When we get back to Theo's, he suggests we curl up on the couch and continue our zombie marathon, but I decide that it's long past time I take a shower. He tells me to take my time because he needs to mow the grass, but then he sort of just hovers after me when I walk to the bathroom.

"Do you want to watch me undress?" I ask with a smirk outside of the bathroom door.

"Yes," he answers without hesitation but then shakes his head. "No. I'm just... How are you doing?"

I sigh while I lean against the door post. "You've asked me that a few times today."

He nods slowly while crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall across from the bathroom entrance. "And you've yet to give me an honest answer."

"Yes, I have. I told you that I'm doing okay, and I am. You don't need to keep checking in, Theodore."

"Yeah, I do, Princess. That's my job."

"I thought your job was hammering and rolling around in sawdust. Speaking of... Aren't you still supposed to be up north?"

"No. I'm right where I'm supposed to be. With you."

I roll my eyes but can't help smiling at his sweet answer. "You know what I mean. I noticed you didn't have your work trailer attached to the truck. You just left it there?"

He nods. "Yeah, I left Owen in charge. His ankle is still messed up from his fall but he's been going a little stir crazy at home and wanted to come along. I hired two younger guys recently and they seem to be solid workers, so with him telling them what to do, things should be going fine without me." He pats his phone in his pocket. "Now that we're talking about it though, I probably should give him a call to ask how it's going."

"Well, go on then," I encourage, and when he still doesn't turn away I unfasten my jeans and slip them down my legs.

I expected the action to send him running, but instead, it draws him closer. His hands encircle my hips and he pulls me from the doorframe to gift me with a panty dropping kiss. Almost literally. The urge to slip out of my underwear is strong.

My hands work their way up his body to tangle in his hair, and he grunts softly while walking me backwards into the bathroom.

It's passionate, it's hot, it's everything that I thought I wanted, until my backside bumps into the bathroom counter and an unwanted memory of Justin comes to the surface.

My hands move to push against Theo's chest, and he immediately breaks the kiss and takes a step back.

"I'm sorry," he's apologizing before I can think of a way to explain myself.

"It's okay." The words sound unbelievable even to my own ears. "I'm just all gross and really need a shower and... and..." My voice is beginning to quiver so I stop myself from saying anything more.

"It's not okay, Milia." His voice is gentle and quiet. "You're not okay. Stop trying to tell me that you are."

I'm not but I don't want to talk to him about it now. I don't want to talk to anyone, really, but especially not Theo. What am I supposed to say? You just reminded me of my dead friend who fucked me on a bathroom counter? Yeah... Not going to happen.

"Please, just go, Theo," is what I manage to say instead.

He looks like he wants to say something but then he just nods and takes another step back. "Why don't you take a bath? It'll be a little more relaxing. I'll call Owen and mow the lawn and then I'll be back to check on you, okay?"

"Okay. Th-thanks, big guy." I smile at him even as a traitorous tear is already slipping down my cheek. How much longer is he going to want to be around my tumultuous emotions?

He looks wrecked. He steps closer again to brush the tear away with a feather-light kiss. I'm worried that he's going to hug me and cause all the tears to barrel through the rickety dam I'm trying to keep from breaking, but instead he speaks lowly against my ear. "That's my good girl."

I lean into him, now ready for a hug after all, and when his arms wrap around me the dam doesn't break. In fact, the opposite is true. His embrace joins my efforts to hold the dam together.

He hugs me close while I cling to him, until I make the first move to part, and then he cups my chin and tilts my head up to give me a slow, lingering kiss. "Mmm," he hums against my lips. "I will never tire of you, Emilia. Never."

My heart swells in my chest and scolds my mind for ever doubting him. He has proven, again and again, that my tumultuous emotions and messy past and continuous attempts to push him away are no match for the love he has for me. As his good girl, I'd better start living like I believe it.

"I'll see you soon." He brushes his lips against mine once more and then turns to exit the bathroom. His phone starts ringing as he walks away, and he answers with a gruff, "I told you to wait a few days," as he pulls the door closed behind him.

I have a feeling that it's Owen calling him, and I hope that everything is going alright at the job Theo left behind. I'd hate for things to be going wrong in his work life when he's already dealing with so much between what's going on with Cal and now this.

I finish undressing and start up the shower to wash my hair before having a bath. By the time I'm squeezing shampoo into my hand, the dam has shattered. My tears flow freely, mixing with the water and the suds from my hair before washing down the drain. When my hair is clean and my body is scrubbed, they're still falling, and the idea of a relaxing bath is the furthest thing from my mind. I just want Theo.

I shut the water off and wrap a towel around myself after giving my hair a quick pat down to absorb any excess water. My clothes are still in the guest bedroom at Cal's house so I venture into the second bedroom at Theo's where he dumped his personal belongings when he let me unknowingly take over his bedroom. There's no hope in making any of his shorts stay on my hips—I'm not sure he even owns a pair of anything other than jeans and the black slacks he wears to church—so I simply settle on a navy t-shirt. It just about hits my knees anyway, making my lack of bottoms unproblematic.

Theo is nowhere to be found in the house but I don't hear the lawn mower running outside either. He must have went back to Cal and April's.

I let myself outside, and sure enough, he's walking up the steps of their front porch with a dark scowl on his face. When I head in the same direction, I notice the target of his scowl.

Adam is standing in front of their door.

"What are you doing here?" Theo demands to know as I walk up behind him. "I told you, they're not ready."

Adam's gaze moves past Theo to land on me. "Em," he greets in a voice that sounds drained and lifeless. "How're you holding up?"

Theo turns around sharply at the mention of my name. He holds out his arm for me, and I move next to him so that he's able to tuck me against his side.

"I've been better," I answer with a light shrug.

Adam gives a somber nod as if to say that the feeling is mutual.

"What's going on?" I address my question to Theo, and he gives my shoulder a soft squeeze before he answers.

"When I walked Adam out last night, I told him about a motel close by. I know you three have more to talk about so we exchanged numbers, but I had asked him to give you a few days first." He takes his eyes off me to glare at Adam. "And I told him again when he called, but I guess he wasn't listening."

"You weren't listening either," Adam counters. "I get it, you want to give them time, but this can't wait."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it—"

I place my hand on Theo's chest and he stops talking. "What can't wait, Adam?"

"I need to know about Cal. How's he going to do this? What's his plan?"

"Why do you want to know?" Theo asks with annoyance and then he adds sarcastically, "You want to turn yourself in too?" His body is tense and rigid beside mine.

I tilt my chin up to frown at him and lightly pat his chest, signalling for him to settle down and let Adam talk.

"No, I don't want to turn myself in..." Adam answers, and Theo lets out a quiet huff just before Adam tacts on, "I want Cal to."