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Home / MM Romance / The Way He Looked at Me / Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

All Chapters of The Way He Looked at Me: Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

196 Chapters

121

Earlier tonight, Theo had come out of the bathroom, hair damp, pajamas hanging loose, and trailing a small cloud of steam behind him. Objectively, it was nothing. Nothing to get worked up over. He didn’t even speak, didn’t bump into me, didn’t do a single thing.And yet.That tiny swirl of mist made my blood snap. My stomach flipped. My entire chest ignited. I didn’t even try to understand it. I’ve never had a problem with water vapor before in my life. But there it was, a spark a little thing and I was suddenly on fire.I can’t tell if that’s a bad sign or the start of something interesting.Because when I’m not obsessing over trivial th

122

The coffee machine hisses and spits, foam spilling into my mug, but I barely notice.Because Theo is right there.He slides the hair tie off his wrist left to right like muscle memory owns him. No hesitation. No thought. Just smooth, practiced movement. His fingers rake through his dark hair, slow and deliberate, dragging it back to the base of his neck. Once. Twice. Again over the crown, taming every rebellious strand like it personally offended him.He doesn’t stop until it’s controlled.The band is plain. Black. Forgettable.Except it’s his.He twists it, gathers his hair, and snaps it into place with a soft flick. Not perfect never perfect. Loose strands curl against his neck, brush his temples.And for some reason, that ruins me.I hate how much I notice.I hate how much I like it.He moves to the fridge. Six steps there. Five back. I count without meaning to.He pours the milk into my coffee exactly how I take it but misjudges. Just slightly.Too much pressure.The milk spills.

123

This was supposed to be an easy win. Capaldi lifts his head to line up the shot and that tiny pause is all I need. A necessary move, sure. But it fractures his rhythm, and in that split second, he tells me everything.Fear. Doubt. Hesitation. I push off hard with my right skate, lungs burning as I launch forward, abandoning the crease without a second thought. No fear. No hesitation. Not tonight.His eyes widen as I charge him too wide. Panic flashes across his face as he scans for help that isn’t coming. Teammates? Gone. Options? None. It’s just him, the puck… and me.I close the distance and drop low, slamming into him with everything I’ve got. The impact sends him airborne he flips over me like a ragdoll before crashing to the ice. His stick skitters one way, his body another.Game over.I snatch the puck mid-slide and snap it toward Theo. He’s already in motion, slicing down the ice like a blade. One clean pass to Jasper and Swish. The net sings.Victory. The rush floods my veins,

124

I barely make it to my room before I decide sleep is a scam.I lie down anyway.Thirteen seconds.That’s all it takes before I snap upright like something has physically yanked my nerves awake.I don’t even think I storm back into the living room and drop onto the couch facing the front door, arms crossed, eyes locked, waiting.And the waiting… it eats at me.Minute by minute, my patience thins. My thoughts get louder. My temper gets uglier.By the time I finally hear the faint scrape of a key sliding into the lock, I’m already half-feral with exhaustion.The door opens.And there he is.Theo.But not the Theo I’m used to.His hair is a mess of dark strands slipping free like he fought the wind and lost. One eye refuses to match the other, his smile crooked like it was drawn by someone tipsy and careless. He sways slightly, gripping the doorframe like it’s the only thing keeping him on earth.Drunk Theo.Of course.I’ve seen this version before… and I’ve never liked it.But tonight? S

125

Theo sways, gripping the frame harder. “Why are you mad? It’s not what you think, Vin ”“You don’t get to explain yourself anymore,” I cut in.A beat.Then I step closer.Close enough that he has to look at me properly, even through the alcohol haze.“You’ve pushed me far enough,” I say quietly. “Way too far.”His brow furrows. “What are you talking about?”I smile.Not kindly.Not warmly.Something sharper.“I’m done letting you run this however you want,” I say. “From this moment… my rules apply.”His lips part slightly. “Your… rules?” “Yes,” I say, voice steady now. “No more mess. No more games. No more bringing strangers into my space like it’s a revolving door.”His confusion deepens. “Vin what are you saying?” I lean in just slightly. And drop it.“I’m going to seduce you.” Silence. Total. Even Theo stops swaying.For a second, I think maybe he didn’t hear me right.Then the hallway light flickers. A soft knock sounds from outside the door.Once. Twice. Theo frowns. “Did… you e

126

That alone makes my stomach tighten.Vincent usually reacts. He argues, snaps, laughs at something. This silence feels… intentional.I push forward, faster now. “And the guy? That wasn’t anything. Seriously. Just a drunk mistake. So let’s just forget all that ‘my house, my rules’ talk and ”A faint curve touches his mouth.Not a smile.Something sharper.“I disagree,” he says calmly.My brain stutters.“What do you mean you disagree?” My voice cracks, more desperate than I intended.

127

“Ready?” he asks softly.A pause.Then a knock sounds at the door.Once.Twice.Vincent doesn’t look away from me.Neither do I.The knock comes again louder this time.And then A voice from outside.Cold. Familiar.“I know you’re in there.”My stomach drops.Because that voice…

128

But the relief feels… staged. Like the calm before something worse remembers it exists.“What happens now?” I ask, slower this time, like my mouth is catching up late.He stands without rushing.“I get you Advil,” he says easily, “because you look like you fought a war and lost badly. Then orange juice. Then we do something stupid on TV so your brain can pretend it still functions.”I nod too quickly.That sounds safe.That sounds normal.That sounds like an exit.He leaves.The house exhales.

129

Theo Cassian POV“Do you ever get cold?” I ask, trying and failing to sound casual.We’re inside the apartment, and Vincent is… barely dressed. Just boxer briefs and his usual chains glinting against his skin like they belong there.At first, it was just shirts he abandoned. He kept his pants on, at least. Back then, I thought that alone was dangerous enough.I didn’t realize I was still playing on easy mode.Because now? Now he’s escalated.Three days ago, the pants disappeared completely. Since then, it’s been nothing but underwear like he’s made it his personal mission to test my sanity.Day one: white., Day two: black., Yesterday: gray.Today?Sky blue.And not just any pair these ones are… unfair. Fresh. Smooth. Tight in a way that should probably be illegal. Like they were designed to ruin lives. Mine, specifically.I try not to stare. I really do.But then he turns.And I see everything I shouldn’t.My brain short-circuits.On a normal day, his body alone is enough to throw me

130

I don’t expect to find him like that.But the moment I reach the tank, Vincent is already on the floor knees pressed to the tiles like he’s praying to the damn fish.Before I can question it, he snaps, “Get down.”I frown. “Excuse me?”“Just do it,” he mutters. “Stay out of sight. Ethan shouldn’t notice me yet. You need to see what happens when he does.”This is ridiculous.Absolutely ridiculous.But arguing means standing here longer, staring at Vincent barely dressed and crouched low and that feels like a worse decision.So I drop beside him.Now we’re both hiding.From a fish.I open my mouth to say something, but he taps my arm sharply.“Watch.”He lifts his head into view.I followAnd my breath catches.The fish moves.No hesitation. No delay. It swims straight toward Vincent like it’s been waiting for him.Vincent shifts to the left.The fish follows.He moves again.Same result.Like a string is tied between them.The water explodes with color as its fins spread deep reds melt

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