.” I set the bag of cat food down and check my phone screen. A text message. It’s from an unknown number. A different one this time. And it’s meant for me.
212-894-5092: leave her ALONE. this will be ur only warning.