Page 25 of Stars Like Confetti

“You don’t?” I only got a shake of his head in response. “Would it bother you if I did?”

A tender smile, and another shake. “No,” he said softly. “I’ve tried it, and I just don’t like being drunk. I don’t mind if others do it.”

Tyler gagged then, clapping a hand over his mouth and rushing away from the table. Jordan sighed, collected their things from the table, and trudged after him, tossing a knowing look at me over his shoulder. “I think Tyler might be right there with you after this.”

Shea only giggled. I nudged his plate a little closer and offered him another bite from his pastry, which he happily accepted. He tipped the plate my way in a silent offer, but I shook my head and offered him a strawberry instead. He did his best to glare, but he was just too damn adorable. I wasn’t a breakfast person, and the sight of Shea’s food alone churned my stomach; I was just fine with my coffee.

And when I took a sip and grimaced at the bitter, too dark drink, Shea offered me the rest of his milk, then seemed to magically produce a handful of sugar packets and drop them on the table.

I smiled as I doctored up my coffee and Shea returned to his breakfast, one hand possessively on my thigh. He stroked the skin there with his thumb, slipping beneath the hem of my shorts. I let out a heavy breath. How was I supposed to go back to not having him in my life?

How was I supposed to continue dating now that I’d had him? What do you mean I have to teach someone else how I take my coffee? Or why I feel exposed without a binder in the morning but not at night? The simple thought of even attempting to date someone else brought tears to my eyes.

But then a whimper and a squeeze to my thigh caught my attention. Looking over at my boy, I blinked away the water in my eyes. “I’m fine, sweetheart.”

The furrow of his brows told me he didn’t buy it, but he also didn’t argue. I wrapped my hand around Shea’s waist and tugged him close. I needed to figure out how to keep this boy in my life.

I was determined.

Chapter Thirteen

Shea

Theo was a bad liar. At least, they’d always been with me. Maybe others would have let it slide, but I was too in tune to them. There was a certain hitch to their voice when they cried, and I’d been hearing it all morning. Unfortunately for me, my regression had reached a stubborn level where I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so all I could do was silently reassure them.

If their mind worked anything like mine in that moment, I could probably put a finger on what had them so upset: Our week was already halfway over.

I’d already been getting texts from Sophie about how much she missed me and couldn’t wait to have me home. I wished I could return the sentiment. I couldn’t get excited about seeing Sophie again without thinking that it came with leaving Theo.

My eyes burned, and I scrubbed at them to will the tears not to fall. Not yet. I still had three more full days and was going to make the most of them.

“Are you still tired, baby?”

Aha, that was my chance. The last thing I wanted to do today was finger paint or even play at the lake. All I wanted was Theo. I nodded, hoping they would agree to take me back to bed. It wasn’t a total lie. I had sacrificed an hour of sleep to get my mouth on them.

Theo gathered the remnants of my breakfast and their coffee and swept them away. I gestured toward the front door, signaling that I needed some fresh air. I stuck my fingers in my waistband, calming myself with the softness of the diaper beneath. It surprised me how fast I’d adjusted to it. I no longer waddled—at least, I didn’t think so. According to Theo my “diaper butt” was “absolutely precious.”

Tyler sat on the steps, nursing a bottle of Gatorade in between holding his head between his knees. Snickering, I dropped down next to him—only to jolt away a second later. A familiar shiver shot down my spine. By the time I registered the stinger in my arm, my throat was already starting to tingle.

Tyler said something next to me, but it was like he was speaking underwater.

My pacifier fell out of my mouth and tumbled to the ground, but I could only gasp for air. My airway constricted. My vision blurred. The sounds around me all morphed into warbling, unidentifiable noises. I couldn’t even reach for my pocket to get my own EpiPen.

I glanced down. Round red hives covered my arms and legs. They itched. God, they itched and I couldn’t move my hands to scratch them.

Then another stab shot through my leg. I whimpered and attempted to jolt away from it, but a strong hand held me in place. I fought and wrestled, but to no avail. I was too weak. Another pair of arms tugged me against a plush chest, and Theo’s comforting scent wrapped around me and calmed me almost instantly. They rubbed my chest, forcing my lungs to fill with oxygen. My vision cleared, and the burning in my throat subsided—perhaps too slowly for my liking. Theo brushed through my hair, softly whispering in my ear. The shapeless blur in front of me gradually formed into Jordan kneeling in front of me. He massaged my thigh, making sure the drug worked its way through my system. Tyler stood behind him, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Shea…” Theo muttered. “You with me, sweetheart?”

I could only murmur something incomprehensible, only to cough and wet my diaper as a result. Theo handed a bottle of water over my shoulder, even holding it to my mouth so I could drink.

“Alright, guys. Let’s get inside.”

It was only then that I noticed the small crowd that had gathered around the steps. Kaylee—as small as she was—did her best to corral them back inside, instructing them to leave the dining hall through the side entrance and get to their activities for the day. Though one of them stuck out. Bright blond hair moved through the crowd, green eyes.

“Dakota’s going to check you out, okay? They’re a medic.” Theo explained, rubbing my arms. The hives stung, but their touch brought me too much comfort for me to make them stop.

Jordan rose to his full height and stepped back to make room for Dakota. Tyler huddled into the man’s arms, turning his tear-filled eyes into his chest.