Page 4 of Fake Dates and Home Plates (Way Off Base #1)

Chapter Four

Henley

“Go home with me.”

Theo’s words shock me. Go home with him? Is he insane? I just broke up with my boyfriend, and I smell like I’ve rolled around in a bucket of onions and body odor. He wants me to go to bed with him?

“What?” I ask in shock.

He laughs at the expression on my face. “Not like that.”

Well, now I’m a little offended. Sure, I am a disgusting mess filled with an unlimited supply of rage, but he doesn’t have to laugh at the idea of fucking me.

“What I mean is, go home with me tonight. You can shower there and borrow some clothes. I have a guest room, so you don’t have to worry about that idiot showing up to your place.”

His offer sounds perfect, but I’m a little hesitant. If anyone found out I went home with my ex’s rival the same night we broke up, I can’t imagine the fuel it would add to the rumor fires.

Then again…Dakota cheated on me. Who gives a fuck if people want to judge me for whatever I choose to do now?

“And after tonight?” I ask.

I don’t know why I’m asking Theo or what I’m even really asking. He’s not responsible for me.

“Let's get through tonight. I think I have an idea, but I need you to be clear-headed when I tell you.”

My right eyebrow lifts in question.

Theo reaches across the table to grab my hand. “Your feelings tonight are valid, and you deserve to go through them however you want. I just meant if you wake up tomorrow and still want your revenge, I’ll help you get it.”

He has a good point. Tomorrow, I might just wake up and want nothing to do with this situation. I could go home and put on my running shoes, pick a ten-mile trail, and run it as hard as I can until my lungs feel like they might burst.

“Lead the way,” I say.

Theo throws a few twenties on the table before standing. He waves at Tracey to signal that he’s leaving before reaching down and grabbing his book. “Come on, slugger."

I look at my shoes, and it takes me less than a second to decide I’d rather brave going barefoot than take another step in them. Standing, I’m confused when Theo hands me his book.

“Can you hold this for a second?”

I don’t think much of the request, so I grab the book for him—only to almost drop it seconds later when I’m scooped up into his arms in a fireman’s hold.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-screech, but he’s already moving to the door.

He leads us out of the diner to the small parking lot before stopping in front of the passenger side of what I assume is his Jeep.

Without dropping me or even struggling with my weight, he opens the door and sits me down gently.

Theo boops me on the nose before leaving me to buckle myself in and circling the vehicle to get in on the driver's side.

“It was give you my shoes or carry you. I chose the one where I got to look like a hero for two minutes,” he tells me as he starts up the Jeep and backs out of the parking spot.

I’ll never admit it, but I’m really happy he chose option two. Being flung around as if I weigh nothing is hot.

“Where do you live? Should I send your address to my parents, or do you promise not to murder me?”

Theo laughs. “Pinky promise I won’t ever hurt you, Henley.”

The rest of the drive is quiet. It’s not awkward; in fact, it’s kind of relaxing.

We pull into a gated community not too far from HVU. The houses are modest, but it’s clear this area is much nicer than an average college student apartment building.

I watch as Theo hits a button in his Jeep that opens a garage to one of the houses on the street. He pulls into the driveway before parking in the garage. Quickly, he opens his door and hops out to open my door too.

It makes me wonder exactly what's in those romance books he claims to read. Maybe he should share his notes with the rest of the population.

There’s a door in the garage leading into the house.

As we walk into the open living room area, it all just seems…

empty. This place has all the minimum necessities, maybe even a step above, but almost nothing makes it seem like a…

home. Even my small apartment has a few family photos and a dead plant in the corner, along with the random things my roommate brings home for her projects.

Not to mention the amount of paint stains and random holes in the wall from those many projects.

Theo’s house looks like it came out of a magazine.

As if he’s reading my mind, he says, “There’s not much, but I didn’t see a point in buying a bunch of stuff I might have to move or sell in a year.”

That makes sense. Like Dakota, he must have plans to play professionally after college.

“Follow me.”

I do as he says and follow him down the hall.

“This is the guest room. There is a connecting bathroom, so you can have some privacy. Just look in the cabinet for a clean towel. I’ll try to find you some clothes,” he tells me before leaving the room.

The room is just as bare as the rest of the house, but the bed is huge. Walking into the bathroom, I see a walk-in shower that looks heavenly. There’s a giant mirror on the wall above the sink and vanity, and I take a minute to study my reflection.

Dark brown waves are a tangled mess around my face, and I find myself praying there’s some conditioner in that magnificent shower. My cheeks are flushed even under my tan skin. My green eyes look…dull.

For the first time tonight, I feel a sense of sadness. My shoulders sink as I try to take deep breaths, wanting to fight off the emotion until I’m in the safety of my own space. It’s no use.

The tears begin to fall before I can stop them.

Maybe I’m heartbroken. Maybe it’s the embarrassment finally catching up with me.

It’s every single emotion of the night overwhelming my system until the only thing I can do is cry.

Within seconds, I go from tearful to sobbing, my body shaking as my head falls into my hands.

Suddenly, arms wrap around me, and I sink into Theo’s chest.

“Let it out. I got you, Henley. Just feel whatever you need to feel.”

And I do.

I feel humiliated and stupid. Then I feel angry because Dakota is the one who should be feeling that way, not me.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but I cry until my body sags against his.

“I promise I’m not trying to make a move,” he breaks the silence. “Are you wearing something under that dress?”

The question is weird, but I answer anyway, thinking that’s the least I can do after all he’s done for me tonight. I can trust he isn’t being a pervert. “Just underwear. Why?”

“I have an idea. Just put on the shirt I brought you. I promise I won’t look.”

I’m curious, but I do it anyway, struggling out of the dress as I hear him switch on the water. Once the shirt is on, I turn around and see him standing beside the running shower.

Naked.

Well, not fully naked. I don’t even try to hide the way my eyes rake over the muscles of his arms and the impressive six-pack.

His bottom half is covered by a pair of briefs just tight enough to have my eyes popping out of my head. Maybe the tears made my vision blurry, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a flaccid penis that thick.

Not that I’ve looked at a lot of dick. Just a nice, healthy amount.

“Alright, quit staring at my dick and get in the shower. I want to wash your hair.”

I do as I’m told and hop in the shower. The water weighs down my shirt, making the fabric feel heavy against my skin, but I don’t care; it’s hot and feels incredible on the muscles I’ve over-exerted tonight.

Theo’s warm body steps in behind me, but there’s plenty of room.

I watch as he lathers the shampoo in his hands. “Turn around.”

Following his instruction, I’m rewarded with his fingers massaging my scalp.

“Rinse,” he grunts.

Once again, I do as I’m told, and I almost cry again when I discover he does have some conditioner in his shower.

I wonder if he has a lot of female company. This might be a regular thing for him. Maybe he lures women back to wash their hair before or after they fuck. I don’t care. Tonight, it’s me in here, and I’ll take it.

We repeat the process with the conditioner, and I’m torn between wanting to go to sleep and wanting to sit under the hot water on the shower floor.

When I open my eyes, Theo’s face is in a grimace.

“Are you okay?”

He nods, but his jaw is tight. “You moan when I rub your scalp. It might have…affected me.”

Oh. I turned him on.

The smile that takes over my face is cocky and uncontrollable. It feels really fucking good to be a little desirable after the night I’ve had.

“I’m going to let you, uh, finish up. I’ll set a new shirt on the bed for you.” He tells me while he opens the shower door. “The drawers under the sink are stocked with a hairbrush and extra toothbrushes. I’m just down the hall if you need anything else. If not, I’ll see you in the morning.”

He rushes the words out and leaves the bathroom just as fast. I take my time finishing my shower and removing my shirt and underwear so I can clean up.

When I’m done, I lay all the wet clothes on the counter, hoping Theo won’t mind me borrowing something to wear home tomorrow.

Theo did leave a shirt on the bed, as promised; this one has Hudson’s Most Wanted on the front. He’s such a fanboy, buying merchandise and repping the podcast he mentioned.

I find the toothbrush and hairbrush he mentioned, thankful that, for whatever reason, he keeps these things around. My hair takes a few minutes, but eventually, it’s manageable.

I grab my phone off the counter and make my way to the bed, climbing between the sheets. It’s comfortable enough, but the room is dark and quieter than I’m used to. My apartment is close enough to campus that I hear people on the sidewalks and cars on the street well after midnight most nights.

Closing my eyes, I try to will myself to get some sleep. Debating whether to turn some white noise on with my phone, I decide against it, just in case it wakes up Theo.

I’m not sure how much time passes before I give up. Maybe after tomorrow, I won’t see Theo again, which means I’m going to make the most out of it tonight.

Quietly, I open the bedroom door and peek down the hall. There are two other doors in this hallway, so I decide to check them both. The first has a washer and dryer, so I slowly close that door before softly knocking on the other.

Theo answers, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

I try not to drool over his chest as I ask, “Can we cuddle?”

“Why, I thought you’d never ask,” he says with a big, genuine smile.

He reaches out and pulls me close, only to squat and lift me by my thighs before throwing me onto the bed.

I giggle like a little lovestruck teenage girl as I climb under the covers. He settles in beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist until our faces are inches apart.

“Get some sleep, Henley.”

And there, in his warm and gentle embrace, I do.