CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THEO

Dana's name flashed on my phone while I was hiding in my car in the driveway.

I'd been sitting there for ten minutes already, trying to convince myself to go back inside when she called and I picked up instantly.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey! I have the best idea."

Something in her voice made my stomach drop. I knew that excited tone, she had made plans for something.

"What idea?"

"I'm driving up this weekend. I miss you too much and I want to meet your mom. We can spend the whole weekend together and I can help with wedding stuff, it'll be perfect."

My chest tightened. "This weekend?"

"Yeah! I already checked and I don't have any major assignments due. I can leave Friday after my morning class and be there by afternoon."

"Dana, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"The house is chaotic with wedding planning. There's stuff everywhere. It's not a good time for visitors."

"I don't mind chaos. I just want to see you, Theo. I miss you."

"I miss you too, but—"

"But what? You've been gone for two weeks. Two weeks. And you've barely called and barely texted. I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just been really busy here."

"Which is exactly why I should come help and I really want to meet your mom. You've told me so much about her."

I gripped the steering wheel with my free hand and tried to think of another excuse. Anything that wouldn't make her suspicious.

"Please?" she said. "I really want to see you."

I couldn't say no. Not without explaining why and raising questions I couldn't answer.

"Okay," I said. "Yeah. This weekend."

"Really? You're sure?"

"Yeah. It'll be good to see you."

"I'm so excited! I'll text you when I leave Friday. I love you."

"Love you too."

We hung up and I sat in my car for another twenty minutes, gripping the steering wheel, staring at the house. Dana was coming this weekend and would be in this house with me and Elijah and this stupid bet.

I was so fucked.

****

When I finally went inside, Elijah was in the kitchen.

Of course he was. Because nothing in my life could be easy.

He was making a sandwich, completely relaxed and I felt a sense of irritation at how he had made himself at home in my mother’s house. At this point, I was convinced someone who hates me had gone on to hex me and dealt me the worst hands of fate which was now about to make him my stepbrother.

I stood in the doorway and he looked up.

"Dana's coming this weekend," I said.

His expression didn't change. "Interesting timing."

"She wants to meet my mom."

"How nice."

"She doesn't know about—" I stopped.

"About us?" Elijah said. "There is no us, Callahan. There's a bet. Remember?"

Something twisted in my chest at the way he said it. It sounded so nonchalant like all we had been doing meant—

Stop it, Theodore. It didn't mean anything in the first place so why do you care how he said it? He didn't lie after all.

"Right," I said. "The bet."

"But if you want to parade your girlfriend around while you're still in the middle of owing me, that's your choice."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He set down his sandwich and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms and looked at me. "It means the bet doesn't pause because she's here."

"I didn't think it would."

"It means you still belong to me until I say otherwise."

My jaw clenched. "Don't say it like that."

"Why not? That's what you agreed to. Those were the terms."

"That's not—it's not the same as—"

"As what? As belonging to her?" He tilted his head slightly. "You're right. It's not the same. Because she doesn't know that you get hard at kissing me—yes, I noticed. She doesn't know you come to my room at midnight. She doesn't know you let me kiss you on the couch last night."

"Shut up."

"She doesn't know any of it. And you're going to keep it that way, aren't you?"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"You could tell her the truth."

I laughed bitterly. "Right. 'Hey Dana, just so you know, I've been letting my stepbrother touch me as part of a bet.' That'll go great."

"You could tell her you don't want to be with her anymore."

"I do want to be with her."

"Liar."

"Stop calling me that."

"Stop lying and I will." He pushed off the counter and walked towards me. "You're going to have to figure out how to manage both."

"Both?"

"Her. Me. The bet. Your denial. All of it." He stopped a few feet away. Close enough that I could see the challenge in his eyes. "You're going to have her here in this house while knowing you owe me. While knowing what we've done and what you let me do."

"I can handle it."

"Can you?"

"Yes."

He studied my face, looking for something and finding it, probably. "We'll see."

He walked past me, pausing at the doorway.

"It should be fun to watch," he said.

Then he was gone and I was standing in the kitchen alone, gripping the edge of the counter, trying to breathe.