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“Get off me!” Theo says it louder this time, his hands going to my shoulders and pushing me.
“Why? What’s the problem, Theo?” My hand goes to his thigh, rubbing over the denim of his jeans to tease him. I don’t know where the hell my mind is at. It’s onlygoing to piss Theo off more, but the idea of pushing him is setting me off. My dick twitches. “Is that why you walked in on me and Eric? Curious about what you’re missing out on?”
My hand moves to the fly of Theo’s pants, but I hesitate. It’s one thing to tease him, but I’m pushing that line. “Cypress,” Theo breathes my name lightly, as my hand traces the outline of his dick through the fabric. A knock on the door interrupts the moment.
“Cy, Theo? Is everything okay in there? I heard a crash.” Mom’s voice travels through the door, and it hits like ice water.
I stand up, pulling my body away from Theo’s. “We’re fine, Mom. I tripped,” I call back.
“Alright, well, be careful.” Mom’s footsteps get softer as she walks away, and I let out a sigh of relief.
When I look at Theo again, he’s still lying on the bed, eyes clenched shut as he bites his lip. “I’ll clean up,” I say. “But next time, don’t touch my stuff.” I don’t wait for Theo’s answer as I head for the hall. I shake my head, trying to erase what just happened from my mind.
Did I seriously just feel up my stepbrother?
I must be going stir crazy from being stuck with Theo. There’s no other possible explanation for my actions.
I head to my room, ignoring the thought for now. The real reason I’ve left Theo’s room a mess is because I didn’t have anywhere to put my things. I don’t have a dresser or a dirty clothes hamper. Nothing is set up for me there because this wasn’t supposed to be long term. I was hoping to only stay in Theo’s room for a couple of nights, but I don’t have a clue what’s going on with my bedroom.
When I open the door, it’s still a mess. The bed is dry, but a chunk of the ceiling is on the floor, moved off my bed. An inspector came to check it out and said the water needs to dry out before they could assess the damage further. The plumber fixed the pipe, but we don’t know how long it was leaking before it burst. There might be mold to deal with and it’s not safe for me to stay in my room just in case.
I grab my laundry bag, along with a change of clothes. I’ll gather up what Theo dumped on the air mattress and do laundry. While that’s going, I can switch out my clothes and go for a jog around the neighborhood. It’ll give both of us some time apart and maybe the exercise will snap my brain into working correctly.
When I get back to Theo’s room, he’s gone. I open the laundry bag and shove the dirty clothes in until the air mattress is empty again. With that done, there’s really no point in going to the bathroom just to change clothes. I strip off my shirt and pants, tossing them in the bag as well. The door opens as I’m pulling my shorts over my ass.
I don’t say anything, but Theo cusses under his breath.
“Try knocking,” I say. “It’d save us both some trouble.” I pull my shirt on next and shove my feet into my shoes. Theo ignores me, going to sit on his bed. “I’m going for a run after I start my laundry. If we’re gonna make this work, it might help to talk.” I do my best to offer up an olive branch, but after earlier, we need to clear the air.
Theo looks up at me. “If you’re going on a run, how are we gonnatalk?” Theo lifts his hands to make air quotes as he mocks me.
I drop the laundry bag, giving him my full attention. “I get it, okay? The situation sucks. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here. If you want a chance to take that anger out and go all macho man and fight me, why don’t we take this to the gym? This is nowhere to fight, and I’m all on board for making this physical. I’d gladly kick your ass.”
Theo looks me up and down before he stands up from his bed. “I’ll run with you,” he says. “You were going to go for a jog, anyway. Let’s race.”
“Okay. Let’s make it more interesting. If I beat you, I get to sleep on the bed tonight, and you take the air mattress.” I hold out my hand for a handshake.
“And when I win …” Theo stalls, looking around the room until his eyes land on my bag of dirty laundry. “You have to wash my dirty clothes. For a week.”
“Ew. If your bet is for a week, then mine is too. I get the bed for an entire week if I win.”
“Deal.” Theo slaps his hand into mine and pumps my arm in a firm shake. “I need to change, but I’ll see you out front in ten.”
I grab my laundry, slinging it over my shoulder as I leave. Might as well use the time to get the machines started as Theo gets changed. The laundry room is downstairs, and by the time I get the machine loaded and started, Theo’s making his way down the staircase. “Ready?” I ask.
“Let’s do it,” Theo answers. He smirks as he looks me over, like he’s sizing me up before a fight. The tension rises as we make our way outside. I’m bouncing on my feet, eager to get started.
“We’ll go up the side road, around the corner store, and back. That work for you?” It’s a shorter route than I was originally thinking, probably around half a mile, but if we’re going for speed over distance, we’ll still be worn out by the end of it.
Theo nods. “On three?” he asks.
“Three, two, one,” we count it down together.
My foot hits the pavement with a heavy slap. Theo sprints ahead of me, taking the lead. My heart beats faster. I’m tempted to run full out, but I know better. Theo is using all his muscles to sprint ahead. I’m better off holding my steady pace and waiting for him to wear out. Hopefully, I’m not screwing myself in the process.
I pick up speed as I catch sight of Theo by the corner store. He’s slowed down from a sprint. I pump my legs harder, closing the distance between us. Theo picks up his pace, meeting mine as his breath leaves him in heavy pants. His head turns in my direction as I catch up to him, running at his side. I barely catch the warning glance of his eyes before his hand reaches out and shoves my shoulder. I trip over myself, giving him the lead again for a moment.
Thefuck.
