"I should probably go in an hour. It's already 8 PM, I just don't want to miss the bus," I say, even though I don't want to.
"You can stay a little longer," he offers, voice soft.
I bite the inside of my cheek. "If I stay too long, I might not leave."
He laughs under his breath. "That's not a problem."
I look at him again, and something inside me shifts. It's not just attraction.
It's comfort. Ease. Safety. It's what it might feel like to be truly wanted for who I am, not what I can give.
Theo leans back on his hands, staring at the ceiling now. "You ever think about what it'd be like to live somewhere quiet like this? Away from all that noise?"
"Yeah," I say. "All the time."
He turns his head to look at me again. "You'd like it here."
"I already do."
A beat passes.
Then he says, "You can come over anytime."
My breath catches. "Really?"
Theo nods. "I trust you. Rainbow would love to see you more often, anyway."
I don't know what to say to that.
