Page 60 of Theodore

"Iworshipyou, De Luca."

"Let's go home. I need to tell Mom and Paps.Fuck!" he breathed, releasing me so I could climb into the seat.

My ears rang as I tried to understand what had just happened. I feltdazed.

So Theoisn’tgoing to be a father?

I knew it wasn't right, but itthrilledme.

It's like we had another shot at sharing our firsts.I didn't want to do anything without Theo by my side, and now I felt like I didn't have to––he didn't have to work nights––he could study, party, be a typical guy withnothingholding him back.

"Are you okay?" I asked as he drove, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"I'm fucking great. Jesus. Back to just us, Phillips."

"We need to celebrate," I suggested, wondering if that was even the right terminology to be using.

Theo smirked at me, grabbing my thigh as I bit my lip.

"Damn straight. We're going out tonight. Oh, don't bother with any underwear. I'll only ruin it."

Whoa. Theo's back.

25

HANNAH

The weeks that followed Lissa's shock announcement were relatively calm and drama free. I eased into exam free life smoothly and thanked my lucky stars every day that Theo wouldn't be a father any time soon.

Prom was coming up, and I found myself in the mall with Mara, who was ecstatic about the fact she had a date.

It was Henry, not Jax, but I think she'd made her peace because Jax was not the settling kind.

"I'm thinking of going for a nude dress. I'm going to get a spray tan and maybe some nude heels. Work the beach babe hair and minimal makeup." I mused, my fingers caressing the material on the dress in my hands.

"Sounds awesome. I'm going for black," Mara announced.

"Black?" I arched my eyebrow at her as she shrugged. "But it's a prom; surely you want to wear an actual color?"

"Blackisa color," she argued, sliding hangers one after the other in a bored fashion along the rail.

"No, black is the absence of light. Why don't you try this on?"

I held up a soft pink dress with spaghetti straps as she scrunched her nose up.

"Black," Mara said, and I gave up.

I looked back to the dress in my hands. The silky material slipped through my fingers, the color reminding me of sand in the evening. I turned the tag over, sucking in a sharp breath in when I saw the price.

"Whoa," I whistled, sliding it back onto the rack.

Mara looked at me in bewilderment as I turned to the lower-priced dresses.

"What? Try it on at least."

"Mar, it'sthree hundred bucks. There's nowayI'm paying that." I shrugged, picking up a similar dress in a cheaper material.

Locating my size, I saw with relief that the dress was a more affordable fifty bucks. I slung it over my arm, gazing at the other dress longingly.