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It almost makes me nauseous that someone could be this nice to me after everything that we’ve been through, after how cold I’ve been to her. I don’t deserve Summer. But I want to.
Put me on a big boat with no land anywhere in sight? Hard pass. I saw an Oprah episode about people who go missing on those, and I’m too young and pretty to die.
Theo's inner thoughts kill me. 🤣
“Are you fucking insane?” Okay. She’s mad. And she doesn’t sound drunk at all. She’s got her keys wedged between her fingers like claws and I instantly like this girl. No preamble. Just comes out swinging. She’s tiny and ferocious. I feel like Peter Pan getting reamed by Tinkerbell.
“Call your dog off, Eaton.” She keeps walking, only addressing Rhett, like I’m not even here. But goddamn, I love a challenge. I turn with a loud, “Woof!”
🐶
I don’t want to be the one-night stand who’s used to scratch an itch. I want a woman like Winter Hamilton—beautiful, and smart, and sharp-tongued—to look at me and see a future.
It sounds childish, but somehow Sloane has wiggled her way into my life in the past couple of weeks. She’s Rhett’s cousin, and she says she thinks she met me at exactly the right time. She says she needed someone like me in her life, but the thing is . . . I think I’m the one who needed her.
“God. Every time I say that dog’s name, I think of a dick.”
“Tink, please. I might not know you all that well, but I have a sinking suspicion that the future prime minister’s first word might be fuck.”
“It will ruin any splendid memories of my vagina you might have.” “Nah. That’s impossible. Those memories are why my right forearm is bigger than my left.”
😂
“I could fucking bury whoever made you believe you’re as unlovable as you seem to think.”
“No, Winter. You’re my only baby mama.”
Theo: No. I mean, what are you wearing RIGHT NOW? ;) Winter: Seriously? Theo: Send pics. Theo: Okay. It’s fine. I’ll just continue to use my imagination.
“Watch your fucking tone when you’re talking to the mother of my child.”
👏🏼
“I’ve always liked Winter. I liked her when you told me stories about her before I met her. I liked her the first time I laid eyes on her at the shitty gas station on the corner of Rosewood and Main. I liked her when she yelled I must have a small dick.” Rhett’s face is a mix of confusion and disbelief. “And I especially like her now. I’m not sad about Vivi. The only thing I’m sad about is not being there for Winter earlier. But that’s my cross to bear. So, if you’re looking for a person to commiserate with about how awful she is, you need to find someone else.”
“I’ll always defend you, Winter.”
Theo: Want me to come over and do something truly special that will have you thanking me profusely? Winter: Are you always this horny? Theo: I was going to say clean your house. Get your mind out of the gutter, Dr. Hamilton.
Peter and Winter have a lot in common. Prickly on the outside, a little broken on the inside, and in desperate need of someone to hold them.
“Yeah, you should definitely bang him again,” Willa says.
“Theo is a mature man. This is fine. We will be fine. It was just a pussy. He’s seen lots of pussies.”
😂
“I’ll be back before lunch.” He chuckles and winks. “No, you won’t. I booked your massage right after the manicure. Sloane is meeting you there and for lunch. See you later, Mama.”
A MANNNNNN.
Is horny cleaning a Virgo thing?
“You’re the fucking worst.” “You’re the one who’s mad at me for something I did in a dream.” “I’m not mad at you.” Her arms cross. “I’m mad at the future.” “Don’t be. I promise you that’s not what the future holds.”
“I think there might be something wrong with her.” He points at Winter, who still hasn’t moved, and to his credit, he looks concerned. “Yeah.” My lips twitch as I stare past him at Winter, who glares at me for agreeing with him. “I know there is. That’s what I like about her.”
“I think people mistake you being in a bad mood when you’re just overwhelmed. I think you needed to lie here for a few minutes with no one needing you. I think you’re overstimulated and even the best of us require some time to collect ourselves.”
“Winter, you have no fucking idea what I see. No fucking clue how hard I’m trying not to be another person who needs something from you. I’m prioritizing what life has thrown at us in the past few weeks. I’m trying to give you what you need. But if you think I don’t like what I see, then I’m not the one who needs his head checked.”
“Because your wellbeing has quickly become my number one priority.” “Why?” Her ragged breathing echoes in the otherwise quiet gym. “Because I fucking adore you. Haven’t you been paying attention?”
“Mine will always look a little crooked now. But if that’s the price I had to pay to get your attention . . . I’d break the other one myself.” “Weird. But okay.”
Cat’s out of the bag, I guess. Might as well come clean. “I mean, I cleaned up my act.” “Why?” I huff out a breath and hold her gaze, wanting her to really hear this. “Because I wanted to be the type of guy who could land you for more than one night.”
“You mean someone like me?” “No, Winter. I mean you. That’s why I gave up my old phone. That’s why I have your number on my new one. I intended to call you. You needed time to rebuild, and I needed time to grow into someone who deserves you. I was biding my time, being patient.”
I resent myself, because what is it about me that is so profoundly unlovable?
This line makes me choke up. Every. Time.
“What’s happening is Miss Independent met the treat-her-like-a-princess guy, and she’s freaking out.”
“But it’s a nice face, isn’t it? If you had to ride one?”
😂
And I just hold her. A woman who needs to be held so damn badly. And I’m the lucky one who gets to do it.
Being loved is uncomfortable for her. God, I want to change that, but she’ll be the one to tell me when the time is right. I have it in my head that after spending her life behaving in a way that suits everyone around her, she might need a minute to figure out what suits her.
Theo Dale Silva has wormed his way into my heart, and I never stood a chance at keeping him out.
“Theo loves easily. That’s just his nature. But he doesn’t often love hard. He keeps that part of himself, the one that’s seen loss too, locked up tight where it can’t get hurt. But you, girl? He loves you hard.”
“He said, ‘Mom, I met her.’ And I said, ‘Who?’” Loretta’s lips curve up, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “He said, ‘The woman I’m going to marry one day.’”
“I asked him if she knew about this and he laughed and said, ‘Not yet.’”
“You are a national treasure, Harvey Eaton.”
“Maybe I don’t care. Maybe I want to be messy with you forever.”
We were just talking, laughing. Heading in a good direction. And she’s going to run away from me now? After everything? Nah. Not today, Tink.
First, refer to my daughter again as the baby, like she doesn’t have a name, and I’ll fucking lay you out.
“Dr. Hamilton in the streets, filthy slut in the sheets.” And I laugh. No one can make me laugh the way Theo Dale Silva does.
😂
“You were what I’ve always needed and never had.”
“I think I more than like you.” “Because I’m your baby daddy?” “No.” I meet his eyes at the final red light before we pull up to the house. “Because you make me like myself . . . and you’re the only one who ever has.”
I’m going to show up for her. Every goddamn time.
Who would put up with my moody ass? Who would love Vivi the way he does? Who would love me the way he does? The answer is no one. Not a single other person would ever love me the way Theo does. No one will ever show up for me the way he has—protect me the way he has.
“No, I’m here because I wanted to kick your ass in person. I haven’t slept because I stayed up all night worrying about you, your stupid handsome face, and your big, talented dick.” One hand waves over the length of my body. “And just your stupid general wellbeing because you fucking consume me.”
“Why did you bring Peter?” “Because he’s part of our family, no matter how much he reminds me of the weird squirrel from Ice Age. And I like it when he sleeps between my feet, so he’s stuck with me now. Just like you.”
WEIRD SQUIRREL FROM ICE AGE. 💀
“There are people who need you now. We’re stronger than this. And yeah, I was angry with you. That was a dumb thing to say. But guess what? I’m going to get mad at you from time to time. People who are together get mad at each other. They say shitty things they regret. It’s normal. Being happy-go-lucky Theo, who ticks no one off and never has a bad day, is not normal. You’re allowed to freak out.” She pauses, breathing heavily. “But you have to freak out with me.”
