Page 49 of Vexatious Queen

Gripping the back of his neck, I made him look at me.

“I’ll always be here, and I don’t know if I’d be any better if roles were reversed. If something ever happened to you…I…I’d cease to function. Grieve, give yourself the space and time to do it. Stop taking on your dad’s guilt and Blake’s fear. You can’t lift it all.”

“I don’t know how to set it down,” he said.

Leaning in, I gently kissed his lips, tasting the saltiness of his tears.

“I’ll keep an eye on Blake. He won’t know that’s what I’m doing, but I’ll make sure he keeps his head on straight.”

Theo nodded, and the fact that he was so easily allowing me to take over told me just how under pressure he truly felt.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” I said and kissed him again. “We are partners, now and forever. I warned you that you were never getting rid of me. Those weren’t just words. You, Ren, the guys…you’re my life, our future, and I fucking love you with my whole soul.”

“I love you more,” he said, and then deepened the kiss.

Normally, I took the lead, but for tonight and for however many nights he needed, I’d let him be in control. Anything to help him heal.

He pulled me down on top of him, and the kiss became frantic. I stood up to take off my jeans, but his phone rang. We both looked at it before Theo answered.

“Dad? Is everything okay? It’s fine, stay where you are. Liam and I are in my room, we’ll be there in a minute,” he said as he pulled on a hoodie and ran for the door.

JANUARY 17 – SATURDAY 4:00 AM

Theo

My heart was in my throat as we raced down the hall to the spare bedroom. I burst through the door to find my dad lying on the ground and holding his side.

“Don’t try to get up. I’m calling an ambulance.”

“No, I don’t want an ambulance. I just need help getting back into bed,” Dad grumbled. “So much for being able to pee on my own.”

“What happened? And where is James?”

Dad pointed across the room to the bench at the end of the bed.

“Stupid spare bedroom. I’m not used to having something at the end of the bed and ran into that thing,” he said, wincing. “I didn’t need someone hovering over me all night, so I sent him home.”

“Is anything broken?”

He shook his head. “Only my ego,” he said.

My nostrils flared as I sucked in a breath, but I kept my anger under control. This was why I had hired James. So that Dad had someone to help him get up if he needed to, or if he just wanted to stay in bed for the day.

“Why are you all the way over here near the bathroom?”

“I…I still needed to pee,” Dad said so quietly I barely heard him. “I didn’t make it,” he whispered.

I moved his housecoat aside and saw the wet spot.

“It’s going to be okay, Dad,” I said, as I put his arm around my neck. “Liam?”

Liam walked around to the other side of my father and bent down, assuming the same position.

“I’m so sorry,” Dad said, his voice defeated.

“Don’t be. But we are going to talk about James being here. I won’t go back to school if you are just going to send him away,” I said, and Dad looked at me.