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She grinned so hard and brought them to her chest. “I love them! Thank you, thank you so much. I’ve never… no one’s brought me flowers since my dad did when I turned sixteen.”
I entered her dorm and studied her as she stared at the red petals, her eyes a little glossy. Before my mom had her stroke, my dad would bring her flowers once a month. They made my mom so happy every single time. She acted surprised and thankful, and my dad would blush and hug her. Things were different now, but those gestures every single month always stuck with me.
Audrey chewed her lip, but her eyes lit up with joy as she put the flowers in an old plastic cup she had. “It’s not the nicest option, but I don’t have a vase. I want to put them right by my bed!”
God, my mom would love Audrey. Shit. I could totally bring Audrey to see her at the long-term care facility. I hadn’t gone to her in months…not because I didn’t love my mom but because it was too hard. The guilt that was always there flared. Maybe Audrey was the answer. The way to get over my fear of seeing her.
What the fuck…. I usually could push these feelings away and focus on the now, but with the red tulips and thoughts of my parents and Audrey’s happiness, the emotions were pushing out of the box.
“Hey, you’ve been quiet.” Her smile fell, and she walked toward me. She lifted her hand, dropped it, then put her hand on my forearm. “Are you okay? You usually talk way more than this.”
I cleared my throat and focused on the windowsill instead of her face. The concern and sympathy sitting there ruined the whole moment. She was so happy, and I’d ruined it. “I’ll be okay, just in my head.”
“Look at me.” She cupped my face this time, gently guiding my face toward hers. “Can you tell me what’s going on, so I can help? I know all your facial expressions, so something is bothering you.”
“Stare at me a lot?” I arched a brow, my emotions regulating faster around her.
“Yes, Theo. You’re kind of hot.”
“Kind of?”
She snorted and swatted my arm. “Okay, there you are. You’re back. What happened?”
I ran a hand down her side and gripped her waist, letting myself enjoy the heat of her exposed skin and the bravery of her going to the hockey house with me. It couldn’t be easy. “I haven’t visited my mom in two months. When you smiled at the flowers, it reminded me of her and how much she’d love you.”
Audrey nodded, like that explanation made perfect sense despite me holding out on all the guilt I had about it. “Do you want to visit her?”
My throat clogged as I nodded. “I haven’t been able to. I’d say I was busy, but I was avoiding it because she’s different now. She’s not… my mom.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” She slid her hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. “Because I will. I’ll be there for you. You’re the backbone for so many people, Theo, and I’ll be yours.”
“Fuck, I love—this.” I yanked her toward me and buried my face in her neck. “You are incredible, just… wanna stay here instead?”
She tickled my side. “No! It’s my first college party.”
“Why didn’t your brother every take you to one?” I asked the question that annoyed me. The guys always had siblings tag along for a beer pong day or just to chill. It was normal as hell.
“He liked to keep his worlds separate.”
“Well, I don’t.” I tilted up her chin and kissed her slowly. She tasted like mint and cherry, and I groaned when she slid her tongue into my mouth. Every single time Audrey initiated something with me, it felt like a gift. Her touch showed me how much she trusted me to give me this.
Her heart beat hard against my chest, and I slowed the kiss, not wanting to go too far before we left. I rested my forehead against hers, my breath coming out in heavy pants. “If you keep kissing me like that, we’ll never leave.”
She giggled and wiped the side of my mouth. “My lipstick got on you.”
“Good. Everyone knows I belong to you then.”
Her eyes widened. “It still feels surreal that we’re doing this, that you feel this way about me.” She trailed off, like I was supposed to finish the end of her ridiculous sentence.
When she didn’t finish, I pushed her hair behind her ear, my chest aching with how much I cared for her. “Because of my height? Or my sense of humor is too crude for you? That’s what you meant, right?”
She clicked her tongue. “You are witty, Sanders. I’ll give you that.”
“It’s amazing we found each other. Remember that. The fact you want to come with me tonight means so much, Audrey. Now, prepare for it to be a shitshow.”
We left the flowers in the dorm, and we made our way to the hockey house. I hoped Quentin wouldn’t show up or that Audrey would be okay if he did. Given the choice between her brother or me, there was no way she’d ever side with me. Not yet at least. I planned to show her and continue earning her trust, but we weren’t close yet. So, Quentin could derail it all.
Suddenly, I regretted asking the girl I was falling in fucking love with to come to the party. We were too new and fragile to survive an altercation, but the glow on her face, the way she kept smiling… I couldn’t deny her the chance of her first party. “Ready, baby?”
