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His hands stilled, but he didn’t turn to look at me. “For always being there for me. For being you.”
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “I can’t be anyone else. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
When he turned his head, his dark eyes flashed with anger. “Why would you ever want to?”
I shrugged, my face heating. I wasn’t about to list my flaws out loud. What if he agreed with all the reasons I’d considered for why he didn’t want me? “I’m an acquired taste,” I said instead.
“People like you are rare,kardoula mou,” he said, laying down his brushes again and swiveling his entire body to face me.
So were plague-riddled squirrels. Being rare wasn’t necessarily a compliment. “One of these days, I’m going to spell that close enough for Google to translate.”
“It’s how I’d say Poppy in Greek.” He reached over and cupped my cheek, then pulled his hand back like I’d burned him. “I better get cleaned up for my first client.”
I nodded because my throat was too tight to speak. I ached for him to touch me again, but each time he pulled away hurt just a bit more.
Chapter eight
Theo
When I arrived atCal’s house, I gave myself a good minute in the truck to calm down. The roads were icy as fuck, and I’d white knuckled it the entire drive across town.
The front door swung open and Cal stuck his head out. “Are you coming in or not?”
Skye shoved between his legs and barked with enthusiasm. Cal caught her collar as she tried to dash onto the porch. I climbed out and Skye wagged her tail so fast it blurred.
“Hurry up before she breaks free or bruises me,” Cal said, but he laughed.
“Go back in. It’s icy as shit out here. I’m taking my time.”
The smile fell from Cal’s face. “How bad is it?”
“Black ice everywhere. I slid three times.” Just as I spoke, Aiden’s truck skidded to a stop an inch from my bumper.
“I hate winter,” he said, climbing out. His feet slid out from under him, but he caught himself on the open door. “Hope you left the sheets I used last night on the guest bed, Cal. No wayin hell am I driving again until this melts. You should take the couch, Theo.”
I nodded. If I couldn’t walk home, I’d rather sleep on a sofa than drive in this shit. “Need a hand?” I asked Aiden.
“So you can use me to break your fall when your big ass goes down? No, thanks.”
By the time we shuffled up the sidewalk, Cal had pulled Skye back inside and was shaking Morton’s table salt on the porch steps.
“What are you doing?” Aiden asked as Cal tossed a handful of salt at his feet.
“This is all I’ve got. I’ve been salting the steps every morning for Rowan. I meant to grab another bag of ice melt yesterday and forgot.”
Aiden sighed and turned back around. “Buckets of brains and not an ounce of common sense. Why were you salting before? It hasn’t been icy like this in days.”
“I didn’t want to risk it. Where are you going?” Cal asked.
“To get the ice melt I keep in my truck, so your fiancée doesn’t bust that fine ass of hers on the steps later,” Aiden shouted without turning around.
I gripped the railing and pulled myself up the stairs. “Rowan’s coming over?”
“She’s inside, but she thinks she’s walking home after the game starts.”
“I don’t think. I am,” Rowan said, joining us on the porch as I finally made it up the stairs. “I have a batch of brownies and popovers to bake. Hey, Theo.”
“Rowan, I wanted to—”