by Emma Hart
She put the lid on the box and shook her head. “Never, ever, ever. He always wins. I think he’s the cheater.”
“I am not a cheater,” Theo insisted.
“No, but you are a loser.” I grinned from my cross-legged position on the floor next to the coffee table. “A big. Fat. Loser.”
He held up his hands. “No need to be a sore winner.”
“Sore losers need a sore winner.”
“Whatever. You cheated.”
“Give up, Dad.” Ari rolled her eyes and picked up the board game. “I didn’t see her cheat.”
“You’re not supposed to. That’s kind of the point.” Then he frowned. “You’re supposed to be on my side?”
“No.”
I laughed and sat on the sofa at the opposite end to Theo. “Oh, come on. Kids never side with their parents. It’s like an unwritten rule of childhood.”
Ari nodded her head in full agreement.
“All right, I’m not gonna sit here and have you two form a clique to bully me,” he teased. “Ari, go and take your shower please.”
She groaned, dipping her head back. “Why do I have to shower every single day?”
“Because you get dirty every single day,” he said so automatically I just knew this was a daily conversation they had.
Another sigh, but Ari did as she was told and went upstairs.
“You do that daily, don’t you?” I asked.
“Every single day.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I think she does it now just to do it. It’s not like she doesn’t know she has to shower every day before bed. It’s been a thing for three years.”
I grinned. “You are going to have so much fun with her when she’s in her teen years.”
“You and I have very different definitions of fun,” he said dryly. “I’m not looking forward to that at all. It’s already starting.”
“Ooh, that’s gonna be rough.”
“You could be supportive and give me advice.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure what advice to give to a man who has to guide a teenage girl through the most troubled years of her life. Buy noise canceling headphones? Educate yourself on tampons? Invest in something stronger than beer? Find God, because you’re gonna need him?”
“That really wasn’t the support I was going for.”
I snorted. “I’m not going to lie to you. Puberty sucks. Girls are the worst. I have no idea how my parents did it with two girls without anyone dying.”
There was a knock at the door, and Theo got up. “Maybe I should have spent more time on dating the last few years. Someone who knows what they’re doing would be helpful.”
I laughed.
“Aunt Elsie,” he said, surprised.
I peered through the doorway into the hall.
“Can we—”
“No,” he said immediately.
“But—”
“No.”
“Theodore—”
“Do not call me Theodore.”
I grinned. Theodore. Why hadn’t I assumed that was his full name?
“Then stop interrupting me, you rude child.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Then do stop acting like one and let me in.” She shoved past him, letting herself in, and stopped when she saw me. “Elle! My new friend!”
All right, then.
“Hi, Elsie.” I waved. “How are you?”
“I’m just fine. We’re seeing the mayor tomorrow for our weekly protest, and I have a doozy of an article to show him about UFO sightings off the coast of Creek Keys.” She sat down on the sofa next to me. “Theodore, put the kettle on. I’d like one of those PG Tips cups of tea.”
“I’m not doing anything if you can’t use my name properly,” Theo replied.
“Theodore is your given name. It is how you were christened. I shall use it if I wish.”
“Aunt Elsie—”
“Theo, even I can see she’s not giving it up.” I fought a smile. “And what’s PG Tips?”
“Teabags,” he replied. “From England.”
Oh.
“Well, go on, then!” Elsie said, clapping her wrinkled hands together. “I’m dying of thirst over here! It’s like being in the desert out there.”
“Hardly.” Theo turned and walked out of the room, presumably to the kitchen to make Elsie her cup of tea.
She patted my knee. “Will you be joining us for our protest tomorrow?”
“Oh, I actually have a meeting around that time,” I lied. “But I’m going to try to come by at the end. Theo told me you get the mayor out.”
“We do! Dear old Robin gives us some of his time to hear us out. I think he might declassify some documents soon. We’re wearing him down!” She threw her fist in the air. “We will not be silenced by the Deep State!”
Well, all righty then.
There was no arguing with her passion, that was for sure.
“I actually wanted to ask you something.”
Oh, Jesus.
“What can I help with?” I replied, just knowing that was a terrible idea.
She placed her hand on mine. “You have that internet show, yes?”
It wasn’t really a show, but sure. “Yes.”
“Would you tell the world about us?”
“About Creek Keys? I’d imagine it’s on the map.”
“No, about the Krew. You know, let people know we’re here! Let them know we’re on their side!”
Yep.
There was the terrible idea.
I placed my hand on top of hers and patted gently. “Elsie, as much as I would love to tell the world about you, Maude, and Agnes, my channel isn’t really the place for such a thing.”
“Well, why not?”
“The majority of my followers are under eighteen.”
“That’s the perfect place! Initiate them while they’re young! That’s what the Satanists do, you know.”
Yeah, no. My channel was not the place for her.
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll reach out to some friends in the business who are more in line with your… beliefs… and see if they’ll interview you. Besides, I’m not posting videos right now.”
“Yes, yes, the sex tape. Don’t worry, dear, they’ll find something else to lie about soon.”
“Lie about?”
“Well, it’s not real, is it? That’s what the media does. They lie to bring people down.”
Hooey.
This woman was a trip.
An acid trip.
I also wasn’t about to tell her the tape existed, because that was going to open a whole can of worms I didn’t want to have to explain.
I was saved from responding thanks to Theo returning with her cup of tea. He set it down on a coaster in front of her and looked to me. “You’re still alive after being left alone, then.”
“Of course. We get on like a house on fire, don’t we, Elsie?” I winked at her, and she winked right back.
“Great. Just what we need. A recruit to the Conspiracy Krew.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Theo. She’s not there. Not yet, anyway. I’ll make a believer out of her.”
That wasn’t ominous sounding at all.
“I think Elle has better things to do than listen to your codswallop.”
Elsie looked him up and down. “If that’s true, what’s she doing here with you?”
Ha!
I coughed to cover my laugh, but it was largely ineffective. It kind of barked out at me, because she was looking at him in such a way that it was impossible not to laugh. It was that withering look, the one that almost always accompanied a cutting remark like the one she’d just dished out to him.
The kind of comment you could never get a reply to.
“What are you doing here?” Theo asked.
See? No reply.
“We need to use the beach—”
“Absolutely bloody not. Elle is still scarred from the last time you were there.”
Well, he wasn’t w
rong.
“Will you let me finish?”
“You know how I feel about you using the beach. You never do what you say you’re going to do. You always go crazy with the aliens. A new family is coming tomorrow, and they have four kids under the age of ten. You can’t go anywhere near the beach.”
“Four kids? Blimey. Do they use protection?”
“Aunt Elsie!” A wet-haired Ari came barreling into the living room, darted straight around Theo, and threw herself onto the sofa next to Elsie. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I came to see you, of course!” Elsie hugged her tightly, then pulled back and held up one finger. “I have something for you.” She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a chocolate bar, then handed it to Ari.
She gasped. “Thanks, Aunt Elsie! You’re the best.”
“I know,” she said smugly, accepting the kiss on the cheek Ari offered.
“The answer is still no,” Theo said. “I won’t be bought.”
I grinned and shuffled to the edge of the sofa. “I’ll leave you all to it.”
“I’ll see you out.” Theo got up and ushered me out of the living room and onto the back deck where he slid the door shut behind. “Sorry about her. She’s… well, she’s fucking crazy.”
I laughed, clutching my phone tightly. “She’s harmless. Unless she thinks you’re an alien, I’m sure.”
“Hmm.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Mostly, anyway.”
I peered back. Ari was rolling back, laughing at something Elsie had said. Their bond was pretty special, and I couldn’t help but smile at them.
“I’ll leave you to put Ari to bed and get rid of Elsie,” I said, taking a step away from the door. “Thanks for this afternoon. I really needed it.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Concern filled his eyes.
“I’m fine, Theo. Really. There’s nothing a hot bath and a tub of ice-cream can’t fix.”
“An entire tub? Even I know that’s a bad day.”
“It’s fine. I have some control over the situation now. I just need some peace and quiet.”
“Okay. Come here.” He stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms, holding me firmly against his body.
I’d been in worse places.
Hugged against a tall, handsome Brit was an okay spot to find yourself in.
“If you need anything, text me.” He stepped back, releasing me.
I smirked. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have your phone number.”
“Oh, bugger it. Pass me your phone.”
I unlocked it and handed it over. After he’d tapped it in, I said, “If you wanted my phone number, all you had to do was ask.” On a sassy grin, I skipped down the steps.
“I don’t have your number!”
“I know,” I called back, flipping a look over my shoulder. “You didn’t ask!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – THEO
Slowly, I shook my head and smiled as she walked off. The huge white stain on her arse—that I assumed was yogurt, hoped was yogurt—stood out like a sore thumb on the black shorts, and I was mad at myself for how my gaze lingered there.
And not at the stain.
I shook it off and went back inside where Ari was still laughing at Aunt Elsie. I looked at her and said, “One hour. Tuesday afternoon, at two o’clock. You will use the stretch on the other side of Elle’s house and you will keep all your clothes on, do you understand?”
Aunt Elsie thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. We accept.” With that, she kissed the top of Ari’s head and got up, tucking her purse against her body.
“What do you want it for? What are you lot doing now?”
She sighed. “Oh, Theodore. Don’t you have other things to worry about without wondering what I’m doing?”
I glanced at Ari. “If you go to bed now, you can have an extra thirty minutes on your laptop.”
The girl moved faster than I’d ever seen her go before. She darted out of the room and to the stairs before she wheeled back and yelled a goodnight wish in Aunt Elsie’s direction, then went back to the stairs again.
When I heard her bedroom door shut, I turned to Aunt Elsie. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Don’t you think you should be thinking about what you’re doing with Elle?”
“That doesn’t help.”
She sighed. “Theodore, you don’t date. I can count on one hand the number of women I’ve seen you date in the last five years. That’s one per year if you max it out, and I’m not sure you need all these digits.” She wiggled her fingers and thumb. “You are notorious about keeping women away from Arielle, yet here she is, at your house.”
“This is different. Ari loves her anyway, and she’s staying right next door. I initially told her to stay away from Ari, but it’s not going to happen. Besides, she’s a great person.”
“Yes. You had dinner last night and drinks with Alex and Blaire.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know everything.” She tapped her temple. “Now, I know everyone thinks I’m a crazy old lady, including you, but I know everything that goes on in this town, Theodore.”
“Then how come you don’t know that the sex tape is real?”
“Psh. Of course, I know it’s real, but she’s dealing with enough stuff right now without having to talk to an eighty-one-year-old woman about it. Besides, I don’t care. Pornstars are lovely people.”
“She’s not a pornstar.”
“Of course, she’s not. She’s a poor girl who’s been done dirty, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then tell me what you are bloody well talking about!”
“Don’t take that tone with me, boy.” She pointed at me with one long, wrinkled finger. “There’s something about this girl that has you enamored.”
“I am not enamored.”
“No, but you’re spending more time with her than anyone other than Blaire. Not that she counts, mind you, but the point still stands. But just think about how much time you’re spending with her. She doesn’t live anywhere near here, and I don’t want to see you or Arielle get hurt.” She looked pointedly at me. “I’m not trying to be a pain, but just take a breath.”
“Aunt Elsie, we’re friends. That’s all. She has nobody here and she’s having a rough time. I’m little more than a shoulder to cry on.”
“Child, don’t treat me like I’m yesterday’s pig shit. I saw how you hugged her. I saw how you looked at her. I’m not saying you’re in love with her, but you’re sure as hell attracted to her.”
I clenched my jaw. “Of course, I’m attracted to her. But that doesn’t mean anything.” Unless you get drunk and kiss them.
Thank God she didn’t know about that.
She held up both her hands in defeat.
“Aunt Elsie, I appreciate you looking out for us. I always do. But I would never intentionally do anything that I thought would hurt Ari. I’m not even concerned about myself.”
“And that’s why you haven’t dated.”
“Exactly. It’s easier to stay as we are now.”
“But you’re not. Huh, maybe you should date this girl.”
I rubbed my temples. “You’ve just spent ten minutes telling me why I shouldn’t be attracted to her, now you’re telling me to date her?”
She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know. I like her. Is she moving here?”
“I think this conversation has been a whole lot of pointless.”
“I guess it rather has, hasn’t it?” She raised her eyebrows and headed in the direction of the door. “Anyway, thank you for the beach next week.”
“Yeah, what do you want it—”
Aunt Elsie slammed the door behind her, leaving me staring after her.
I sighed and sat down on the sofa, burying my face in my hands. I should have known she’d gone off on that tangent for a reason, and it had little to nothing to do with Elle.
It had everything to do with not telling me why she wanted the beach.
I blew out a long breath and scrubbed my hands across my face. Unfortunately, she’d had a point.
I didn’t date because of Ari. Not only was my time limited like I’d told Elle, but bringing someone into Arielle’s life only for them to potentially leave was a big factor.
And it wasn’t like there was anyone to have her while I actually carved out a relationship.
I couldn’t do that with her always around, not without her getting attached.
Which is what I now feared was happening with Elle. Emotionally, she was already attached to her on a level because she watched her videos. What I didn’t need was her getting literally attached to her, only for Elle to leave to go back to New York.
Selfishly, I didn’t want me to get attached.
If she lived close by, maybe it would be different. But our lives were built in separate places, and it wasn’t like she could up and leave New York, where her family was. She could no more do that than I could.
Was it foolish to continue spending time with her? Was it foolish to allow Arielle to get closer to her, knowing she’ll leave? To allow myself to?
Maybe the knowledge that she was leaving mattered. I didn’t expect her to stay here for very long, but I also knew that there was no way I could avoid her for the time she was here.
The problem was that the more time I spent with her, the more I liked her. The more I liked spending that time with her.
And that hit hard.
Because there wasn’t really anyone I liked spending time with.
But Elle…
I sighed.
Elle was funny. She was bright. Her laugh lit up an entire room without her even knowing she was doing it, and that was a terrifying prospect to me.
She was right. I hadn’t even wanted to like her days ago. I’d been determined to hate her, to keep her away, but there were people you just couldn’t do that with.
I hated that Elle was that person for me.
And I didn’t really know what to do about it all.
***
“How long is she staying?” Blaire tapped the ash off her cigarette into the ash tray on the step next to her. We were sitting on the back deck watching the girls play on the beach.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t know either. I haven’t seen her in two days. She hasn’t even been outside.”
