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He sat up, straddling my hips, and pulled his shirt off with one hand. I tried not to gasp at the perfect view of tan skin and sculpted muscles that made up his shoulders, chest, and stomach.
Without hesitation or thinking, I stared above his waistline and made my way up, exploring every inch of his skin. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. His breath quickened.
“Theo,” I whispered as I reached his shoulders and tugged him down toward me. He didn’t hesitate. It was like he’d been waiting for me to release him.
He landed over me with his elbows on either side of my head. Gone was his smile. All that was left was a dark need in his eyes. “Did you want me? Before the bond, did you ever think of me this way?”
He had to know. There was no way I was ever that good at hiding my feelings. Plus, I told Sai. He never shared my confession with his best friend?
“Yes,” I admitted with confidence. “The second we met, I felt a connection. It was more than attraction, and I didn’t know anything about the bond at the time. It felt like we were destined. The more I got to know you, the more I wanted.”
“But I also pushed you. I snapped and cornered you. I accused you of things I had no right to know.”
Yeah, I hadn’t forgotten how he tried to force me to admit I was a hybrid. He knew I had a secret and ignored that I wasn’t ready to share it.
“Why?”
He lifted himself off me a bit more. “Why what?”
“Why did you do that?”
He closed his eyes and took in a slow breath. “Because I was scared. I didn’t want to be right. I didn’t want you to be a hybrid because I didn’t know if I could protect you. I didn’t think I was strong enough on my own. Then Niall came out with the bond, and everything changed. We were a group. There were others who would be committed to keeping you safe and happy, and that was all I wanted.”
“You were scared?” He didn’t seem the type to be scared of anything.
“I was terrified, not only about keeping you safe, but I saw the way you looked at Sai. I knew you had feelings for him. And Niall.”
I knew he hadn’t liked him from the beginning.
He rolled his eyes. “I couldn’t understand it. He was rude and moody and abrasive, but he helped you. He stayed by your side. I knew if there was anyone who could take you away from me, it was him. I felt this insane connection to you too. It was more than a crush. It was intense and deep and real. I didn’t think about us like this.” He wagged his brows. “I thought of our future. Of building a life together. Of facing off against the world and leaving our mark.”
“Before you knew about the bond marks?”
“Yeah.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I was having big feelings before I knew about the marks.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Would it have changed what happened? It might have made it easier for me to accept the idea of the bond, or it could have made things worse. I might have felt like I was betraying him.
“Because I knew I wasn’t the only one. I couldn’t hurt Sai, and I wasn’t sure where you stood with Niall. Plus, you had enough going on, learning about this world and your magic. I figured the right time would arise.” He glanced away for a moment. “But the biggest reason was that I was pretty certain if it came down to things, I wouldn’t be the one you chose.”
I put my hand on his cheek and pulled him back to look at me. “Why would you think that?”
He stared into my eyes as a sad smile spread across his lips. “Because I’ve always been known as one thing. Besides being the hybrid, I’m the jock. Good for running or catching a ball, but not the smartest. Not the funniest or most charming. People have never liked me because of my personality or ideas. Most of the time, I’m not even seen as a whole person. I’m a cartoon of what people want to focus on.”
If this were any other time or place, I probably would have laughed and told him being strong and fast was nothing to dismiss, but the vulnerability he was showing nearly broke my heart—especially when I realized I was the same as those people. I did see him first and foremost as a rugby-obsessed athlete with more muscles than anyone our age should have.
I was just as bad as anyone else in his life, and this was a major insecurity for him. He shared a piece of his soul, and I needed to handle it with love and care.
I pulled him down and kissed him softly at first, but he finally reacted and pressed his body against mine.
“I’m so sorry, Theo. You’re so much more than that,” I whispered.
He was brave and devoted. He jumped in whenever anyone needed help. He put others first and accepted them, flaws and all. He wasn’t the playboy Hannah originally warned me about. He just had a lot of love to give and was looking for the right person to accept it.
That was me. It was my responsibility to receive all of him and, in return, love and cherish him for it.
He slid a hand under the back of my neck and lifted my chin so he could deepen our kiss. He teased me with the tip of his tongue, sliding it against my lip, and nipped at me each time I tried to take him in.
I clawed at his back, getting frustrated and hot at the same time.
