Page 59 of Begin Again

Tonight’s meeting is important, and I need to stay focused. But as much as I try to keep my thoughts in line, Theo’s smile, his laugh, and the way he kissed me keep sneaking back in.

I shake my head, determined to push it all aside. Tonight, I remind myself, is about solving a mystery, not reliving a kiss.

Even if it was the best kiss of my life.

* * *

The doorbell rings as I finish arranging the table. I take a deep breath, smoothing down the front of my comfy vintage shirt. If there was ever a day to dress for comfort, today was the day. My stomach twists with nerves—not just because of the meeting, but because of Theo. Last night’s kiss is still fresh in my mind, lingering like the taste of sugar on my lips, and I don’t know how to act normal around him now. Not when I can still feel the heat of his hands on my skin.

The only other relationship I was in started while I was in high school. It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this in a new relationship.

I open the door to find Theo standing there, his warm eyes locking on to mine. My breath catches, just for a second. Does he feel it too? The way his lips curve into a smile, slow and easy, makes my chest flutter. Almost like he’s also reliving our kiss last night.

“Hey,” he says, his voice low and casual, but there’s a knowing look in his gaze.

“Hey, yourself,” I reply, stepping to the side to let him in, suddenly hyper-aware of how close we are in the doorway.

He lifts a small bag he brought with him, “I thought I would help contribute to the snacks. Don’t judge me but I’m not willing to share the cookies we made last night so I brought some from the cafe.”

Laughing softly, I shake my head, “You’re off the hook… This time.”

His grin is quick and easy, making my heart do a stupid little flip. For a moment, the tension of the upcoming meeting fades, replaced by the warmth of our easy banter. He drops a few things in the living room for later, and I steal a glance at him, still reeling from the fact that this is real—whateverthisis between us.

Morgan arrives shortly later while we’re all at the kitchen table. Orion goes to answer the door, we hear her say “So, the friend of a friend is Selene’s big brother?”

Celeste and I yell at the same time, “Little brother!” As we exchange annoyed looks.

It’s the curse of the oldest sibling to be the smallest, but it is still annoying because Orion started to outgrow me in the fourth grade.

They walk into the room together, the air is heavy between them, charged with an unspoken tension. I glance at Theo who raises an eyebrow but doesn’t voice his thoughts. Celeste and I share a look that lets the other know we are on the same wavelength and we will be bringing this up after everyone leaves tonight.

Then I notice Morgan brought someone with her.

My stomach tightens. The easy banter in the room fizzles out like a candle snuffed by the wind. Theo doesn’t look surprised—if anything, there’s a quiet resignation in the way he greets the interloper.

“Cousin.”

Wait. What?

My mind stutters over the title as I stare at him, my thoughts trying to make sense of this sudden shift in reality.

“Bennett is your cousin?” My voice comes out slower now like my brain needs extra time to process. The travel blogger? The guy I met at the cafe?

His dark eyes flicker toward mine, with a hint of sheepishness.

Morgan clears her throat. “Yeah… about that. Bennett isn’t just some travel blogger. He’s Theo’s cousin.”

My mouth goes dry, my thoughts tripping over each other in an attempt to fit this new knowledge into the larger picture. If he’s Theo’s cousin, then why the hell was he sneaking around town, pretending to be some random writer?

“Then what was with the cloak and dagger at the cafe?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intend.

Theo exhales beside me, rubbing a hand down his face before crossing his arms across his broad chest. “Yeah. Turns out my dad’s brother had a son no one ever knew about. And Bennett is his son.”

Bennett shifts his weight like he’s suddenly hyper-aware of everyone staring at him. He rubs a hand along the back of his neck, a tic I recognize from our brief interactions before.

“I didn’t know either,” he says. “Not until an ancestry DNA test from my adopted mom led me to Theo’s dad. When I was going through her things after her death I found login information for 23+Me. I saw the message from my uncle and messaged him back. When he didn’t respond after a week I started digging. He died the day after he messaged me, and it didn’t sit right with me, so when I hacked into some old records—”

“Wait,hacked?” Orion narrows his eyes, his voice sharp with suspicion.