I rested the bat on my shoulder, rethinking my approach. Maybe I should have been nicer. It was just that seeing Deacon’s dick was triggering. Actually, Deacon’s whole face was triggering, if I was being real.
“Is there someone I can talk to who has a key? Daniel has something of mine and I need it back ASAP.”
With a smirk on his stupidly medium face, Deacon shrugged. “No one’s letting you in his room, I promise you that.”
Zadie tugged on the back of my shirt. “Let’s go. We’ll think of something else. We’ll figure it out.”
I let her pull me out into the hall, nearly hauling back when Deacon gave me a smart-ass wave. God, that kid was going to get his ass beaten sooner rather than later, I just hoped I was there to witness the smugness being punched right off his stupid face.
Zadie kept her hand on my back as we retreated out of the house. We almost made it to the front door when I heard my name from behind me. I tried to keep going, but then Theo was there, touching my shoulder, making me look at him. A whimper built in the back of my throat, escaping before I could swallow it down.
Theo’s head jerked at the sound. “What’s going on? Did you come to see me?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have time to talk.”
“We have to go,” Zadie agreed.
Theo moved in front of me, blocking the door. “Who were you here to see? Deacon?”
“No. And I seriously can’t get into this right now.” My hands were shaking. If Theo noticed, if he saw how distraught I truly was under my layers of bravado and fight, he’d try to get involved, and I couldn’t allow that. Not Theo. Not with this.
“You’re upset.” Now, he was getting in my face, dipping down to examine me.
“I can’t, Theo.” Those three words were imploring. Based on the way he stilled and stared hard at me without breathing, he’d heard my plea.
“Let me help.Please, Helen.”
I shook my head again. “I’ve got it covered. I always do.”
He brought his hands up to my face, cupping my jaw with the barest touch. If I’d been less distracted by what I had in store for me tonight, I would have batted him away. We were definitely not in a place where he had the right to touch me like that. But I didn’t bat him away. In fact, I may have leaned into his palm just a little.
“What the hell is going on?” he whispered harshly.
I took a step away from him. “Nothing, really. The same as always.”
“Fuck, baby. Can we talk? I need to talk to you.”
Zadie steadied me with a hand on the center of my back. She also reminded me we couldn’t be here anymore.
“Tomorrow, maybe? I have to work tonight.”
Theo’s jaw hardened. “I’ll pick you up.”
“No, we’re not doing that. I have Carina. I don’t need a ride.”
A beat passed, then I was in Theo’s arms. He held me firm against his chest, and his mouth hit the side of my head. Batty dangled uselessly from my fingertips.
“Some shit is obviously going down right now.” His lips were moving against my temple, murmuring low for only me to hear. “You don’t have to like me or forgive me to let me help you out.”
I ran my hand down the length of Theo’s spine, his muscles flexing under my palm. It would have been easy to give in. To let Theo handle my problems. But then what? I didn’t want him to see me as an endless stream of problems he had to solve. I didn’t want to be the girl who beat the shit out of boys and cars and beds when things didn’t go her way. Not to Theo.
“If I don’t get it sorted tonight, I’ll think about it.” I pulled back, and Theo’s hold loosened. “I really do have to go. Work and all that jazz.”
His chin lowered, finding my eyes again. “If I don’t hear from you, I’m coming for you.”
Maybe I’d let him come for me. I liked the sound of that.
“Okay.”