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I climbed out of the car with every part of my body protesting. The adrenaline had disappeared hours ago, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion. My lip was swollen enough that I could feel it every time I moved my mouth, and sitting in the cold had left me feeling like crap. All I wanted was a hot shower and to collapse in bed.

Instead, I stopped inside the doorway as the smell of warm food washed over me—something that smelled an awful lot like chicken pot pie, my favorite. Theo stood at the counter, clearly waiting for me to come home. He’d changed into comfortable clothes, picking athletic pants and an old Harbor Tech hoodie. His hair was a mess, and he looked tired.

The relief that crossed his face when he saw me was more than I’d expected.

“Hey,” I whispered as I shut the door. His gaze dropped immediately to my mouth. Something dark flashed across his expression before he forced his eyes to meet mine once more. Anger, maybe. Worry. Hurt. I couldn’t quite tell, and I didn’t have the energy to figure it out.

“I didn’t know when you were coming back,” Theo said quickly. “I figured you probably would eventually, but then I didn’t know if you’d eaten because I knew you didn’t have much, and I know it’s probably the last thing you’re thinking about right now, but…”

His voice trailed off, and he gestured vaguely toward the two bowls of covered food on the counter.

“I made your favorite,” he finished. I just stared at him, my tired mind struggling to keep up more than I wanted to admit. Theo shifted uncomfortably as he kept talking to fill the silence. “I hope that’s okay. I’m not sure if you’re hungry, but at least there’s something for you… whenever you want it.”

I still didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. My heart lodged in my throat, and every emotion I’d spent the last several hours trying to control suddenly felt too close to the surface again. I wasn’t used to being taken care of like this. And I certainly wasn’t expecting it tonight of all nights.

“You don’t have to talk,” Theo added. “I’m not going to ask about what happened. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t alone tonight.”

That did me in, and I crossed the space on instinct, drawn to him.

Overwhelmed, I wrapped both arms around his waist and pulled him against me, burying my face in the crook of his neck. His arms folded around my shoulders without hesitation. I breathed him in, letting his familiar scent fill my lungs. The steadiness of him did something to me that even my favorite place hadn’t managed to give me. The warmth and shape of him melted some of the anxiety out of my chest, and my grip tightened around his waist.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered because I owed him an apology too. It was his Thanksgiving that I’d ruined too.

“You don’t need to apologize, Rhodes,” Theo said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.

“I knew it was coming,” I muttered into his skin, “and the worst fucking part is that it still hurts.”

I couldn’t shake how pathetic that made me feel. My father was the entire reason I’d run from Everdale. I never expected acceptance from him. Which meant this wasn’t some shock to my system. It shouldn’t have hurt that the man who hated my entire community now hated me too.

“That’s okay,” he replied. “Knowing someone might hurt you doesn’t make it hurt less when they actually do.”

“No. No, it doesn’t.” My voice sounded exhausted to me.

Theo’s fingers drifted up into my hair, his nails scraping against my scalp. The soothing sensation sparked along my nerves, and my eyes drifted shut with the comfort. My shoulders loosened as some of the tension I’d been carrying all night bled out of me. He shifted slightly against the counter as I leaned more of my weight into him.

A quiet sigh escaped me. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this—how much I needed him.

“Tell me what I can do to help.” Theo’s fingers stopped combing through my hair. For a moment, I stayed exactly where I was, wanting to absorb a little more of him, before finally pulling back. Theo’s hand slipped from my hair to the side of my face. His expression changed the second he got a better look at me, especially when his gaze dropped back to my mouth one more time. He brushed his thumb along the edge of my beard just under the split. “Does it hurt?”

“A little,” I said, and he nodded slowly. I leaned into his palm as I tried to stem the anxious thoughts bubbling up all over again. Even with how everything seemed to slow and calm around Theo, I still struggled to center myself. “I should call Mom. And Jude.”

I needed to make it right with both of them.

“Not tonight,” he told me. When I started to protest, he continued, “You’ve had a long day, Rhodes. Let me take care of you tonight, please. You’ll be in a better headspace to handle everything tomorrow.”

He was right. I hated how quickly I knew that. Calling either of them right now would only give all this anxious energy somewhere else to go. I was exhausted, angry, and still caught up in the fight with my father as my mind kept replaying pieces of what he’d said. One wrong word could turn into another thing I’d regret by morning. Mom and Jude deserved more than whatever fractured version of myself I could offer tonight.

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Do you want to eat something?” he asked. As he said it, he picked up the bowls and moved toward the fridge like he knew what I’d say. I watched him, too tired to hide how much the sight of him doing something so simple affected me. There was no pressure in it and no disappointment when I didn’t answer right away. He was just quietly adjusting around me, making space for whatever I could manage tonight.

“No,” I admitted. Theo offered a reassuring smile that told me my answer was completely fine and slid the bowls into the fridge. “Thank you.”

Theo stepped closer and took my face in his hands, his palms warm against my cheeks. Leaning in, his mouth brushed against the corner of mine as he carefully avoided the split in my lip in the barest of kisses.

“Let’s go to bed,” Theo said. His hand slipped against my palm, his fingers tightening around mine.

“Okay,” I replied, giving in. He led me out of the kitchen, turning off the lights as we went, and I followed without argument.