“Sorry’s no good to me,” I admitted. “But…luckily it doesn’t really matter to Theo either since the timetable’s been moved up and she’s leaving tonight and never coming back.”
Rome’s head dropped to his chest, and he looked ready to throw up.
“Hoax said that she looked like me,” Rome said. “I don’t know man. I just…I just broke. Can you imagine losing one kid only to find out that you have another one that’s the same age? I felt like I was betraying Matias when I felt that spark of hope return to my chest. It doesn’t feel good at all to feel that, even for half a second.”
I didn’t know what to say to him.
But I did know that I wanted him to leave.
“I think it’s time for you to go,” I stated. Between having him and Izzy there, as well as Castiel and Turner—who, thank God, had left to give us some privacy for a couple of hours—I was ready to have my house back to myself. I just wanted to spend it with Theo before she had to go. “But I’ll talk this out with you anytime…after.”
“After she leaves?” he asked, looking like he wanted to say something more.
I nodded once.
“She leaves tonight,” I reiterated.
He nodded once. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t sure that sorry would count very well for me when it came to Theo.
A lot of things were different now.
Had this happened before Theo, before she’d become all that she now meant to me, I might’ve been able to forgive and forget easily. However, I was beyond that point now.
“See you later, Rome,” I murmured, coming out of my lean against the door and opening it for him.
He and Izzy got the silent message and headed for the door.
I was set to close it directly behind him, but a voice halted me in my tracks.
“Oh, look,” I heard called out. “It’s like a reunion.”
My hands fisted at the voice that I heard across the lawn, and it took everything I had not to turn around, run inside, and lock the goddamn door.
That wouldn’t be suspicious at all.
“What are you doing here?” Rome barked, uncaring that he hadn’t seen the woman in well over a year.
Quietly, I closed the door directly behind me, then placed myself in front of it while I studied the woman.
Now that I was staring at her, and had Theo to closely compare her to, I realized that there was quite a difference between the two women.
Granted, I did see the similarities, but without more than a glance, I could tell very easily that this wasn’t my Theo.
This was Tara.
Huge, gaping differences.
“Cat got your tongue?” Tara asked, grinning wider.
It was then I could see that the smile was forced. That wasn’t a genuine smile. It was just a couple of seconds too late, and I—though I wasn’t sure about Rome—could tell that she’d had to tell herself to put that smile there. It was as if I could see her brain moving at warp speed that said, ‘insert emotion on your face here.’
I studied the woman without saying a word, allowing Rome to field the majority of the questions that were lobbed our way.
She was taller than Theo, by at least four inches—though that was due to the high heels she’d squeezed her feet into. She had quite a bit more meat on her bones, too. Which were the downfalls of practically starving yourself to be able to control at least one aspect of your life.
Then there was the hair. Theo’s was a natural shade of brown that had a wave to it no matter what she did to her hair, whereas Tara’s was a platinum blonde that was poofy at the top, slicked back into a tight ponytail that made her look harsher despite the more roundedness of her face.
Then there were the clothes.
I’d only bought Theo what I saw her wear at The Bridge—yoga pants, sweats, soft jeggings that were stretchy, and basic colored t-shirts without much flare to them at all.
She’d loved them.
But looking at Tara, who was dressed in a silk shirt, white slacks, and high heels? Yeah, I knew that Theo would never be comfortable in that.
My Theo was all about comfort. Not that she wouldn’t be willing to get dressed up if the occasion warranted.
I had a feeling Tara wouldn’t dare look anywhere near comfortable because it gave her a layer of protection—of unapproachability.
“I wanted to see if I could get a few things from my old place,” Tara lied through her lying fat teeth.
If fat teeth were a thing, Tara would have them.
She knew something.
I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that she did.
What the hell?
My mind started racing as I watched Rome shake his head.
“The Wheelers moved in there not long after you moved out,” I said to Tara. “Your stuff has been gone for a very long time. You could possibly go check the Goodwill on Eighth Street, though. They might still have a few of the things you left behind if you’re lucky.”