Kerry Winsor:He’s gonna get the group banned if he keeps this up! He’s got too much power!
I wasin a far better mood after dinner.
Not only was I able to get my mind off of things, but Marjorieand Henrietta were even more fun in their own home. Online, Marjorie seemed like she only cared about egging everyone on, but here, I could see the way she and her wife played off of each other. Dinner felt like a familial affair, and I was lucky to be invited.
Henrietta wound up making us all brownies, and we stayed late finishing them. But after the sun had sunk below the horizon, Theo gently reminded them that he had to leave.
Even I was disappointed, but I promised we would come back very soon.
He was right to mention leaving when he did. The emotional toll the day had taken on me was wearing me down, and the second it was just the two of us, I felt it.
“Was that too much?” Theo asked when we got to the car.
“No. I needed that. I don’t think I’ve ever had a dinner like that.”
“They’ll remember it, and want more.”
“I’m happy to go,” I replied. “Any reason you don’t seem like you are?”
“The usual ones,” he said. “Worrying about the future and getting too close to people that I’ll have to leave.” I nodded slowly. “I don’t want them to hate me.”
“Do youknowthat they’ll hate you?”
“I—” He paused. “No, I guess I don’t, but I do know the rest of the town.”
I would give him that. I saw the way Kerry seemed to need to know everything going on, and how she seemed so dedicated to safety. If his past got out, it would be bigger than any of the other news I’d seen.
“Any word from Sheriff Mike about Arlo?” I asked.
“He hasn’t seen a thing. I think the threat of cops got him to leave. Mike still has eyes out, though.”
“Then I don’t think anyone is gonna know for now.”
Theo sighed and thought about it. “I want to believe you’re right.”
I waited for the reasons he couldn’t, but nothing came. “And?” I pressed.
“And nothing. I wanna be positive for once.”
I sat up straighter. “Really?”
“It seems to work for you.”
“Sometimes.” I tilted my head as I looked at him. “You’ve come a long way.”
Theo took his eyes off the road for only a second, looking down at where my hand rested on him. “So have you.”
“It’s almost like we’re good for each other.”
“Yeah.” He huffed out a laugh. “Maybe we are.”
This was what Joey wasn’t seeing. This was what made him wrong. There weren’t many times in my life that I was confident, but with Theo, I felt like we were right. It was like every puzzle piece was in place when we were together.
“Can I stay at your place tonight?” I asked.
“Don’t wanna be in your own apartment?”
“My apartment is nice, but I like your house more.”
