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“This is dumb.” I hopped up as fast as I could with a floaty head and got in front of Theo. “Stop being dumb. This is Theo. He’s my friend. He’s not going to hurt me because there’s nothing to hurt. I’m safe. I don’t need three daddies chasing him away with a shotgun.”
Theo clamped a hand on my hip and pulled my back to his chest. Gabe zeroed in on where I was being held. Asher shrugged. Bash’s nostrils flared.
“You’re our girl,” Gabe pouted. “It’s our job to look out for you.”
“Nothing you can say will convince me. Time will tell.” Bash glowered at Theo. Then again, Bash glowered at almost everyone.
“It’s not like that,” I insisted.
Theo lowered his mouth to my ear. “It is.”
“Dude,” I hissed.
Itsowasn’t like that. Otherwise, I’d be pissed he hadn’t texted me for hours and showed up late to the party. Since we were just friends with bennies, it was cool. All was cool. No big deal. I wasn’t mad, and I definitely hadn’t been disappointed before he got here. Cool, cool.
Grace and Penelope, who were much nicer than their boyfriends, introduced themselves to Theo. Bex did too, though she was kind of snarly about it, which I appreciated, since I shared the same trait.
I twisted in Theo’s hold. “You need a drink. Or a smoke. Do you smoke?”
He stared at me, sweeping me with his gaze, then nodded once. “Show me where the drinks are?”
“Yeah.”
Theo wove his fingers with mine, but I led the way back to the kitchen. I showed him the rows of liquor, but he ignored them and backed me into the counter, bracketing my hips with his hands on either side of me.
“Helen,” he growled.
I raised my chin. “Theodore.”
“You’re high.”
“A little. Is that a problem?”
“Nope. You’re cute.”
“You were late.” Oh shit, I hadn’t meant to say that.
He bowed his head so his forehead landed on mine. “Your text didn’t come through until about forty-five minutes ago. I was getting pissed, thinking you had changed your mind, and then it was there. You said you were getting here at nine in the text, and it was already eleven. I immediately felt like shit for being pissed and hauled ass to get here.”
I swallowed. “That explains it.”
“Did you think I wasn’t coming?”
“Yes.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “I’m sorry.”
That made me wobbly. I wasn’t used to anyone being sorry they’d let me down. But here Theo stood, owning and apologizing for something he couldn't control, because he was that guy. The one who was too good to be true.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Still sorry.” He kissed me a little harder. “I didn’t like the scene I walked in on, if I’m being honest.”
Oh yeah, there was reality. I knew it had been around here somewhere. Theo was good, but he definitely wasn’t perfect. He could be a judgy asshole, just like the rest of them.
“Me hanging out with my friends? And their girlfriends?”
“It took me a while to notice the other girls.”
