“What are you going to do?” I asked, hoping to win the war. “Follow me around the rest of my life?”
“Maybe.” He looked away, back to the bug groaning beneath his sneaker. My heart dropped.
“So you’ll be at my heels while I’m married to an asshole, making sure he treats me right?”
He ground the rubbery sole into Ned’s cheek. “If I have to.”
I glanced at the harsh action, then back at Theo. “Why don’t you stand by my side?”
Theo froze.
I took that small victory, edging closer to him. The wind picked up; above us the sky was dark, no stars visible beneath a blanket of black clouds. The ocean crashed and sprayed.
“You treat me right,” I said softly. “You know what I want. Why can’t it be you?”
I was pleading with him, and he turned his head slightly, enough for me to see the surprise wash over his features.
“I know it was you,” I continued. “I know you were the one who applied to college for me. When I got the acceptance letter, I knew only you would do something like that.”
“You got in?” A small smile broke through the storm on his features. “That’s fucking amazing, Abs.”
“I don’t want to go alone. I don’t want to be the only one following my dreams. Don’t throw everything away. Come with me. Be the boy who wanted to change things.”
And just like that, whatever glimmer I’d seen vanished into stone, his jaw iron, his eyes black. He moved his foot to Edward’s throat and pushed.
I closed the distance and brought his hands into mine. They were bloody and broken open. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore, Theo. Ned isn’t going to bother me. Neither will my mom.”
“I will always worry about you.” His words were gravelly, and his chest warbled with the word always, like it hurt coming out.
My fingers lingered, a frown forming. “What are you planning to do to him?”
“Whatever it takes.” The way his eyes darkened and cracked, I knew he meant it.
Whatever it took, no matter the cost for Theo.
Hadn’t that always been the case, though?
My thumb grazed his split lip. “It’s over. I did something today. He doesn’t want me anymore.”
His brow furrowed, unconvinced. “Even if that were true, it doesn’t make what he did to you okay. You expect me to forget? To let him go?”
I didn’t take my eyes off Theo, but whatever he did caused Ned to groan in pain louder than he had before. Theo touched my cheek, so, so tenderly. I closed my eyes, leaning into his calloused, wet-with-blood touch.
“If I had known what would happen, I would have ended the problem that night. I shouldn’t have left you alone, sweet girl. I’m sorry.”
He dropped his hand from my cheek. The loss of contact was like a Band-Aid tearing.
“He’s not worth it,” I pleaded. “He’s not worth you losing everything.”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “You’re worth it, Abigail. I would throw my life away for you over and over again.”
As if that was the last thing worth saying, he turned back to Ned, determination on his face.
“But would you keep it?” I asked. It came out as a squeak, and I cleared my throat. His body language had changed, tight and coiled.
“Would you keep your life?” I asked, voice louder. “Would you love yourself the way I do? Can you promise that?” I swallowed, taking a breath. “I’ll try… If you do.”
He threw me a look over his shoulder, eyes furious. He was a noir, black and white, moonlight and shadow, a nightmare and a dream. I wondered when his muscles had go