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“I can short his sheets,” Rowan said, joining us. “But that’s the best I can do with how little stuff he has unless I ruin his clothes and books. I’m not really comfortable doing that. Maybe we should grab deer pee and douse the sofa.”
“I don’t know, Ann,” Chris said, scratching his chin where he had actual scruff. When did that happen? Clearly, I’d been Theo-focused for too long. “This place is sad enough. I don’t think I have it in me to ruin his only place to sit. Sorry, Pop.”
Rowan put her hands on her hips. “He needs to replace the sofa anyway. Let Lauren and Cammie decide.”
Cammie and Lauren glanced at me and waited until I motioned them toward the kitchen. Knowing them, they’d have agreed with Chris without snooping around, but I figured Rowan needed convincing. I followed behind them as they opened every cabinet and drawer. They stopped in the living room to take in the floral couch and the books stacked on the floor before continuing down the hallway where they split up to look in all the rooms.
“Who only owns three towels?” Lauren asked from the bathroom.
“Three?” I asked, joining her. A fluffy white towel hung beside the worn, faded one I’d used before. I ran my fingers along the soft fabric. It felt like a fancy hotel towel, the kind you wanted to take home but would cost a fortune if they discovered it missing. I opened the closet and found the other ratty towel folded neatly inside.
“This is nice,” Cammie said from Theo’s bedroom.
We all joined her, and Lauren gave an appreciative nod. “This one isn’t bad.”
“If I hadn’t been staying over,” I said. “I bet he’d still be on an air mattress or maybe a cheap foam mattress on the floor.”
“Sorry, Rowan,” Lauren said. “I’m with Chris. You should leave him alone.”
Cammie nodded.
“Whatever,” Rowan said, throwing her hands in the air. “Come on, Chris. We’re making monkey bread with bacon for Poppy.”
They locked arms and walked down the hall together.
“Your sister comes up with some odd combos, but they always work,” Cammie said. “I think they could have gotten away with putting deer pee on this carpet though. They’d be doing Theo a favor since Aiden would have to replace it.”
“Guess they figured it’d be more effective to show you their love with food,” Lauren said.
Just like Theo had showed his by constantly trying to make my life better. Finding art shows for us to attend. Knowing my favorite foods and surprising me with them. Making his bedroom comfortable for me to stay over. And that’s when I knew what I had to do.
“Rowan and Chris had it backwards,” I said. “We don’t need to trash Theo’s house. We need to make it nicer. The only reason he bought furniture for the bedroom was for me. The new towel in the bathroom was probably meant for me too. He doesn’t think he deserves anything for himself.”
“So, you want to get back at him by decorating his house?” Cammie asked.
“No, I want to show him he’s loved. That he’s worthy.” And that I would never abandon Theo like his parents had. That I can be the kind of woman he wants when life got hard, the kind he’d never imagine pushing away.
“With decorative pillows?” Cammie said, looking at the bed, which, probably could use a throw pillow or two.
“Most guys I know hate those,” Lauren said.
“Focus,” I snapped, shaking her shoulders. “I don’t know how long we have before Theo gets home. I need some framing wood, kitchen crap, and a fuck-ton of towels, preferably white or navy to go with the yellow. Maybe a chair or two. Pillows optional. Oh, and snacks. The sweeter the better.”
“Ok,” Lauren said with the authoritative tone of a boss. “I have no idea what framing wood is, but I can handle the towels and basic kitchen supplies. Cam, you go with Poppy and try to find some decent furniture at the consignment shop in Jericho. I’ll call Rowan and tell her to bring over treats once she’s cooled down.”
This was going to work. It had to. Because the more I thought about life without Theo, the more certain I was my heart wouldn’t survive.
Chapter twenty-eight
Theo
Aries wasn’t in theshop when we arrived at Marked, but footsteps thudded in the apartment above. It sounded like someone pacing.
I needed to watch what the cameras had caught before I told Max my suspicions. “Can you pull up the security footage from around 4 on Sunday?” I asked.
Max headed straight for the system and found the recording but didn’t move from the screen. I peered over his shoulder and watched the entire interaction. The doubt on my face, the anger on Aries’s when I first refused. The cameras had caught me checking the ID before giving Sarah/Angela the tattoo, so I guess that’s something.
When the recording reached the point where Aries and Angela left, Max stopped the video and yanked his phone from his pocket.