Penny stood and stretched, overcome with desire to breathe fresh air. “I’m heading outside for a few minutes,” she said to no one in particular, and walked toward the door. She stepped out into the cold of night and shivered, but it felt good.
The automatic door opened behind her and she turned.
“Can we talk some more?” Theo asked.
Penny was done talking. Couldn’t he just leave her alone? “I’d rather not.”
“But I need to fix this.”
“There is no fixing it.” Maybe bluntness would work. “I need to move on with my life. Alone.”
“Why?”
She turned away from him. “Because relationships suck. It’s all just too hard.”
“You know what? You’re acting like an immature little girl.”
What? How dare he say that to her.
Theo continued before she could respond. “Life gets tough, and instead of fighting, you run away. Jack did a really shitty thing to you, but you can’t punish me for that. I don’t deserve that.”
That made her face him. “I didn’t deserve to be cheated on, but it happened anyway.”
“Yeah, it did. And he’s a dick for doing it to you. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but you need to stop letting him have that control over you. You need to let it go and get over it.”
“Don’t tell me what I need to do! I can’t just get over it. I’ve tried.” She wasn’t cold anymore. Her rage had warmed her right up. “And you’re an asshole for saying that. You don’t know what it’s like to be me.”
“I don’t, but I also know that running away isn’t the answer.”
She breathed deep, hoping to calm herself. “I can’t do it anymore. I’m done with the drama. And I’m done with you.”
“You’re the one who created all the drama. We could’ve had a great life together but you were too damn scared and paranoid and you didn’t even try to get over your past. You never trusted me, even when I gave you every reason to.” He ran his fingers through his hair, squeezing his skull. “I can’t believe you right now. I thought I could fix us. But I can’t. Not if you’d prefer to delude yourself into believing that being alone is the answer to your problems.”
Penny was too stunned to respond.
“I’m going back in there. You go do whatever the fuck you want. I don’t care anymore.”
---------
PENNY SANK to the curb, arms wrapped around her knees. Why were relationships so freaking complicated? The simplicity of Jack’s offer sounded pretty damn good right about now.
“Hey.” Mia stood behind her. “Eli’s out of surgery. They took Bryn to see him.”
“Is he okay?”
“We think so. We’ll know more when she comes out.” Mia sat down next to her. “Can we talk about you and Thor?”
“No.” Penny stood. Same old Mia. Same old judgment. “I don’t want to talk to you about it.” She stepped toward the building.
“I’m worried about you.”
Maybe it was the tone, but Penny stopped. Maybe this wasn’t the same old Mia. She turned. “You don’t need to be.”
“Well, too bad.” She stood. “Things may be shitty between us right now, but I do care about you. You deserve to be happy. And I think he’s the one who can give that to you.”
Penny didn’t know anything. She was so damn confused. So she ignored Mia and the cacophony in her brain and reclaimed her plastic chair to wait with everyone.
An hour passed with no word from Bryn, and Penny began to feel her eyelids droop. Mia and Oliver were already asleep, somehow managing to lean on each other without falling over.
She hadn’t looked at Theo since she’d come back in. She glanced at him now. His head lay against the wall, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. He looked exhausted. She wanted to comfort him, pull him to her, let him rest his head on her.
She still cared about him.
Penny heard footsteps and looked up. Bryn came toward them, a huge smile. Penny elbowed Mia and she and Oliver jolted awake.
“He’s going to be okay,” Bryn said, tears spilling from her eyes. Mia and Penny jumped up and pulled her into a group hug, tears trailing down Penny’s own cheeks, too. “I got to hold him and kiss him and tell him I love him.”
Bryn and Mia pulled back, all of them with moist cheeks and wide smiles. “I’m so glad you guys are here. I love you both so much.”
“I love you, too,” Penny said, the words barely making it out. She was overcome with emotion. They say tragedy can bring people together, and maybe that was true. Maybe it made people realize how short life is and how stupid it is to let unimportant things dictate how you live it.
Bryn pulled away and stepped to Theo, her arms around him for a hug. “Thank you for being here.”
“That’s what friends are for,” he said as he returned her embrace.
“Excuse me. Mrs. Augustine?”
“Yes?”
“We’ll be moving your husband to a private room soon and we’ll set up a cot, as you requested.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse left and Bryn turned back to them. She shrugged her shoulders, a smile bowing her lips. “At least there’s one perk of being a police officer’s wife. First-class service at the ER.”
“And hopefully this is the only time you’ll need it,” Mia said.
Bryn nodded. “Definitely. I’m going to head back to the recovery room.”
“Of course.” Mia gave her another hug. “We’ll check in with you in the morning, okay?”
Bryn nodded and moved on to Penny. “It means so much to me that you’re here.”
Penny couldn’t speak. She just nodded against Bryn’s shoulder.
Bryn pulled back and looked Penny in the eyes. “We’ll talk soon, okay?”
Penny nodded again.
Bryn headed through a set of double doors and Mia and Oliver said a weary good-bye. Penny was alone with Theo. She couldn’t bear to look at him.
“Let’s go,” he said, and she followed.
They got into his pickup and he pulled out of the hospital’s lot. He didn’t say a word and she sat there trying her best not to melt into a puddle of misery.
Theo pulled into the Red Brick’s lot, long after Seth had closed up for the night. He came to a stop behind her Mercedes, not even putting the truck in park. She opened the door, taking the hint. He said nothing as she stepped out, but stayed there until she got into her car. It wasn’t until he drove away that she let her tears fall.
CHAPTER Thirty-Five
Theo flopped into bed at 4:43 a.m. His alarm was due to go off in an hour. But he knew if he slept now, he’d never wake up. He’d sleep right through it. So he was left with the decision of staying up and going to work on zero sleep, or calling in and dealing with the fallout of yet another sick day.
He rolled off his bed and grabbed an energy drink. He then woke up a sleepy Blitz, who had zero interest in moving until he heard the jingle of his leash. They ran a two-mile loop around the neighborhood as the sun rose, the cool air doing wonders for his exhaustion. By the time he showered and changed, he was about three-quarters awake, and that was going to have to be good enough.
It would have been easier to stay home and use the sick day. He could make up for it by doing detention duty for the rest of the year. But he went to work because he was desperate for a distraction. He needed something to keep his mind off Penny. Off what she threw away because she couldn’t trust him, trust what they had.
Love sucked, and this had definitely taught him a lesson. Stay the fuck away. The heartbreak hurt too much.
---------
PENNY FELL hard asleep and didn’t wake until after eleven. Right away she called Bryn for an update.
“He’s asking for sex on the hospital bed, so he has to be feeling pr
etty good.” She laughed and Penny was happy to hear it.
“Take it easy on him. No freaky stuff until he’s fully healed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They hung up and Penny lay there. What the hell had happened to her life? How had everything gotten so royally screwed up? She knew the reason. Theo had been right. She’d let her fears rule her life. Why had she done that?
The last few months had been the most difficult she’d ever faced. Her financial situation had been unfamiliar and scary as hell, but she was succeeding. The voice mail with the job offer from Mitchell, Heinle, and Nuwer was proof of that. She’d been happy in love—for real—probably for the first time ever, but that had gotten too difficult to handle. Why couldn’t she succeed there, too?
Penny was faced with a huge decision. Should she stay single and live a predictable life devoid of love and true happiness, as long as it had comfort and safety? Or go back to Theo and the unknown? Which was sure to be a nonstop roller coaster of laughs and love, but not without hurt and sadness, too. Was the reward worth the risk? Or was it better to be safe and get no reward at all?
After everything she’d experienced with Theo—real love, real devotion, real happiness—how was there even a question at all?
Man, she’d been a real asshole.
I need to get him back. If he would even have her. He’d been so mad at her the night before. So hurt. But he loved her. That couldn’t disappear that fast, right?
Penny leapt out of bed, Scarlett at her heels. “Sorry, baby! Your walk has to wait. I have to go win Theo back!”
It wasn’t until she stepped out the door she realized she was still in fuzzy pajama pants and a tee, no bra or underwear.
She stepped back in. “Maybe a shower first.”
---------
THEO’S PHONE alarm went off at 7:30. He’d been so drained by the time he’d gotten done with school that he begged Sean to cover his practice again and headed home. Good thing the drive was only two miles. He’d barely been able to keep his eyes open. He got a decent nap in and was ready for job number two at The Red Brick.
He pulled into the lot and it was empty. Weird. Especially for a Friday night. He headed for the back entrance and pulled on the glass door, the only light from a lone lightbulb above him. He headed toward the bar. Complete darkness, with only the glow of a few neon beer signs on the walls.
“Seth?” He felt around for the light switch. “Is anyone here?”
Finally he found it and flipped it, fluorescent bulbs illuminating the space.
“What the hell is this?” he asked aloud. The place was empty, but every table was covered in gold cloth and treasure boxes overflowing with fake gems and jewels. He stepped to the bar, where not a single inch of mahogany was left uncovered. Gold coins, strings of pearls, and shiny rhinestones were scattered. There were gold cups, filled to the brim, and even a few swords and pistols.
Behind the bar sat a skeleton, donning a tattered jacket, hat, and a leather patch over one eye. “Did I sleep longer than I thought and wake up on Halloween?”
“Nope. Still have a couple weeks.”
He’d know that voice anywhere. He turned and there she was. Penny. And holy fuck did she look gorgeous. Golden hair flowed over her shoulders, an electric blue dress that accentuated every freaking curve, every delicious piece of skin.
But he couldn’t let her know how much the sight of her affected him. “Is Seth doing a pirate-themed night I didn’t know about?”
She shook her head. “This is just for you.”
“For me?” He was completely lost. “Why?”
She stepped toward him. “My favorite part in Goonies is the scene where Mikey talks to One-Eyed Willie.”
What did that have to do with her and him and the bar? “Why did you do all of this?”
“He finally finds what he’s been looking for.” She took another step. “And so have I.”
What the fuck? She sure as hell wasn’t talking about him. She ran away away the second things got hard. Thor breathed deeply and crossed his arms over his chest, not sure why he was waiting for her to explain what that meant.
“I want you. I want our happily ever after.”
The nerve of her to come here thinking she could sprinkle a few fake coins, use this silly movie and its significance to their relationship against him. That she could say a few words and erase all the misery she put him through.
“That pirate ship has sailed.” Thor turned away from her. “Go live your safe, boring life without me.”
He walked through the hallway and out the back door. He was going home. To bed. To sleep off this day and forget it ever happened.
---------
THIS COULD not end like this. Penny trotted after Theo in her platform heels. Why had she worn platform heels?
“I don’t want boring. I want messy,” she yelled to his back in the middle of The Red Brick’s parking lot. She reached for his arm and pulled him toward her. Made him look at her. “I want silly movies and pizza for breakfast. I want to spend all day naked in bed watching HGTV and eating cereal for dinner. I want to fight and have mind-blowing makeup sex. I want someone who helps people no matter what, because I know he’s there for me 110 percent, too. I want someone who loves me—really loves me—mistakes and all.”
She paused to catch her breath and he turned to face her. “I want you. I love you.”
He stared at her, no expression. Please say something.
“What if you change your mind? What if you still can’t trust me? What if you get scared again and decide you can’t do this after all?”
That’s not what she wanted to hear, but she understood why he had to say it.
“Walking out on you was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. Second only to thinking, for even one second, that I couldn’t trust you.” Her voice wavered as she continued. “Will you give me the chance to make it up to you?”
She wanted him to pull her to him, never let her go. He had to want that, too. She knew it deep down in her soul. But something stopped him.
Penny stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest. The warmth of his body permeated the soft cotton, and the thunderous beat of his heart vibrated against her fingertips. He looked down at it and she continued, the words coming out quieter than she wanted. “We can get through anything if we love each other. Please tell me you still love me.”
Theo stared at her. Nothing. Did he know how badly he was torturing her? He stayed silent and she knew. This wasn’t going to end happily ever after like she wanted. This was really the end. Her fears and stupidity had lost her the only man she’d ever really loved.
She blinked back tears and let her hand fall away from his chest. But he caught it in his.
“I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.” He lifted her hand to his mouth. After a soft kiss to her palm, he met her gaze. “I don’t ever want to stop.”
Theo’s lips crashed into hers so hard she lost her balance, but he caught her. He’d always catch her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tight, his mouth capturing hers. Her body filled with joy as butterflies on speed raced through her, flutters to every extremity. She had him back and she’d never again be stupid and let him go.
A whistle and a howl interrupted their reunion, followed by clapping. Seth walked out from the shadow of The Red Brick Inn, Shelly at his side. “So glad you two crazy kids made up. But someone better get in there and clean all that shit up.”
“Stop it!” Shelly said, and slapped his arm. “I’ll clean it up.”
Seth kissed her on the cheek then turned back to Theo and Penny. “I only shut my bar down for a really good reason. Luckily I like you guys. Now go home and screw your brains out.”
“Yes, sir.” Theo gave a mocking salute, then folded Penny’s hand into his, leading her toward his truck. “You think they ca
n hang on to that pirate getup? We can get you a wench costume.” His eyebrows rose. “That could be fun.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
---------
WHEN THOR left his house that evening, he never expected to end up in Penny’s bed. But here he was, peeling off that sexy dress and savoring every second.
“Leave the shoes on,” he said as he stood and tossed the dress onto the floor.
“Yeah? I didn’t know you liked sparkly platform heels.”
“I like them on you.”
He yanked his shirt off and dropped his jeans to the floor, his gaze glued to her body. So. Fucking. Hot. He’d never really cared for fancy lingerie before, but, man, did she look spectacular in black lace.
She rose up on her knees, her arms reaching behind. The lace peeled from her skin to reveal a perfect set of cotton-candy nipples, just waiting to be sucked. He actually salivated just thinking about it.
The bra joined her dress and his clothes on the floor. As he pushed his boxers down, she tucked her thumbs into the lace at each hip and did the same. She rested back and his dick twitched as those black panties inched down her legs. But then they got tangled in the spiky heels of her shoes.
Penny giggled. “This is why you don’t wear heels in bed.”
He grabbed one foot and gently pulled, tossing the shoe over his shoulder. Then moved on to the other.
“Much better.”
He rested his body between her thighs, her legs wrapped around his waist, the silkiness of her skin caressing him. Her fingers danced along his chest, his shoulders, then up his neck and into his hair. The best freaking massage he’d ever had.
“I love you,” she said. “So much.”
“I love you, too.” Their eyes locked on each other’s, and he knew she meant it. She’d meant every word she’d said at the bar. She’d finally let herself believe she was the only one for him. That they were meant to be together.
And he was going to have a real fun time showing her, over and over, for the rest of their lives.
He kissed her, but didn’t allow her the opportunity to deepen it. He needed to taste her, feel her bud against his tongue, the way she moaned and sighed when he flicked and sucked it. He loved how her body pulsed in his arms, her fingertips digging into his flesh, as he brought her to ecstasy.
One Size Fits All (The Classy ‘n’ Sassy Series Book 3) Page 25
