I crawl across the tiled floor, pressing my back against the bathtub, eyes fixed on the door handle.
You’ve been placed on hold, please wait.
I dip my head, fisting my wet hair, tears threatening to spill.Get a hold of yourself!I shut my eyes tight, inhaling deeply.
You’ve been placed on hold, please wait.
Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six.
“Thalia.” Theo comes back, along with the sound of his Camaro speeding across town. “Shawn’s on his way. Did you touch anything?”
“No. Where are you?”
“Close. Don’t move until I’m with you, understand?”
I bite my lip. Theo’s office is in the city center, not far from the condo, but it still feels as if he’s been driving for hours, not minutes. I glance at the screen to check how long has passed since I called, but it doesn’t matter. The roar of the Camaro speeding down the street is no longer just in my ear. It breaks through the walls of the building.
“I’m here.” Tires squeal before the car comes to a full stop, and the door opens before the engine dies.
I shoot to my feet, ignited by an influx of courage now that Theo’s here. I turn the lock when the main door flies open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. I yank the bathroom door, stepping out into the hallway.
Theo grips me by the shoulders. “You were supposed to stay in there,” he says, his heart going faster than mine when he pulls me into his arms, lips on my head. “You’re okay, little one, you’re fine.” He wraps his arms tight around me, cradling the back of my head with one hand. “You’re safe. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m okay. I’m-I’m sorry, I panicked.”
Shame burns my cheeks. Whoever the girl in the bathroom was just now, that wasn’t me. I don’t panic. I don’t hide. I face whatever the world wants to throw my way.
Not today, though. Today the danger felt too real, the stakes were too high.
“Why are you apologizing?” He pushes me away enough to check me over and brush my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “You’re okay. It’sokayto be scared. I was scared too.”
I nuzzle my face back into his chest. My eyes tear up, but the closeness of his body calms me down faster than any tranquilizer ever could...
I’m in love with him.
I love him, and that’s why I panicked. He’s the only person I can’t stomach losing in any way.
And I will lose him.
The weight of my secrets crush me inside out. I should’ve told him sooner before I let myself fall for him, before he became the person that matters the most, before the idea of losing him started to rip me wide open.
“That was the longest five fucking minutes of my life,” he says softly, stamping one kiss after another on my forehead, then scoops me off the floor and into his arms like a little girl.
“Longest five minutes of mine, too,” I admit, wrapping my arms around his neck.
He crosses the hallway and sits me on the couch, readjusting my towel again. “I’ll get you some clothes before Shawn gets here.” He disappears into the hallway, my mind splitting in half.
Theo deserves to know the truth. He deserves the chance to make a conscious decision about me, us and our future, but I’m scared to tell him about Vasilis and the murder charges because I know what he’ll do.
He’ll leave like everyone else.
I’ll be alone again, fighting to keep my head above water.
Theo’s silent for a long time. I can imagine he’s standing in the doorway to the bedroom, taking in the scene, the beheaded teddy bear on the bed and flowers in its paws. The closet doors open and close a moment before he comes back with my tank top and sweatpants in one hand and the rolled-up piece of paper from the bathroom in the other.
“Thank you,” I say when he hands me the clothes.
“Tell me you’re okay, Thalia.”