You hadn’t meant to text him. You really hadn’t. But somehow, in the chaos of the night, between the drinks and the laughter at your friend’s house, your fingers had betrayed you.
“I need you.”
A mistake. A slip-up. But before you could correct it, Theo, your enemy had already responded.
“On my way.”
Now, you sat in his car, the hum of the engine filling the silence as he drove you home. He hadn’t teased you about the text, hadn’t said a word about it. That was unsettling.
Then, his phone rang. Samantha.
Your chest tightened. You had no right to feel anything, but lately, Theo had been… different. Softer. Attentive. And that was dangerous.
He answered on speaker.
“Hi, Theo”
she purred.
“I missed you. You were supposed to come over tonight.”
His grip on the wheel tightened.
“Mhm.”
A pause. Then—
“Look, I don’t think we can keep going like this.”
Her breath hitched.
“What?”
“There’s somebody else.”
Silence. Then, a sharp inhale.
“Who?”
Theo hesitated. His fingers drummed against the wheel. Then, without looking at you, he spoke.
“The girl beside me who hates me and wants nothing to do with me.”