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“Is Theo there?” After she confirmed he was, I told her to have him stay put, and I would be there shortly.
I raced to Blair’s house, remembering my way only a little from the one time Theo told me where she lived. I rushed to the door and knocked. Blair answered the door wearing a small silk robe and led me to Theo.
“Holy shit. What happened to your face?”
Theo’s face appeared as if he’d been clubbed by a bear, and it was painful to look at. His ribs were bruised and he held his arm close. I rushed to him, not wondering why he only wore a bath towel. Wait, why was he only in a towel?
“Don’t touch me, please. I’m in a lot of pain.” He stopped my advances, and I lowered my arms. I wanted to feel the bruise on his lip. Make it better for him somehow.
“Should you go to a hospital? What happened?” Why didn’t he come to me after this happened?
“Dex and Xavier happened.” He spoke slowly as if every breath was a pain to make.
“I’m so sorry.” I had no words. I wanted to scream at Dex and make him pay for what happened.
Blair left us alone, and Lucy was still sleeping when Theo eased himself onto the couch. “Penny, Xavier set me up, and I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
His implication was loud and clear. He didn’t call me last night after this happened, so a small part of him probably suspected me.
“You can trust me.” I cringed when I glanced at his face. Pain and hurt was all I saw there. With one eye swollen shut he tried to open it.
I reached for his hand, and he pulled away from me.
“Don’t.”
“Theo, you have to believe me. I never knew any of this. I swear. I wanted you to know I would never…”
“Don’t,” he cut me off with his words and I scooted closer. I loved him. I wouldn’t let him think ill of me.
“Please, I didn’t know.”
He rose from the couch on unsteady feet as he moved toward the door. Still in a towel, mind you.
“I’m staying here for a while. You, your father, and Dex can go fuck yourselves.” He opened the door and I was dumbfounded.
“Theo,” I begged.
“Just go.”
“Listen, I had nothing to do with this.”
“Go save your turtles.” He pulled the towel tighter around his waist.
“It was never about the turtles for me.”
“Penny, fuck, I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know who to trust. You and Dex dated before. Who’s to say this hasn’t been some scheme or something.” He spoke low and even, and I knew I needed to tell him everything.
“I only went with the plan to marry Dex because if I didn’t my father said he would take Lucy from you.” I crossed my arms.
“What?”
“I would never want for that.”
His brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I didn’t have a solid answer for him. I should have told him, but I was scared. Scared he’d fly off the handle and ruin everything. “I couldn’t let you ruin it all.” Shit. That came out all wrong. “Theo, that’s not what I mean.” It was too late; his face was the epitome of anger.
“Get out.”
