Page 36 of Septembers

Caleb looked back and forth between them. “They also have burgers.”

“Sorry.” Dae brushed past him and escaped up the stairs.

Fuck.

No, it was fine. Would be fine. Theo could fix it. Needed to fix it. All he had to do was re-draw the line and actually stay behind it this time. He couldn’t fuck up what he had with Dae, which, of course, was inevitable. He was who he was—a chip off his father’s emotionally irresponsible block—and there was no changing that.

And Dae…he was perfect. He deserved someone perfect. Someone who wouldn’t hurt him. Someone like Jacinda.

Caleb plopped down on the couch. “Why are you shirtless? And what’s this?” He held up the muumuu. “Are we changing the drapes?”

“Yes.” He didn’t have the energy to explain.

“Cool.” He grinned like an adorable dope. “So. Chicken fingers?”

“Sure.” Listening to Caleb talk for an hour straight seemed like the best way to get out of his own head. “But we have to leave right now.”

Caleb clapped and shot up. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” He jogged to the stairs and yelled up. “Dae! You sure?”

No answer. Of course.

“Ah well,” Caleb said, unbothered. “He probably needs some Dae Time.”

“Yeah,” Theo said, forcing a smile. “Everything’s fine.”

Something Else

Theo got the part. Turned out a total buffoon with the singing voice of an angry meerkat was exactly what they needed. Plus, no one else showed up in full costume, so they must’ve liked his moxie. Rehearsals didn’t start for another two weeks, but he already knew things weren’t going to last with Cute Drama Nerd. He was so into it. Hearing him sing Ladies Choice was sexy the first time. The eleventh time? While he insisted Theo pay attention? Not as much.

Theo lifted his face to the breeze as he crossed the cul de sac, trying to let the crunchy leaves and crisp air chase away his nerves. He and Dae had been careful around each other since the day of the audition. It made Theo itchy and uncomfortable, like he had an emotional rash, so he decided the best course of action was to completely ignore it and instead focus on Jacinda.

She tried not to roll her eyes when she opened the door, but didn’t quite manage it. “I don’t have time to do this right now, Theo.”

He held up a pint of strawberry ice cream and gave her his most charming pout. “Then I guess this will melt.”

This time, her eye-roll was pronounced and deliberate. “They invented freezers a while ago.”

“This specific ice cream has to be eaten today. The shop guy said.”

Her stare was unamused, but she stepped aside. “Well, if the shop guy said.”

He took two plastic spoons out of his back pocket, which she immediately threw in the garbage and got out real spoons like some kind of aristocrat. They sat at the living room table, a scratched wooden behemoth they’d found at a flea market, and dug in. Theo didn’t particularly like strawberry, but it was Jacinda’s favourite, and he knew the way to a woman’s heart.

The house was eerily quiet: no music, no chatter, no giggling.

“Where’s the coven?” They’d dressed as witches for their first Halloween in the neighbourhood. A bit uninspired, but it created a nickname, so he couldn’t begrudge it.

“Lecture, class, date.”

“Ohhhh, who’s on the dat⁠—”

“Theo, can we skip to the part where you tell me why Dae is being so distant and how I should be patient and that he’s worth it? I have a lot of homework to do.” She levelled him with a stare colder than the ice cream she spooned into her mouth.

She had his number. “Well, joke’s on you, because I’m here to tell you how much he likes you, and how when he talks about you, he gets this cute grin like someone gave him a lollipop.” He wasn’t making stuff up to make her feel better. Dae really liked her; Theo could see it.

She groaned. “I want to believe you.”

“So believe me.”