Page 8 of Meet Me at the Metro (Gildenhill #1)

8

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES

T H E O

W hat a bloody mess. What a royal, bloody mess.

Just as soon as things start to go smoothly between Nora and me, my arse has to go and turn into a dick, all because of my fragile fucking feelings. I hate being this way. I hate just how right Nora was tonight and how I couldn’t find it in me to admit the truth to her…

That I do have my guard up .

24 hours of the day, it’s up because I don’t want anyone else to know about the memories and fears that keep me awake most nights.

I shouldn’t keep leading this on like the two of us could ever be friends— or whatever the hell this is.

Unfortunately, I’m too damn selfish to drop this completely, even though I know I should, which is exactly why my eyes can’t quit watching her as her silhouette disappears around a street corner far ahead.

Just as I think I’ve fully convinced myself to head back to my place for the night, my feet begin moving in pursuit of her. I move quickly, weaving through the scattered bodies of the city street as my eyes scan a sea of unfamiliar faces in search of hers.

When I feel like I’ve lost any chance of finding her, a set of sapphire eyes fall into my line of view. Nora must spot me too because she starts to move faster, rushing down the staircase leading into a train station up ahead—one that definitely isn’t going to lead her back to my friends’ flat.

This girl has no clue where she’s even going.

“Nora!” I shout, trying to warn her from going the wrong way.

Several people stop in their tracks, placing their judgmental stares on me as I dash down the stairs after her. Nora’s body disappears around another corner, and I mutter a few curse words under my breath, pushing past every single person who stands in my way.

She’s finally back in my line of view, progressing toward one of the train platforms. I break into a sprint after her, but unfortunately, just as I reach the train doors, they slam shut.

Nora’s on the inside, and I’m on the outside, looking like a damn fool. She shoots one last look behind her and flips me off the second she spots me.

The train speeds off down the tracks—out of my sight—and I’m overwhelmed with worry.

E L L I E

I’m stupid. I’m so damn stupid .

I should’ve done the smart thing and not left Theo behind because I sure as hell don’t know this city enough to be trying to navigate it on my own. It’s a divine miracle that I managed to figure out which direction to travel in, especially considering my phone had died and I was Google Maps-less for the entire last half of my journey. Thankfully, with a couple of risky guesses, I somehow found myself back on a busy street that was familiar enough to lead me back to the apartment .

My eyes catch sight of its entrance in the distance, and I almost breathe a sigh of relief to have finally made it home until I notice the body lingering in front of the doors.

Theo spots me coming and quickly gathers himself up off the pavement.

“ Are you mental?!” His brows are furrowed in frustration. “You don’t just run off on your own in a city like this, Nora. You had no damn clue where you were even going.”

“Well, I made it, didn’t I?”

He shakes his head at me in disbelief. “Anything could’ve happened to you, and it would’ve been on my fucking hands.”

“Well, it didn’t,” I argue, feeling embarrassed of the scene we’re causing as passing city-goers glance our way. “You can go home now.”

The door to the flat’s entrance jerks open, and Harvey’s head peeks out.

“Oh, Ellie. Thank God . You had us worried sick,” he sighs, leading me inside.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologize. “I wasn’t trying to make you guys worry.”

I glance back at Theo one last time. As I briefly inspect him, I feel conflicted between guilt and anger because the look on his face tells me just how genuine his worry was, but I also recall the bitter conversation we had just about an hour and a half ago.

“Thanks for waiting and making sure she made it back okay,” Harvey says.

Theo just nods, words failing both him and me at the moment.

“Text Evie when you make it back to your place, will you?”

“Yeah, mate.” He turns on his heel and begins to walk away, and I hate how my chest aches at his sudden indifference—I hate that he doesn’t look back.

“You ready to go up?” Harvey asks gently.

I force my eyes to finally look away from his friend’s fading silhouette and make my way inside with him. The door to the flat is already hung wide open as we reach the top of our floor’s landing.

Evie runs up to me as soon as my feet reach the doormat.“Where in the hell were you?! You had us worried sick. You shouldn’t have walked off by yourself like that!”

“I know. I just—I’ve had a really awful night, and I couldn’t handle him snapping at me like that.”

My roommates look at me, confused.

“What do you mean?” Evie asks. “What happened?”

“He didn’t tell you?” In unison, they shake their heads, and I sigh, “It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got all the time in the world,” Harvey assures, ushering me inside to the living room couch with a sympathetic smile. “Tell us everything.”

The three of us are sprawled out against the bright-colored sofa for the next hour, popping M’n’Ms and popcorn into our mouths as I run down the events that took place earlier tonight. They both are listening so intently the whole time.

When I’m finally finished sharing it all, Evie shares her opinion. “Your boyfriend is a fucking pillock.”

“ Ex-boyfriend ,” I correct.

“Right,” she nods assertively. “Nonetheless, there’s no saving grace for his lousy arse or that friend of yours. Karma’s going to be a bitch to his micro-sized penis!”

“Evie’s right. It’s pathetic enough that he cheated on you, let alone with your best friend. You can’t get much lower than that. I’m so sorry that they did that to you.”

“It’s not your fault,” I mutter, my head suddenly swarming with too many thoughts. “At least I found out sooner than later, right?”

The statement does nothing to make me feel better about everything, but I need to at least try and find something positive in all of this to help me cope.

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Harvey agrees. “You deserve more than what he was giving you anyway.”

“Okay, but can we address the real elephant in the room?!“ Evie jabs a finger at me. “What’s going on with you and Theo, huh ?”

“Nothing,” I blurt, immediately resenting the small smile I feel tugging at the edge of my lips. It’s surprising how quickly my thoughts of John and Lucy mold into ones of the little adventure I went on tonight. Before even knowing what happened, Theo gave me the distraction I desperately needed, even if that distraction didn’t last as long as I would ever want to willingly admit. “There’s absolutely nothing going on between the two of us.”

“ Mhmm,” they both hum.

“Seriously! Nothing’s going on. I ran into him on the train, and the night continued from there.”

“Full of shit, the girl is,” Evie chuckles.

“Am not!” I laugh, kicking her with my foot. “Besides, he practically hates me.”

“Oh, please,” she scoffs. “Judging by how damn worried that fool was when he first showed up here looking for you, I can hardly believe he hates you—that, and the fact that he even let you in his bubble, to begin with. Theo doesn’t go out of his way to hang out with people like that… Ever.”

“He does with you guys,” I interject. “And he’s actually nice to you two. He’s a complete asshole to me. He snaps over the smallest things. I don’t understand what he gets so worked up about half the time.”

“Theo’s just had a hard go at life the last ten years,” Harvey explains. “I mean, that’s no excuse for his behavior toward people sometimes, but I thought you should know that. It’s probably not about him not liking you… I think most of the time, Theo just has a hard time liking himself , so he tries to keep people out so he doesn’tfeel like a burden to anybody.”

A burden.

I swallow the sudden lump in my throat, suddenly realizing just how much weight and truth my words held tonight.

I’m just trying to figure you out.

Maybe he doesn’t want me to—maybe it’s precisely why tonight spiraled so suddenly.

“He really is a great guy, Ellie,” Harvey says. “Just gotta get past that tough exterior. ”

I wondered if it was worth the work even to try. I think about Theo and his friendship with Harvey and Evie and wonder how much effort they put forth to break past his walls. “How do you two know him, anyway?”

“You’ve seen that pub down the street, right— Gullie’s?” Evie asks.

“Yeah, actually. I remember seeing it that first night I got here.”

“Well, he bartends there. Harvey and I used to go there all the time, and Theo would serve us. Before we knew it, the three of us were having movie nights together every other weekend and game nights every Wednesday. He even came and lived with us for a little while.”

“But he moved out? Why?”

“Personal reasons,” she shrugs. “He didn’t leave on bad terms or anything. Theo really values his personal space most of the time, and I guess it’s easier for him to keep up his guard that way… even though it appears he’s utter shit at it when he’s around you.”

“He seems pretty good at it to me,” I argue, crossing my arms across my chest and biting back another smile because I refuse to let either one of them see just how giddy that notion made me.

Harvey nudges me with his elbow and raises his dark brows teasingly. “You know, you two wouldn’t look so bad together, Ellie.”

“They’d get the hate-fucking down pat,” Evie chimes in, and I swear their laughter is loud enough to shake the thin walls surrounding us.

I stand up from the couch before they can tease me anymore and give them both a kick of my foot before I stalk back to my bedroom. “I’m going to bed!”

“You’re leaving because you can’t face the truth, can you?!”

I hurry down the hall so they can’t start poking fun at the blush starting to heat my cheeks.“Goodnight, assholes!”

As I shut my bedroom door for the night and fall back against my waiting bed, I still can’t wipe away my grin as I replay the good moments I shared with Theo tonight.

My phone vibrates against the mattress beside me and steals away the flutter in my chest when I read the incoming text from John.

I’ve been up all night, El. Please just call me back.

I throw my phone across the room as soon as I read it and force away the bile rising to the back of my throat.

How long had all of this been going on between the two of them? Was it all taking place before or after I left? My eyes sting with tears as I face the reality that I’d never get the happy ending I always imagined with John because having me isn’t enough for him. That truth is more than challenging to accept, but I numb the pain now searing in my chest and force my thoughts back on another person entirely…

Teddy .

Part of me detests how quickly just the thought of his name seems to dry up my tired eyes because, all too suddenly, I’m forced to accept another truth I’ve discovered tonight.

Maybe I don’t hate Theo as much as I thought I did after all.