AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course it does.” He laughs. “That’s how you like your coffee. I would never force you to drink it black.” Theo sips his plain coffee. “That’s how champions drink their coffee anyways.”
A snarky laugh escapes my lips. “Ohhhh, you are so lucky I’m holding a cup of steaming hot coffee otherwise I would have thrown this pillow at you.”
“You can always put your coffee down and take your best shot.” Theo’s eyebrows wiggle, a challenge has been issued.
I lean toward my nightstand and gently place my coffee down.
“Oh, are we doing this?” Theo smirks taking one last sip before putting his mug on his nightstand.
“Oh, we’re doing this.” I hop onto my knees, armed with the biggest pillow I can find out of the plethora of cushions on the bed.
“Let’s do this, Ortega.”
Pillows are flying across the room like bullets on a battlefield. I take cover behind my side of the bed and lob pillows over at him like grenades every time I can get my hands on one. I snatch a small pillow and chuck it at him, and he happens to poke his head up over his side of the bed and it smacks him square in the jaw.
I cover my mouth, stifling a giggle. “Theo, are you ok?”
Theo lays on the floor, flat on his back, roaring in laughter. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. Next thing I know, you’re going to have me building a pillow fort.”
I lay on the ground next to him. “That’s not a half-bad idea,” I exhale a much-needed laugh.
I can feel Theo’s eyes on me. When I turn my head to the side, he is grinning like a kid that is about to do something naughty.
“What?” I furrow my brows.
“I present to you a choice, Catalina.” He lifts a pack of M&M’s from out of nowhere in one hand and the television remote with the other hand. “You can choose to have first dibs on the snack pile, or you can choose what movie we watch.”
“Ohhhh,” I rub my chin, deep in thought. “What a tough choice. As you know, I do love my chocolate.”
He nods, “I do.”
“But I also don’t know what kind of movies you like to watch.”
“If you’re looking for me to tell you my favorite genres, then you’re out of luck, babe.” He hisses a chuckle when I crinkle my nose.
“So really, the choice is obvious,” I flick my fingers in the air. “I’ll take the remote.”
“Instead of the snack pile?” His eyebrow lifts.
“The only snacks I like are chocolatey. And you don’t eat chocolate.”
Theo’s eyes widen in surprise. “You clever fox.”
“What?” I flash a smile, elbowing him in the ribs. “Did you think I would forget about that disgusted face you made the first day we met when you dissed me for loving chocolate?”
“First of all,” he holds one finger up. “I did not diss you for loving chocolate. I judged you. Second,” he shoots a second finger in the air, “what I remember from the first day we met is how beautiful I thought you were. And how I had lucked out that you were my Cate.”
My eyes meet his. Our smiles fade and longing takes their place. He looks hesitant, conflicted. But I’m not. I know I want to kiss him. So, I move my head toward him. Theo’s hand brushes against my cheek and his lips meet mine. Such a gentle, sweet, and loving kiss.
We both pull back at the same time, his fingers still caressing my cheek. I want so much more from him. I want him, in every way I can possibly have him. But I’m emotionally, mentally, and physically drained and I’m afraid he still has the image of Derek’s lips and hands all over my body. I shudder, now replaying it over in my mind.
I want to ask Theo what he wants from me. What he expects to happen between us. Are we just pretending until the year is up? Does he want to keep pretending? Does he want us to be a real couple? For me to be his real girlfriend? I open my mouth several times to say something, anything, but no words come out. My tongue has betrayed me; instead of spewing out too much information, it stays silent.
At some point I will have to make a choice to tell him how I feel about him or just walk away. And I am not sure I am strong enough to admit I am falling for him. But I can’t imagine just walking away without knowing if he feels the same way I do.
Theo kisses the tip of my nose bringing me back to him. I open my eyes. “You still have a movie to pick.”
I nod. He sits up and stands, offering me his hand to help me. Once we have settled in the bed again and raid the snacks, he puts his arm around me, leaning against the pillows we put back on the bed.
