Page 37 of Theodore

“Classy,” I muttered as Theo shook his head.

“Shut up, Lissa. As I recall, we were both drunk. Accidents happen.”

“Are you calling my baby a fuckingaccident?!” she screeched, her eyes widening with anger.

I squeezed Theo’s hand.

“Theo, just go to the scan. I’ll wait here; I’m just upsetting her,” I mumbled as he turned to me.

“I wanted this experience to be withyou,” he whispered, his thumb tilting my chin up to his. “When we’reolder; married. Not some girl I knocked up. I’mgutted.”

His voice was barely a whisper, his eyes filled with regret and sadness when he gazed at me.

“Ugh, I’m going in,” Lissa hissed, stomping into the clinic.

I watched her with intense envy, the woman that was carryingmybest friend’s child. I tried to hold it together when Theo released me, kissing my forehead before he followed her into the clinic. He sent me a sad smile, and I tried to smile brightly at him.

“I love you,” he said, and then he left.

The tears fell, and I leaned against the wall, slowly coming to terms with the fact that Theo was going to be a dad.

With a woman he barely knows.

Everything is draining me.

Having a brother who was recovering from a nasty car accident, then there was my new boyfriend, finding out he would be a Dad.

Tiredness hit me, and I felt nauseated by the thought of him sitting beside her, staring at a little heartbeat on a screen in awe. They’d have a bond I didn’t have––best friend or not.

It’s so unfair.

Chewing on my nail, I watched a young couple walk up to the clinic hand in hand, excitement clear on their faces. I felt a pang of sadness for Theo that his experience of becoming a father wouldn’t be like that, that I knew Lissa would make it difficult for him every step of the way.

I paced around, trying desperately to breathe through the tears that wouldn’t seem to leave me alone. I went into the store across the road, browsing the magazines as I lost myself in fashion Faux Pas and the latest trends. While I was reading a fascinating article on double denim, my phone rang.

Theo.

“Where are you?” he barked as soon as I answered the phone. I placed the magazine back on the rack before turning towards the store exit.

“I’m in the store across the street. Are you okay?”

I hurried outside to find Theo standing outside of the clinic, an alarmed expression on his face.

“Theo, what’s wrong?”

I darted over to him, my eyes meeting his as he took me into his arms. He buried his head in my neck, breathing in my scent as I stroked his back slowly.

“I thought you’d left me again.”

His voice was small, and my heart ached for him.

“Theo, I’mhere,” I murmured as he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

“She’sreallypregnant.”

His voice cracked, and any hope I had of Lissa lying dissolved.

A lump formed in my throat as I sank into his arms.