25. Theo
Theo woke to an empty bed. His first instinct was to freak out. Sarah wouldn’t abandon him after the night they’d just shared, would he?
He’d been so happy while falling asleep with Sarah wrapped in his arms. He couldn’t actually remember a time he’d felt more relaxed.
Was that the problem? Had he let his guard down, and now she was leaving like everyone else?
He rolled out of bed and pulled on some shorts. He was about to reach for his phone when he noticed her bag was still on the floor in the corner. Phew.
She hadn’t left. Unless she’d ditched her luggage in the process.
He went out into the living room and saw there was no sign of her. A quick check of the rest of the apartment didn’t reveal anything either.
Just as he was wondering about the possibility of her really being gone, the front door opened.
He breathed out a sigh of relief.
She was back.
‘Where have you been?’ he asked, trying to sound casual.
‘To get these.’ She held up two coffees. ‘I thought you might need some caffeine after not getting much sleep last night.’
He grinned. ‘Best reason not to sleep ever.’
‘I dropped by my old local to pick these up. They make the most amazing coffee.’ She handed him a cup.
He took a sip and nodded approvingly. ‘You’re right. This is good. I can’t believe you know more about this neighbourhood than me.’
‘Well, I was here for a while. Speaking of which, I never knew Casey used to work there. Isn’t that a coincidence?’
‘Your brother’s friend, Casey?’
‘Yeah, I think so. He wasn’t working this morning, though. Apparently, he quit a while back.’
‘So how did you know he worked there?’
‘My usual barista told me.’
Theo went cold. He didn’t like that one bit. Was it a coincidence he’d recently set up camp in Sarah’s living room? Bodie too. He still didn’t trust the guy, and he wasn’t keen on either of them sharing an apartment with his girlfriend.
He motioned for Sarah to join him on the couch. ‘Listen, I’ve been thinking. Until we’ve figured out who’s been threatening you, you should stay here. The security is way better than at your place. We don’t know how the stalker got the number you just registered, but it means he must have had access to your stuff recently.’
‘Maybe. I mean, he could have had some weird way of finding out that didn’t require getting too close. Like he could have found the SIM card packaging after I threw it away…’
‘Either way, he knows your movements. You’ll be safer here. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I got the details of a detective we should talk to. She might be able to give us some tips and operate as your contact within the police.’
‘I appreciate you trying to help, but the police can’t do anything.’
‘Still, it can’t hurt. Please say you’ll at least consider contacting Mila. And in the meantime, will you stay with me?’
Sarah must have heard the urgency in his voice because she nodded. ‘Okay.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll need some extra clothes and stuff if I’m going to be living here, though.’
‘I’ll take you shopping today. We’ll buy you anything you need.’
She laughed. ‘That’s not necessary. I’ll pick up a few things later.’
‘I’ll go with you.’
‘You don’t have to do that. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll make sure Gabe is home first.’
‘Okay. But please do.’
Sarah’s phone beeped, and Theo watched as her face paled.
‘Do you want me to check the message for you?’ he asked.
‘No, it’s fine. I can’t let some creepy guy rule my life.’ She glanced at the screen and visibly relaxed. ‘It’s Mum. She wants me to come over.’
‘Oh. Right.’
She looked at him hesitantly. ‘Did… did you want to meet her?’
Theo smiled. ‘Of course I want to meet her.’
‘Cool.’ She typed a message. ‘I think I’ve mentioned before that she’s slightly unconventional…’
‘You don’t have to warn me. I’m looking forward to it.’
She beamed at him. ‘So am I.’
Theo loved Sarah’s parents’home. The front door had been unlocked, so she’d ushered him inside without knocking, and he’d immediately felt at ease.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many plants inside before,’ he said, admiring the entry hall.
Sarah chuckled. ‘Wait until you see the back deck. Mum! We’re here!’
A woman hurried over to meet them. She had the same hair and eyes as Sarah, but she was dressed a lot more alternatively, in a patchwork skirt and a flowing, multi-coloured top. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, and she exuded a comforting energy.
She wrapped Sarah in a hug and then stood back to look at Theo.
‘Do you believe in reincarnation?’ she asked.
‘Uh, I haven’t given it a ton of thought, but I suppose it’s possible.’
‘You have the aura of someone with a long history of past lives.’ She reached out and held one of his hands. ‘You’ve definitely been a warrior at some point…’
‘Mum! Let the guy relax for a moment before you launch into the past life stuff.’
Theo chuckled. ‘It’s okay. I like the idea of once being a warrior.’
‘Possibly some sort of royal connection too. But Sarah is right. I often forget the correct order for acceptable social behaviour. Come through. I’ve made chai. Oh, and call me Fran.’
‘Thanks, Fran.’
He followed both Sarah and Fran through the back of the house to a patio, where a teapot and mismatched mugs sat on a table covered in a crocheted tablecloth.
Fran sat in one of the chairs and indicated for Theo and Sarah to join her.
A small box rested beside the teapot. It had a picture of a woman who looked like a queen on the front, and it was printed with the words Universal Goddess Oracle Cards.
Fran saw him looking at the box and nodded at it. ‘Feel free to see what the cards want to tell you today. All you have to do is shuffle them and pull out three. The first represents your past; the second, your present; and the third, your future.’
‘You don’t have to,’ Sarah said.
‘No, it’ll be fun. I told you, my mum always visits a shaman when she goes to Korea. I’ll have to tell her what these cards revealed today.’
He opened the box, removed the deck, and shuffled the cards. They had gold edges and were well-worn.
He pulled out three, placing them face down.
Slowly, he turned the first one over.
It was a goddess called Eris.
‘Eris is the goddess of chaos and discord,’ Fran explained. ‘In mythology, she played a part in starting the Trojan War. But what it means for you is that you’ve experienced a very unsettled period. You haven’t known who your true friends were, and you worried nothing was as it seemed.’
Theo was quiet. She was exactly right. He never knew who to trust, and he often wondered if his modelling success would suddenly disappear.
Sarah reached out her hand and rested it on his knee. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked quietly. ‘You don’t have to keep going.’
‘No, it’s fine.’
He turned over the second. Ceridwen.
‘Ceridwen represents rebirth and transformation. It is a positive thing, although you may feel uneasy during the process.’
Was that what he was going through right now? He’d recently returned from Europe, he’d bought an apartment, and he’d embarked on a relationship with Sarah. Did he feel uneasy? Well, yes, until Sarah had returned to his apartment this morning and agreed to live with him. Now he felt strangely calm.
He slowly turned over the third card. Achelois.
‘Achelois is a goddess who washes away pain. She’s linked to nature and is a comforting and healing presence.’
Theo liked that. Would it really be possible to one day feel completely normal?
‘These are quite accurate,’ he mused.
‘You’re the one who drew them,’ Fran pointed out. ‘You already knew these things; the cards just reminded you. Your life is in your control.’
Theo wondered if that was true. Despite his efforts, a lot of the time he didn’t feel like he had much control over anything.
Fran poured the chai into three cups and handed him one. ‘I had a dream last night about a man associated with Sarah and travel. Does that mean anything to you?’
‘I recently returned from Europe. Sarah might have mentioned it?’
‘My daughter doesn’t like telling me about her personal life.’
‘That’s because you blend it into all your fortune telling and tell me stuff I don’t want to know! And because you’re only right half the time, sometimes I worry for no reason!’
‘I’m not only right half the time. I’m taking in information from the universe as it occurs at that moment. Circumstances change, so what I say is a possibility that had an equal chance of occurring but didn’t because of the individual’s free will.’
‘That’s very convenient,’ Sarah grumbled.
‘Anyway, the travel thing felt more like something yet to come. But it won’t be a smooth trip.’
Sarah looked at Theo. ‘I think Theo needs a break now.’
‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘But I do wonder if knowing too much about the future could be a curse. Thank you, Fran. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom.’
‘Anytime.’
Theo sipped his chai. He now felt uneasy again.
Maybe it was because the oracle cards had resonated, and he didn’t want to go on a trip with a rocky outcome.
As far as he knew, he didn’t have any immediate plans to travel again.
But if he did have to go away, he hoped Fran’s dream proved wrong.