Page 22 of The Rhythm of their Souls

Theo softly runs his thumb along the side of my jawline. His strong, calloused hand could easily wrap around my petite face. I can’t help but close my eyes and allow us this moment. Though it may seem like a small gesture, I’ve never experienced such an affectionate touch by a man.

I slowly open my eyes, not wanting this physical interaction to end. Theo’s expression almost holds empathy behind it. But within seconds, his eyes grow cold. “I don’t know who hurt you, but they better hope our paths never cross.” His words knock the breath out of me, all I can do is give him a slow nod. I’m not ready to dive into the debacle called my life just yet.

The day has been pretty great, which is a lot coming from me. Theo and I end up joining Danielle and Chase in the ocean. The water is freezing at first, which has me slowly inching in. Theo makes sure I don’t hesitate any longer by picking me up and tossing me into a wave. The audacity. I so badly want to be mad at his actions, but seeing Danielle’s contagious laughter and the four of us together, I can’t help but join in.

It feels incredibly satisfying to genuinely laugh for once. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this giddy on the inside. Today has been one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.

Chapter 14

There’s nothing more stimulating than shooting out of a bed that’s not yours because of a shitty night terror. The confusion hit me first, along with a pounding heart. I don’t know how the heck I didn’t wake Danielle up.

Oh, wait a minute, she’s not even in the bed. She must have snuck out last night and joined Chase downstairs. I think it’s funny how she sees me as a mother figure in ways. There’s so much irony behind that, considering my personal experiences in life. They must have hit it off very well yesterday. I won’t deny that I thoroughly enjoyed our entire day with the boys.

I try my hardest to go back to sleep. But I’m tossing from side to side, and my mind won’t rest after that fricking dream. Fuck it, I’m going downstairs. I give Lottie a couple of head rubs and tell her to stay on the bed like she understands me.

Honestly, I think she really does. I shut the door just in case she wasn’t listening.

Stopping outside the bedroom door, I notice Theo’s door open. The moon is shining onto the bed where his peaceful sleeping body lays. Theo is lying on his stomach with his arms wrapped around a pillow. He’s shirtless with nothing but his boxers on.

With the moon’s help, I can see every curve and cut from his back muscles. Thank you for the steamy view, moon.

I wonder how it would feel to lie next to him. It’s been so long since I’ve had a man’s touch. If I’m being honest, Noah was nothing close to a man. He was an immature boy that didn’t give two shits about my emotions. Theo is so much more. He carries himself well, and I see a gentleman when I look at him.

So badly I want to crawl into his bed and feel his warmth against my bare skin. How thrilling it would be to trace every curve and muscle that runs along his sculptured back. Or to lay my head against his chest and feel his tender heart beating with life. Sometimes I wonder how mine is still beating with all the battle wounds it bears.

Just as I realize that I’ve been staring at Theo in the doorway for too long, in the dark, in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and panties, he shifts in the bed. I panic and try to B line it down the hall, but before I make it to the stairs, I hear Theo call my name.

His voice is so deep and filled with sleep. I rest my head on the wall beside the stairs for a moment. What a fucking creep you are, Olive.

I slowly walk back to his room, preparing to explain why I was hawking him in the dark like a weirdo. Just as I turn to walk into the room, I slam straight into a shirtless Theo. Not only do our bodies collide, but so do our heads.Great work, Olive.

I definitely won’t be going back to sleep for a while now. I don’t even know what time it is, but so much has happened and all I can do right now is say sorry repeatedly.

Theo seems to get a kick out of this. How the hell does someone laugh after waking up to a strange figure standing in a dark hallway? And then knocking noggins with that same creep immediately after. The creep being me, of course.

Theo grabs my face and rubs close to where our heads had collided. “Olive, what the hell are you doing?” he says with amusement behind his eyes. His hands are so big, I can feel small calluses on his palms, which show how well he works with his hands.

Before I can answer, he realizes he’s still holding my face and pulls away quickly.

Without thinking, I reach up and place my hands where his once were. “I uh, had a bad dream,” I say barely above a whisper.

The moon is the only form of light in this room, but I can easily make out his facial expressions. His appearance softens as he examines my body language. “So, what brought you to my doorway?”

Fuck. I was hoping he’d forgotten that part, after our head-butt connection. There’s no real answer to that question, so I just run with it. “Just couldn’t go back to sleep. I was heading downstairs, and you just, I don’t know, looked so relaxed. I’m sorry for startling you.” I give him a weak smile.

He gives a sleepy grin in return. “You’re forgiven, Olive. But you interrupted a pretty good dream.”

I squint my eyes at him. “Oh, was it about me?” I say jokingly.

For a moment he does nothing but slowly look me up and down. His eyes seem to grow hungry. “Mmm, maybe it was. Nice sleepwear, by the way.”

I quickly grab the bottom of my shirt, trying to pull it down further; it reaches close to my mid-thigh. But if I were to bend over, he’d see that I have nothing more than a thin piece of cloth covering down there.

Theo catches me pulling at my shirt anxiously. He inches towards me and softly wraps his massive hands around my shoulders. “Olive, I’m just messing with you. I think you look rather cute in nothing but a t-shirt.” I watch him trail his toxic eyes down below my waist.

I slap his hands away in a playful but serious manner and scoff. “How dare you, I am wearing something under my shirt, just so you know.” Before thinking, I yank my shirt up exposing my thin black lace panties. So dumbfounded by my actions, I turn on my heel to run out the door.

But before I can escape my embarrassment, Theo grabs my arm and twirls me around. I look up and see him gaping down at me. Our mouths are only a couple of inches apart. His breathing has changed course.