Page 21 of Stop and Seek (Our Childish Games #1)
She was waiting, still as a statue, with that one eyebrow doing the thing —the one that usually meant someone was about to lose their kneecaps. He could’ve backed off. Smoothed it over. Said something charming.
Not this time.
Max tossed the cigarette onto the grass and shoved open the passenger door.
“Forget it, I don’t want to know. When you decide to get your head out of your ass, your friends will be inside.”
Noah watched her slam the door and march off.
Fine.
Let her be pissed.
She wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t right either .
Yeah, maybe he grabbed her too hard. Maybe the car swerved a little.
But she acted like he was crazy for caring.
Like he was being ridiculous for needing— needing —to keep Theo safe, even if it was just his name on a screen.
If she wanted him to be the villain? That’s what he’d be.
It always smelled like salt. Noah had been in the gym off and on since Tuesday, and it still caught him off guard. Not gym sweat or cologne, but salt -salt. The kind that clings to winter boots and crusts over sidewalks.
Man, he missed the snow.
Max hated it. Anytime the weather dipped below perfect, she dragged him to Maui or Adelaide. Maui was okay, but Adelaide had great beer and even better beaches.
Snow meant coats and mittens and warm drinks.
Theo would look stupidly cute in scarves. With fog on his glasses and red cheeks and ears—
The image made his heart swell.
Noah dropped onto the bleachers, letting his arm stretch behind him as Max and Benji bickered about something he wasn’t fully paying attention to.
“It’s a good place,” Max said. She shot Noah a look. Rolled her eyes and turned back to Benji. “Tell her. ”
Benji shook his head, all slow and dramatic. “The waiting list is five years, Max.”
“And? I have connections. I’m more than happy to use them for Belle.”
Noah smirked.
Ah, the tiny demon herself. The first gremlin.
“I don’t know how comfortable I feel kicking a child out of a spot so she can go instead. I love her, but she’s a menace,” Benji muttered, eyes still on his phone. “Kyran said the word arson and I… I may kill him. It’s crossed my mind once or twice.”
No texts from Theo.
Noah flipped his phone over on his lap. “Is she actually running around screaming about arson now? Have you told her what it means? ”
“You’re joking,” Benji groaned. His whole posture deflated. Glasses slipping, expression pleading with the universe. “This is the fourth nanny this year, and I hate to think of how many more I’ll go through if I explain.”
Father Benji was a thousand times better than Regular Benji. The minute his five year old daughter came up, the whole vibe shifted. Way less “I’m better than you” and way more “I haven’t slept since February, send help.”
“She’s cute as fuck,” Max scoffed. “The girl has spunk and character. I love her.”
Benji rubbed his face, plucking the cigarette from behind his ear. “I’d rather split custody with you than Penelope. Trust me, Max. You take her for a weekend, and I guarantee you’ll be begging me to pick her up in an hour. ”
Noah straightened fast, pushing up with both hands. “Last time I was over, she put clear Legos all over the carpet,” he said, even as Max shot him another death-glare. “I saw my life flash before my eyes. Also—Max’ll have her cussing like a sailor by Monday. How well does that go over in daycare?”
Benji visibly shuddered.
“Kindergarten,” he corrected. “I—I can’t. I won’t. Let’s all forget everything I offered. I need a smoke before I find the nearest bridge.”
“Do you see the fucking problem? I’m not nuts.”
Noah’s heart jumped at the voice—Theo’s voice. Soft. Bitter. Funny in that bone-dry way he always sounded. He was close, too. Right there at the bottom row. Noah hadn’t even noticed him come in.
Explains the texting pause.
“I’d still write a thank you note,” said the girl next to him—Rachel. Noah recognized her from one of Alyssa’s friend dumps online.
Theo mumbled something too quiet to hear.
“Teddy, it’s clean. It even smells nice.”
“I don’t own half the shit in there!” Theo snapped, louder this time.
Noah’s whole chest winced.
Damn it.
The cleaning thing was supposed to be nice . Helpful. Not piss him off.
The guy didn’t even have sheets.
Noah glanced down at his phone. He didn’t regret it. He’d do it again .
“Don’t you have work?” Theo asked.
Rachel chuckled. “I want to be here to see you win, dumbass. I switched with someone.”
There was a pause, and then—
“Yes really!” Rachel laughed louder.
Noah peeked over his phone in time to see Theo adjust his glasses and rake his hands through his hair.
It was such a little thing. Basic. Human. But Noah’s throat went dry.
Theo looked so good. His curls were a mess in the back, and he was sitting all hunched and awkward—but Noah couldn’t stop watching.
Every little thing Theo did got under his skin in the best way.
The way he blinked too slow sometimes, like he was thinking hard.
The twist of his lips when he was holding back a comment.
Noah wanted to pin him down until he knew every movement by heart.
“Can you take me to get my car later? I was going to call a rideshare, but I don’t feel like sitting with a stranger for an hour.”
Noah’s smile dropped instantly.
He could have asked me.
Why the hell didn’t he?
“It’s still in Cleveland?” Rachel asked. “Yeah, I can do that. Promise you’ll buy me a shake and we have a deal, sir.”
Max shifted and she poked Noah’s shoulder. “You’re like, strangling your phone. What’s got you so pent up?”
He blinked down, realizing how deep his fingers were pressing into the case. His knuckles were white .
“Kyran’s latest post made me laugh,” he said, fast. It was the first excuse that came to mind. He scrolled up and clicked play on the video—Kyran doing some prank in Target, rearranging soda bottles by color. “I didn’t want to drop it.”
“You feel better now that we’re here? Did you get all that out of your system?”
Noah’s gaze flicked back to Theo, in time for Theo to turn—just for a second—and he wasn’t scowling.
His whole chest went soft and gooey. That glance made something in him ache.
“I’m great,” he said, and meant it.