Page 44 of Meet Me at the Metro (Gildenhill #1)

44

HOMEBOUND

E L L I E

I stand rigid and unmoving, bracing myself for the surge of emotions threatening to swallow me as the image of his body, limp in my arms, comes crashing to the forefront of my mind.

Three months.

It’s been three months, but somehow, the memory of that night feels as fresh in my mind as yesterday. I didn’t enjoy thinking about it for too long—I didn’t appreciate how it sometimes consumed every inch of me when I did, so I often forced it away. I was tired of acknowledging the echo of that night, fed up with listening to those sirens blaring in my head and replaying the desperation laced in his deep, gruff voice.

Staring down at the open suitcase against my bed, I consider all my options—consider the final decision I’ve made. The steady hum of the city floods through the open window of my bedroom as my fingers graze the edge of the wide luggage. They travel along the overflowing stacks of clothes inside, pausing when they land on a sapphire blue dress folded neatly on top.

I smile as my fingertips pass over its silky fabric, reminiscing on the memory— person —attached to it. I replay the feeling of his hands on me, carrying me up the stairs to the flat. I remember how his eyes drank me in that night and all the longing in his startling gray-blue gaze. I recall how my body tingled every time he was in my proximity.. .

Theo is branded on me, a lingering mark I’d never be able to blot away so long as I intend to hold onto the most content moments of my life.

A soft, tentative knock on my door conjures my attention. I glance back, finding Connor standing in the doorway.

“Hey.” His brown eyes nervously dart to the floor, refusing to linger on mine. He runs a hand through his dark hair, leaving wild, messy tufts behind.

“ Hey .”

“I just—I, umm —wanted to see if you need any help packing,” he offers.

“I’m actually just finishing up,” I say, turning to fold my suitcase closed and zipping it shut.

I begin to lift it off the mattress when Connor appears at my side. He draws it from my hands, hefts it up, and carries it to the door for me.

“Bloody hell,” he grunts, setting it down on its four wheels. “What did you stuff inside of this thing?”

“My room ,” I retort, shoving him. Connor lets out a soft chuckle that makes the weight in my chest grow lighter.

It’s a relief to see him smile. It felt like a rare occurrence these days, and its frequent absence had me constantly worrying about him. I longed for the person he was before that night—the friend he allowed himself to be before he found out about his Mom’s betrayal. I couldn’t imagine how much he was hurting—couldn’t imagine how broken his trust was—but I prayed that the Connor before would return. I prayed he’d find healing from all of this.

I prayed that we all would.

Falling into silence, we glance around the empty room, the walls now bare and vacant of the playbills and posters I used to have hung against them. It was his space to decorate now.

“You going to be okay here?”

Connor swallows and gives me a waned smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“You know I’ll always be here for you,” I tell him softly. “I’m just a phone call away if you ever want to talk or—”

“I know.”

My friend’s newly built walls wedge between us, settling in the silence that follows his terse response. I sigh, “I’m worried about you, Conn.”

He finally dares to look me in the eyes again, and I can’t help but notice how tired his own look. It was impossible not to see how much light they’d lost in just a matter of months. Connor draws me into his arms, embracing me tightly as though my concern is a welcome consolation.

“Don’t be. I’ll be okay.”

“Especially now that he’ll have me around!” Evie exclaims, rushing through the open door. She flings herself back onto my old mattress, stretching out her short limbs.

I don’t miss the way Connor’s eyes briefly watch her.

She rolls onto her side, hitching herself up against her elbow as she taunts, “I’ll be the best roomie you’ve ever dreamed of.”

“The loudest roomie I’ve ever dreamed of,” he corrects. He crosses the room, plucks her off the bed, and drags her back into the hallway. “Going to have to invest in a sign for my door that says No Evie’s Allowed.”

“Now, that’s just bloody hateful,” she pouts, feigning offense. Her bare feet stomp toward the kitchen, shoulders shrugging as she quips, “Guess it’s a good thing I don’t like following the rules, bitch boy.”

Connor shakes his head and bites back a smile.

“You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes,” Connor assures, huffing a laugh. “Harvey can just play referee between the two of us.”

On cue at the mention of his name, Harvey shouts down the hall, “ Ellie! Your taxi’s here! ”

My friends help me gather all my bags and suitcases, graciously carrying them down the stairs of the flat and packing them into the back of the taxi. I’m a ball of emotions as we all say our goodbyes, exchanging warm hugs along the sun-beaten pavement of the city street.

“Call us when you get there, okay?” Harvey requests, granting the top of my forehead with an endearing kiss. “If not, you’ll have us worried sick. ”

“I will. I promise.”

“Give her to me,” Evie commands, briskly yanking me toward her. I breathe in her bold, fruity scent as her arms sling around me. She squeezes a grunt out of me. “I hate you for this... leaving me behind in this testosterone-ridden cesspool.”

“You are so dramatic,” I giggle, pinching her side. She squawks and tries wriggling away from me, but I pull her closer, deepening our hug before she can escape. “ Love you.”

“Love you back.”

I draw my mouth to her ear, speaking only loud enough for her to hear. “Take it easy on Connor, will you?”

Evie nods obediently as she pulls out of my embrace but mouths a noticeable “Never” the second I begin climbing into the black leather backseat of the taxi.

Connor closes the door and bids me a soft wave goodbye. They all stay planted along the pavement, watching me as the taxi begins to pull away. I gaze up toward the secondary-story window of my old flat, conflicted with a wide range of bitter-sweet emotions.

I’ll miss it so much.

I lose myself in the city’s sights as we drive, watching through the car window as everything slowly stirs to life. London looks so beautiful during May, graced with bright, colorful blooms along cityside hedges and the warmth of the golden sun as it rises over the skyline. I’d grown to love this place more than I had ever anticipated, and my appreciation for it was enough to keep me here for as long as it’d have me.

I’m a bundle of nerves when we finally pull up to our destination. The driver helps me unload my suitcases and bags and transfer them inside the awaiting building lobby. As I step inside, I stride straight for the flat door, shivering excitedly as I bring my knuckles up to meet its black exterior.

I only manage one knock against it before it swings open—Theo’s standing tall in the doorway, a dopey smile emerging as his eyes take me in.

“You’re home,” he breathes, swaddling me with his earthly scent as he draws me into his arms .

I nuzzle into the warmth of his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as we hold each other for a long moment. I’d never take moments like this for granted again—I’d enjoy every second the two of us were given... soak them in for as long as I was allowed.

“ I’m home,” I breathe.

“ Bloody hell, Nora. Where are you taking me?”

“So many questions, birthday boy,” I playfully scold, guiding him forward. “Now, there’s a step-off here, so be careful.”

He stumbles right after I issue the warning.

“I said be careful, Theo!”

“Well, maybe if I could see where the hell I was going,” he huffs, a blindfold still knotted tightly along the back of his head. “Are we there yet? This thing’s itchy as fuck.”

“Almost,” I giggle. “ So impatient .”

I carefully steer Theo through the music room doors, pushing him forward to the grand piano situated at the front of the space.

“Give me one second,” I request, hastily pulling a lighter from his pocket. I reach up to the closed lid of the instrument, quickly lighting the candles of the cake set atop it. As the orange and yellow flames set and start to glow brighter, I begin working on untying his blindfold. “Look, I know you said you don’t like birthday surprises much, but I couldn’t help myself and—”

“You’re a stubborn thing, and do whatever you want,” he finishes for me.

“Exactly .”

I don’t waste any more time on words as I draw the folded fabric from Theo’s eyes. They widen, lighting up as he takes everything in—the colorful bundles of balloons tied along the legs of the piano and the overly sprinkled cake set on top .

“ Happy Birthday, Teddy.”

He shakes his head as though he’s in awe of it all. “You shouldn’t have done all of this.”

I fetch the cake and hurry it over to him before the candles are extinguished. “Make a wish.”

He blows them out without a second thought.

“Did you even make a wish?”

“No,” he laughs.

“ Theo!”

“I’ve got everything I would have ever wished for right here.” He plucks one of the candles from the cake and plops its frosted tip into my mouth, grinning like a fool as I happily lick it clean. “How the hell did you know chocolate was my favorite?”

“Your Cadbury bars in the nightstand drawer gave me a little bit of a hint,” I admit. “You know, you should find a better hiding spot for those.”

“You’ve been raiding my stash?!”

“I’ve only had a few!”

“You cheeky little thing,” he chuckles deeply. “I knew I wasn’t eating through them that fast!”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I mutter, cheeks growing hot as coals. “This isn’t all the surprise, though.”

He gives me a preposterous look as I set a small, wrapped box into his hands. “This is too much, Nora.”

“Oh, hush. Open it,” I insist. Theo takes his time tearing away the wrapping and opening the cardboard box. He pulls out the small strip of paper inside, and I feel too excited to practice patience. “ Go on. Read it. Outloud.”

“So impatient,” he tuts, grinning boyishly as he glances back down to the words I’ve scribbled across it. “ If souls were manifested as music, I think the Universe would be filled with melodies and chords so beautiful, our ears wouldn’t know how to handle them. I’d find a way to listen to yours as often as allowed. This gift is for you to remember all the music he was for you.”

When he looks up, I nod toward the piano’s fallboard, gesturing to the golden plate shining against its dark, stained wood.

In Loving Memory

Theodore Isaac Pearson

“Music is not to hear. It is to feel.”

Theo’s silent for a long moment as he stares down at the plaque in honor of his father’s memory. He releases a shaky breath, murmuring my name. “ Nora, I—”

“You told me once that you wanted to have his name engraved somewhere on his piano,” I whisper, suddenly nervous. “I hope it’s okay...”

“This is more than okay,” he says, his voice strained. When he turns to me, I don’t miss the tears in his eyes. He hitches me into his arms, his chest shaking with a soft cry as he says against my neck, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The raw sentiment in the words has my emotions stirring. “It can be your lucky charm tonight when you perform your senior critique.”

He draws my head back enough to see my face, his fingers gently stroking along my jaw and tracing the soft ridges of my face. “I think my lucky charm has become you.”

“The Theo I first met would make fun of your ass for saying that,” I taunt, secretly adoring the statement.

“The Theo you first met was a dick.”

“ You think?” I cock my head to get a good, long look at him—admire each of his sharp, masculine features. I run my fingers through his hair, ruffling the dark, blonde strands. “I thought he was pretty hot.”

“Yeah?” He nudges my nose with his. “And what do you think of him, now? ”

“I think he’s my favorite person in the whole world,” I answer. “And I’m really happy he begged me to follow him off the train that night.”

Theo smiles, drawing his mouth to mine and gently kissing my lips before whispering against them, “I’m glad he did, too.”