Somehow I made it through dinner without falling asleep on my plate.

"This was delicious, and it was wonderful to meet all of you, but I am dying jet lag right now, so I'd like to head on to,″ I said, getting up from my seat with my plate and drink.

My mom and Mitchell looked at each other than to me. My mom got up and have me a quick hug and said ″Have all the rest you need honey, you deserve it.″

″Thanks, mom.″

Walking back inside I gathered my suitcases I left out in the living room. I felt someone was behind me and I turned around to see who it was.

″Theo?″

"What are you doing?"

"Carrying your luggage."

"I can do that myself."

He spared my amused glance. "A gentleman doesn't allow a lady to wrestle with her luggage. Especially if she's jetlagged.″

The ache had faded to almost nothing during dinner. I'd forgotten.

Theo followed me inside my room, setting down the suitcase and briefcase before turning toward me. His eyes searched my face and I wondered what he was looking for, what he saw in me.

″I should go. You need to get some rest″

He saw the jet lag. Well, that did wonders for my ego.

His lips curved. "You're so transparent when you're tired." And at last, at long last, he stepped into her, lifting a hand to my cheek. "It doesn't mean I don't want to stay, trying to be a gentleman here.″

"That would be really complicated and probably a bad idea."

His eyes dilated as he looked down at me, and I knew he was thinking about all the delicious, glorious ways we could enjoy that bad idea.

Theo stroked his thumb across my cheek, lighting little fires along my skin. ″Yeah,″ he whispered.

My fingers curled into my palms to keep from grabbing onto him as he stepped away. "Thanks for your help with my bags.″

"Anytime. Goodnight, Steph."

"See you around, Theo."

Another flash of a smile and he was gone, leaving me alone with my exhaustion and regrets.

...

The curtains add an orange glow to the morning light, every morning a perfect sunrise. It was Sunday morning and I was wide awake from my sleep.

I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower and gotten ready for the day to spend time with Theo. I left a note on the kitchen counter telling my mom and Mitchell that I would be gone for the day.

Just as I went outside, Theo was there already with his black Mustang parked right by my car.

His hair was a darker shade of brown than it was yesterday.

″Shall we say we can go to-″

″-- Lighthouse diner,″ we said at the same time.

″Wow, you're good,″ He laughed.

″Eh, likewise.″

...

After tying my hair into a ponytail, I sat down on the chair as a waitress came to us with our menus.

″Are you guys ready to order?″ She asked.

″Yes, I would like to have the double-stuffed pancakes with a bacon omelet,″ Theo said.

″Mhm hmm, and for you miss?″

″Yes, I would like to have waffles and bacon with hashbrowns, please?″

″Do you like your hashbrowns crispy.″

″Yes, make it extra,″ Theo includes himself.

″Got that,″ she says.

″You still know that I like it crispy?″

″Yeah! I mean you and Kenny used to get that all the time.″

I chortled. ″At least, I don't get it with ketchup.″

″Nothing wrong to get ketchup, it brings out the flavor.″

″Oh my gosh,″ I let out a laugh which made Theo laughed even harder. After getting our breakfast meal to the table, we head out once again and begin to cruise around the city.

Theo showed me the mall, the new museum downtown, some of our old childhood stores turning into weird pawn shops, the park that we used to hang out after school, and lastly the beach.

It was a long day for both of us, and we decided to walk on the pier to get a glimpse of the cool air before sunset.

″Not gonna lie, I missed this place,″ I finally spoke. ″Just here, being quiet, listening to the sound of waves.″

″Birds chirping through the sky,″ Theo adds.

″-- Seeing dolphins, and listening to the jazz band performing.″ I heaved a deep sigh. ″God, I missed that.″

″I miss you.″

I turn to Theo. His eyes widened when he noticed me, and then his gaze traveled down my body before quickly snapping back up to my face. I felt a sudden surge of feminine pride, congratulated myself on applying lipstick and mascara.

″I missed you too.″

″I didn't get the chance to say goodbye.″

"I didn't want to say goodbye either."

"You disappeared on me." There was no anger in his tone, though I knew I deserved that.

Swallowing against a knot of tears, I tried to find the words. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't face saying goodbye to you. Not how everything went down when we lost Kenny.″

After another long moment, his hand dropped to cover mine, and the relief of that touch almost had the tears spilling over.

″I never stopped thinking about you Steph, I always thought about you every day.″

″Really?″

″Yes, of course, I still lo-″

Theo's phone vibrated through his front pocket and he answered it. He had gotten a text from his mother.

″Uh, we should get going. My mom wants me to help her with something.″

″Oh, okay, no worries.″"Do you want to stay for dinner? Everyone else should arrive soon.″

"Thanks, but I can't."

"I guess I will see you soon then."

He held out his hand, and I thought it was strangely formal that he'd want to shake it, but when I put my small hand in his much larger and firmer one, he surprised me by lifting it to his mouth and kissing it.

A bolt of energy ran through me when his lips touched my skin. I shuddered. Literally. Theo exhaled sharply, training those gorgeous blue eyes on me.

"Have a nice evening, Stephanie."

I nodded, tiptoeing past him after he let go of my hand.

When I arrived home, I had ordered some pizza and wings. While watching Good Girls, I couldn't help myself but think of Theo and what he was going to say to me back in the pier.

The promise of a lazy weekend should have improved my concentration, but a certain handsome man kept hijacking my thoughts.