Page 30

Chapter Thirty

THEODORE

I ’m only here because there’s a chance that I could see Aurora.

I didn’t get a chance to ask if she’d be at Alex and Sara’s baby shower. I remember Alex mentioning it to her the night that we met. When it comes to Aurora, I remember a lot of things—things that I normally wouldn’t care about. So, when Alex asked if I was home for the weekend and if I could come because their guest list was looking a little small, so Sara decided to change it to a co-ed situation, I actually agreed.

Alex knows me well enough to know that I’m not doing this to be a good friend. He just doesn’t know how in over my head I am with Aurora Bennet.

She wants me to prove that I can be better. I don’t know how to be anything but me. I’ll make her like me, though. I’ll make her see that there’s no better option for her.

The weather’s nice as I park at the curb, really hoping none of these beat-up Camry’s touch my Porsche. I try to avoid stepping through the grass, but there’s no other option to get to the backyard. My Dior dress shoes have to sink into the dirt of Alex’s poorly kept yard .

Letting myself through the gate, I’m greeted by balloons in shades of pink and orange. There’s two pink flamingos sitting by the entrance with leis around their neck. There’s a wooden table with a plastic pink and orange flower-patterned tablecloth covering it stacked with snacks and cupcakes that resemble pink flamingos.

What the fuck did I walk into?

Alex sees me and heads my way, dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink polo shirt that’s tight across his muscular build. “Theo!” He grins. Stopping by one of the flamingos, he grabs a yellow lei from its neck and offers it to me.

“Absolutely not.” I don’t reach out to take it. I am not involved in whatever insanity this is.

“It’s for Sara,” he says, keeping his voice low. He thrusts the lei toward me again. “Put it on, make her happy. Please . She’s already upset that the turn-out is as low as it is.”

I am not happy about this, but I take the lei and throw it around my neck. I don’t want to make the pregnant woman cry or anything.

At the mention of the low turnout, I scan the backyard. There’s only a handful of people here. A few women that are hovering around Sara, a guy or two I vaguely recognize from C1W…and off to the corner, the apple of my eye.

Aurora has her back to me, a cup of punch in her hand. She’s wearing a pair of army green shorts and a white top that shows off a delicious sliver of skin. It takes me back to a few days ago in the locker room.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.

Annoyance floods over me when I realize she’s talking to that Kai kid. I call him a kid as if he’s not in the same age range as me, but he hasn’t made it yet. He’s still slumming on the indies, trying to get a chance.

To me, he’s a kid.

Alex follows my line of sight and sighs, shaking his head. “Are you still hung up on Rory? I’ve seen that you two are working together. She had to cancel her C1W bookings because of whatever she’s doing with GRW. Let me guess, you got her the job?”

I flash him a smirk. “Can’t confirm or deny anything, Alex.”

I want nothing more than to march over to her and steal her attention away from Kai. But I’m trying to show her that I’m not the biggest piece of shit around. She wants me to prove that I can be better.

Instead, I head over to where Sara and her friends are gathered. Sara turns her head up to look at me, and I instantly see the annoyance spread over her face.

She doesn’t like me. Shocking, right?

She hates that Alex is my friend. She hates that he gives me continuous second chances with my shitty behavior. No woman wants their husband to be friends with a guy like me. Which makes me like Alex even more because he continues to put up with me, even with his wife’s protests.

I’d never do anything to influence him to follow my path. Would I cover for his ass if he did? Absolutely. Would I be surprised if he did? No, but that’s because I think that deep down, most people are like me. They just hide it really well. Would I tell him to cheat on his pregnant wife? Never.

“You look ready to pop.” I grin at her.

Sara rolls her eyes. “It’s nice to see you, too, Theodore.” She doesn’t mean it. I can tell.

Leaning down, I press a tender kiss to her cheek, and she makes a noise of disgust as I pull away. “Anyway, I’ve never been to a baby shower before. People never invite me to these things. Didn’t know what to bring, so I bought what was left on your registry.”

Her brown eyes go wide, and I can hear Alex huff in disbelief beside me. “Theo,” he says, slapping my shoulder.

“I don’t know shit about kids. I didn’t know what to prioritize getting you, so I got you everything. Hope it helps. I…” I trail off when I feel it. She’s noticed me. She’s watching me. Turning my he ad, I see the green eyes of my dreams settled on me from across the yard. Clearing my throat, I nod toward Sara. “Congratulations on the brat, I guess. If this is what you two wanted. Excuse me.”

I slap Alex on the shoulder as I push past him, making my way over to the outskirts of the gathering where Kai and Aurora are standing, still slightly annoyed that my shoes are getting dirty.

“Surprised to see me here, Roo?” I ask, sliding up to her side. She smells like warm vanilla, like freshly baked sugar cookies. It’s become my favorite scent in the whole world.

“A lot, actually.” She brings her punch up to her full lips, coated in clear lip-gloss that makes them shine. “You remember Kai, right?”

Forcing myself to play the role that she expects me to, I bring my gaze to Kai. His dark hair is swept to the side; he’s wearing a pair of dark rimmed glasses. He looks a lot more like a nerd who gets pushed into lockers than a professional wrestler.

“Theodore,” he greets me, extending his hand.

And like a good boy, I take it, shaking it. “Kai.”

“Kai’s got a dark match for GRW when Rise is in New York,” she says.

I hide my annoyance. The last thing I need is Kai to get a job at GRW. Aurora likes him. What if she likes him more than me? What if he comes along and takes my spot? I’m sure he’s a better face for the company than I am. I can’t lose this.

But I can’t verbalize any of that. If people find out you’re insecure, they’ll exploit any opportunity they get. Insecurity is weakness. I can’t be weak.

Choosing not to comment on that fact, I nod along. When I scan the very lacking party again, my gaze lands on the table full of snacks and refreshments. Zoning in on the flamingo cupcakes, I tilt my head. “Did you make the cupcakes, Roo?”

I live for the way her cheeks heat up, and she slowly nods. “Yeah. Alex asked if I could whip something up since the bakery they were using had to cancel their order for some reason or another.”

“I forgot that you baked,” Kai tacks on, like he’s supposed to be in this conversation. Like anyone wants him here.

But Aurora smiles at him, and I envision pummeling my fist into his stupid face, breaking his glasses. “How could you forget? I made you a birthday cake.” She laughs.

I can imagine how his nose would crack under my knuckles already, blood streaming down his baby face, tears spilling from his brown eyes.

She made him a cake for his birthday. She made me a single fucking cupcake.

I have to remind myself that it would be harder to make a cake in a hotel room, right? And she’s known him longer. Maybe he paid her for a cake.

Kai smiles at her. “Still the best damn cake I ever had. I don’t know how I forgot that.”

Not one to stand around and be left out, I jut in. “I only faintly remember the cupcake you made me last week, baby doll. I got distracted by other things that tasted a lot better.”

Her cheeks turn red again as she glares up at me. I can’t help myself; I love how she looks when she’s angry.

Looking between the two of us, Kai shakes his head. “I…think I’m gonna go talk to Alex.” Smart kid. At least he knows when he’s not wanted. “I’ll see ya later, Rory.”

They hug. I see red. Like every time before, I force it down for the sake of not ruining the baby shower and not making Aurora go back on her agreement to give me a chance if I can prove myself.

As Kai makes his exit, she turns to me and hisses, “What the fuck. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“When you’re involved? Absolutely not.”

“You’re impossible, Theo.”

“Yet you love every second of it. ”

Aurora scoffs and storms off to go chat with the rest of the women. Okay, so…not exactly the home run I was hoping for, and maybe I wasn’t on my most sparkling behavior, but I can see it in her eyes—the way she looks over her shoulder at me as she walks away. She’s falling.

I need to hope to god I catch her, and I don’t fuck it all up.