Page 25 of Here We Go Again

I laugh, and a wave of nostalgia washes over me. This was so much of what my relationship with Theo was like. Easy banter, jokes flowing naturally. We always had so much fun together.

The line slowly moves forward, and a nurse waiting for his order spots Theo before doing a double take. “Oh wow. You’re one of the Williamson twins,” he says.

“Theo,” Theo says as he extends his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

The man nods. “Same.” He glances down at Theo’s hand. “Are you here for your hand? I was at the game the night you were injured. Brutal, man.”

Theo glances my way. “I’m just visiting a friend today,” he says. “But thanks for supporting the Jaguars. It means a lot.”

The man’s name is called, and he grabs his drink before offering us a wave. “Hey, great to meet you. Go Jaguars,” he says before heading back into the main lobby of the hospital.

“Does that happen a lot?” I ask.

“More when I’m wearing my jersey,” Theo says. “Which…” Without saying anything else, he tugs the jersey over his head, revealing a simple white t-shirt underneath. There’s a narrow chain looped around his neck holding what looks like a penny hanging just in front of his sternum. He tucks the chain under his shirt, then runs a hand through his hair. “That might help.”

It might help him. But it’s doing nothing to make this whole encounter any easier on me. Do all men look this good in t-shirts? Or just professional athletes? Maybe just Theo?

It’s finally our turn to order, so we step up to the counter.

“A salted caramel latte for me,” I say, and Theo glances over.

“Same,” he says.

I can’t decide if we just coincidentally have the same coffee order or if he’s ordering what I order on purpose. Rory sometimes does that. Just tells me to get two of whatever I want because he’s “fine with anything.” It honestly bugs me sometimes. Like, the man has to have an opinion about how he prefers his coffee. Why not own it? Be decisive?

“Can you make mine with oat milk?” Theo adds, prompting me to remember that’s how I prefer mine as well.

“Me too, actually,” I say. “Oat milk.”

“Aww, matching drinks!” the barista behind the counter says. “You guys are the cutest.”

“Oh, we’re not—” I start to say, but Theo has already pulled out his wallet to pay, and the barista has already moved on.

“Do you play for the Jaguars?” she asks as she runs his card.

He nods. “I do.”

“That’s awesome. My boyfriend is a huge fan.”

Theo ends up signing a napkin for her to give to her boyfriend before we move away from the register to wait for our drinks.

“What are you thinking?” Theo says as he nudges my shoulder. “You just went somewhere.”

I give my head a little shake. “It’s nothing.” I press my lips together, then lift my gaze to meet his. Then I shrug my shoulders. “You really did it, you know?”

His eyebrows lift. “I did?”

“Hockey. The Jaguars. All of it. It was what you dreamed of. And … here you are.”

A shadow flits behind his eyes, but then his expression shifts, and he offers me a small smile. “Yeah. I guess I did.” He gestures to me. “And you. This is what you wanted too, right?”

“Completely,” I say. “Exactly what I wanted.”

I clear my throat. I don’t sound particularly convincing, which doesn’t make any sense, because I am doing exactly what I wanted, for the most part. I still want to go to grad school, as soon as I’ve paid down my student loans enough to afford it, but I’m on the right path, so I have no idea why I don’t sound sincere.

Theo steps forward and retrieves our lattes from the barista, then he lowers one into my hands. “To us, then,” he says, lifting his cup.

I tap mine to his. “To us.”