Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
So what the hell was Theo up to?
Deciding I wouldn’t continue to put myself through this, I pulled open the restroom door, determined to tell Theo I wanted to leave. But as I walked out, I almost slammed into his broad chest.
He stared down at me blandly, and I wanted to scream at him to wipe that protective mask off his face and just be real with me.
“Are you all right?”
“I—”
“Scott rather fancies you,” Theo cut me off. He said it like it meant nothing to him that his friend was attracted to me.
“Oh.” I didn’t know how else I was supposed to respond.
“He asked me if we were exclusive or if you’d be interested in him. I told him the latter.”
Pain lanced across my chest.
Theo shrugged, but I noticed the telltale flexing of his clenched jaw before he forced himself to relax. “You should experience other men, Sarah. Grab life by the balls, so to speak.”
“There you are!”
I flinched at the female voice seconds before the redhead sidled up to Theo, pressing her breasts into his arm. “I wondered where you’d gone to. Come.” She flicked me a dismissive look. “You owe me a drink.”
“Quite right, love, so I do.” Theo ignored me, turning to her and wrapping his arm around her, hand on her hip as they walked away.
Tears threatened, but I forced them back. It was painful.
Everything … everything hurt.
I was an idiot.
Jared … Jared had warned me. When someone is terrified of caring for you … you put your guard up. Not down.
And with all his issues and trauma, Theo Cavendish was utterly terrified of me.
That didn’t make this okay.
He didn’t get to treat me like this.
I’d warned him.
Fury cut through my pain. I’d warned him that if he told me to go again, I’d leave.
Notching my chin higher, like I didn’t have a damn care in the world, I strode toward the bar, past it, heading toward the exit. I’d almost made it when a hand wrapped around my biceps.
Stupid relief flared through me. Until I turned to find Scott.
He searched my face. “Are you all right? Are you leaving?”
My eyes flicked over his shoulder where Theo was in the booth, laughing with the redhead and the rest of the group.
I think I hated him then.
I looked back at Scott. “I’m just … not feeling this place.”
“Yeah, this place is kind of over. Would you like some company?”
And maybe because I was just petty enough to do it, I nodded and let him take my hand. Without looking back, I exited the bar with Scott, leaving Theo behind.
Twenty-One
THEO
It was quite possible I was about to upchuck my four whisky sours all over the table in front of these people.
Sarah had left with Scott.
I’d pushed her to him.
Now my heart wouldn’t stop fucking racing and my chest felt tight. The faces of my companions, including Alice, a costume designer I’d worked with but never slept with despite her flirtations, were blurry. Their voices, their words, became muddled noise.
It had been an hour since Sarah had left the bar with another man, and every time I thought about how I’d treated her, or how Scott might have his hands on her … how he might be inside her … fuck, I was going to be sick.
I couldn’t breathe.
Pushing out of the booth, uncaring if I looked like a madman, I hurried toward the restroom, feeling the room tilt not from drunkenness … with panic.
I burst into the loos and hurried over to the sink.
I couldn’t catch my breath.
Fuck.
I was having a panic attack.
Trying to loosen shirt buttons that were already loose, my fingers felt numb and useless. When was the last time I’d had a panic attack?
Mum. When Mum died.
For Christ’s sake.
Fumbling with the cold water tap, I tried to bury my head under it.
“You all right, mate?” a bloke to my left asked.
I didn’t answer, and he departed the restroom while I rubbed the cold water into my face and stared into the mirror.
Breathe, just breathe, I heard Sarah’s soft imaginary voice coax.
“Theo, you all right?” A hand slapped my back and I straightened, trying to focus.
Scott stared at me in concern.
Scott.
He was here?
“Where’s Sarah?” I practically barked.
Scott grimaced. “Your little cocktease changed her mind as soon as we got back to my flat. I put her in a cab. Next time you tell me a woman is up for it, make sure she’s actually up for it, mate. It’s not like you to pick the prudes.”
Rage filled me and I grabbed him by the shirt front and slammed him into the wall. “Did you touch her?”
Scott shoved me away angrily. “I don’t touch women who don’t want to be touched. Why do you give a shit? You passed her to me like she was a toy you got bored with. Doesn’t exactly scream that you care, mate.” He cut me a dirty look before marching out of the restroom.