Page 93 of Push My Buttons

When he pulls back, his eyes search mine. "Better?"

I nod, the anger completely drained from me now."I should check on Theo,"I sign.

"He'll be okay," Jace assures me. "He just needs a minute to lick his wounds. You know how he gets."

I do know. For all his bravado and charm, Theo feels things deeply. My harsh words would have cut him to the core.

"Go," Jace says, reading my concern. "I need to check in on the expansion anyway. We're cutting it close to release, and I've lost some hours I needed."

Guilt flashes through me again."I'm sorry."

He shakes his head firmly. "Don't. This is more important. You are more important."

I push myself up from the couch, moving carefully to avoid aggravating my headache. Jace watches me until I reach the hallway, then moves to his laptop, already lost in the world of code and creation that is his sanctuary.

The bedroom is quiet when I reach it. I push the door open slowly to find Theo lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.His arms are folded behind his head, his expression distant and troubled.

"Hey," I whisper, my voice still strange to my own ears.

He turns his head, surprise flickering across his face at the sound of my voice. "Hey yourself," he says softly.

I slide onto the bed beside him, curling into his side. His arm automatically wraps around me, drawing me closer.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to do. How to be what you need right now."

I lift my head to look at him, pushing myself up on one elbow so my hands are free."Just be you,"I sign, my fingers moving deliberately in the space between us."That's all I've ever needed."

"But I failed you," he says, pain evident in every word. "We both did. We thought we were protecting you, but we were just... controlling you. Like everyone else in your life."

I sit up a little more, wincing slightly at the movement. "Yes,"I sign, not sugarcoating it."But you did it because you care. That counts for something."

He shifts to face me more fully. "I meant what I said at the hospital," he says, his eyes intense. "I love you, Wren. Not just because you're beautiful, or brave, or because you make me laugh. I love you because you're you. All of you. The broken parts, the healing parts, all of it."

My chest tightens with emotion. It would be so easy to say it back, to give him the words he clearly craves. But something holds me back—not doubt about my feelings, but a need to be certain that I'm saying it for the right reasons. Not out of gratitude or fear or obligation, but because it's true.

"Can I take you out tomorrow?" he asks suddenly. "Just me and you. A proper date. No stalkers, no hospitals, no drama. Just us."

"I have a shift at the café,"I remind him.

"Fuck Marcus," Theo says with surprising vehemence. "You have a head injury. He can't expect you to work for at least another day." His expression softens. "Spend it with me instead."

"What about your work?"I ask.

Theo waves dismissively. "They can cope for a day without me, no matter how many douchebags are requesting reports." His eyes search mine. "Please? I just want one normal day with you. One day where we're just Theo and Wren, on a date, like regular people."

The hope in his eyes is impossible to resist. "Okay," I whisper.

His face lights up with a smile so genuine it makes my heart flutter. "Yeah?"

I nod, smiling back at him. "Yes."

He pulls me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Thank you," he murmurs against my skin.

"Where?" I ask softly knowing he will understand the question, curious about what Theo considers a "normal" date.

He grins, some of his usual playfulness returning. "That's a surprise. But I promise you'll love it."

"No clues?"