Page 261 of Under Her Skin

He was sitting with Max in the bar down the street from the Stormfront building. It was late afternoon and Seattle was having a pretty comprehensive monsoon. Theo watched the rain lash against the windows of the bar. Jess was at her doctor’s appointment and Theo tried not to feel hurt when she told him she needed to go alone. She had told him about the breakdown and he had seen the raw pain in her eyes. He wanted to try to reach her but she’d told him firmly that this was something she needed to doherself.

Max looked at him in sympathy. Theo made a frustrated sound. ‘The thing is… what if she isn’t paranoid? What if Jules is on the island, biding his time, waiting for that one second when she’s not protected? She could be taken from me in a heartbeat and… Jesus, I’msorry.’

He looked appalled but Max shook his head. ‘It’s okay. I understand that it’s the part about having to live knowing the person you love could be killed any moment. Josh was a total shock. No-one expected it. In your situation, you’re living with the fact this madman wants to murder Jess and is out there somewhere. I don’t know how either of you live likethat.’

Theo felt his body slump, both terrified and comforted by Max’s words. ‘It’s hell. It’s actual hell. Maybe it’s payback from the universe for getting to love someone as amazing as Jess. In that case, I wouldn’t change a thing except I wish it was me taking the physical brunt of it all. How…’ His voice broke and he looked away from his friend. ‘How could anyone do that to her? He ripped her apart,Max.’

Max put an arm around his shoulders. ‘Maybe you should go get some helptoo.’

Theo shook his head. ‘All I need is Jess. And you. And my mom, but don’t tell herthat.’

Max smirked. ‘That’ll cost you. But seriously, dude, anytime, you know that. We’re doing everything we can to protect her. Did she really think your mom’s new boyfriend wasJules?’

‘She says not now. She thinks she was beingparanoid.’

‘Couldn’t hurt to check itout.’

‘Nope but then we don’t want to upset my mom either. That’s what Jess is worriedabout.’

Theo signaled for more drinks then looked at his friend, a wan smile on his face. ‘Give me some good news,dude.’

He was surprised to see Max color, a shy smile on his face. ‘I have adate.’

That floored Theo and a broad smile crossed his face. ‘Dude…that’s so cool. Where’d you meethim?’

Max colored some more then gave it up. ‘Your mom introducedus.’

A beat then they busted up. ‘Dude, god, I’m never letting you forget that my mom gets your dates for you,never.’

Ten minutes later, in the car, Theo was still laughing. God, it felt good to just laugh. He swung the car into the parking lot of the doctor’s office. At the reception, the receptionist told him that Ms. Wood was still in with thedoctor.

‘She shouldn’t be too long, have a seat.’ She was beaming, swinging from left to right on her chair, her eyes shining hopefully athim.

Theo nodded, gave her a tight smile and dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs. He picked up one of the glossy magazines, the gossipy kind who pander to the celebrities. In the ‘Sightings’ section, there was a picture of him and Jess, leaving a restaurant a month previously. God, look at her, he thought, so freaking beautiful….and she’s mine. You’re a lucky s.o.b., Storm. Jess was smiling at him in the picture, her long hair tucked into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, the dark red dress she was wearing playing up the red on her lips. He smiled down at the picture. How he’d love to see that smile again. He looked up as the doctor’s office door opened and Jess came out. She looked tired – exhausted – and when she gave him a wan smile, his chest began to tighten with tension. Jess thanked the doctor then followed Theo out to the car. He waited and she put her hand on his, linked her fingers but didn’t sayanything.

Finally, he couldn’t bear the tension. ‘What did he say, Jess? Did he prescribe you something, arrange somecounseling?’

She shook her head and in her eyes, there was some emotion he couldn’tunderstand.

‘No,’ she said, her voice cracking, ‘No, no, he didn’t prescribe me anything. He said he couldn’t risk it, Theo. Because he told me that I’mpregnant…’

Forever With Me PartTen

The womanin the exquisite designer suit leaned over and patted Jess’s hand kindly. ‘Don’t worry, Jess, this will beeasy.

Jess tried to smile at her, this legendary newswoman who was interviewing her and Theo to tell their story when she didn’t know if there was any future. They’d barely spoken since that day. The day she’d told him she waspregnant.

He’d turned to her with joy and delight in his eyes only for the happiness to fade when he saw her coldface.

‘You don’t want it,’ he stated in a dead, flatvoice.

‘I can’t want it,’ she’d replied, ‘Not now. Not likethis.’

His eyes had grown distant, cold. ‘You’re giving up. You promised me you wouldn’t. You promised me,Jess.’

And a chasm had ripped betweenthem.

At dinner the following night, the distance between them felt like a dead weight. Amelia looked between them, her serene face creased with worry. Eventually, the weight of claustrophobia bearing down on her, Jess escaped to the kitchen, dragging long breaths into her tight chest. She didn’t hear Theo enter the kitchen behind her and as he slid his hands around her waist, she yelped in alarm and skittered away from him. She’d never forget the hurt in hiseyes.