Page 65 of Begin Again

“Oh, and Theo?”

I lift my head, exhausted. “What?”

He grins. “Change your damn locks.”

Then, before I can throw something at him, he’s gone.

I groan, rubbing a hand down my face. If Orion’s right, this changes everything.

And if he’s wrong… well, I don’t know what to believe anymore.

18

Selene

The soft chime of my phone breaks the quiet of the living room. I stretch out on the couch where I’m cuddled up with Valkyrie under a blanket and swipe my phone off the coffee table. The message is from Theo, and just seeing his name pop up makes my stomach flip.

Theo:So, bad news. I ate the last of my cookies tonight. Good news? I’m bringing ingredients over to try a new recipe. Bad news? You have no choice.

A slow smile tugs at my lips, my fingers already flying across the screen.

Me:Oh, you’re that confident I’ll just let you in?

Theo: Let’s be real. I have Valkyrie on my side. She’d let me in for a shiny spoon.

I glance down at Valkyrie, who cracks one sleepy eye open as if she knows she’s being mentioned. It’s a fair point. She does have an embarrassing weakness for shiny things, and Theo’s right—she’d probably let a burglar in if they had a flashy enough treat.

Me: I’m not arguing. You’re probably her favorite person at this point.

Theo: Good. I’ll be there in twenty.

I sit up, startled.

Me: Wait, what?

Theo:Get the kitchen ready, Selene. We’ve got cookies to bake.

I stare at my phone, my pulse picking up. Twenty minutes? That’s barely enough time to process that Theo is coming over, let alone straighten up. My fingers tighten around my phone as I glance around the room, quickly fluffing pillows and folding the blanket I’d been curled up under. It’s not like this is a date or anything, but still.

Valkyrie watches me, her ears perking up as I move toward the kitchen, my stomach twisting with an anticipation I can’t quite name. “Theo’s coming,” I tell her.

She tilts her head, tail nub twitching, already excited.

By the time the knock finally comes, Valkyrie beats me to the door, her tail nub wagging enthusiastically. I grab the doorknob, but she noses it, almost knocking it open herself.

I pull it open, and there he is—standing in the glow of the porch light, arms full. A bag of groceries hangs from one arm, a bottle of wine dangles from his fingers, and in the other hand, he holds a bouquet of wildflowers.

My heart does something stupid.

Theo grins, immediately crouching to greet Valkyrie, who’s already sniffing around for anything she can claim. “Hold on, Valkyrie,” Theo says, laughing as he gently nudges her away. “Nothing shiny here for you, but I brought cookies—well, almost cookies.”

He straightens, offering me the flowers. “For you.”

For a moment, I just blink at him. Flowers. From Theo. It’s a simple gesture, but him standing there like this, easy and familiar—makes my throat tighten.

I take them, fingers brushing his, and step aside to let him in. “You really didn’t have to.”

He shrugs, moving toward the kitchen. “I figured you’d appreciate the beauty. Besides, I need to earn my keep if I’m invading your night.”