NovelNext Chapter 4
Chapter 4
"Why didn’t you come home? Where are you? Send me your location!" Theo's texts came one after the other, urgency thick in his words.
"Amy, are you ignoring me? Can’t you see my messages? Don’t push it," he added, frustration simmering in every letter.
"Jenny already forgave you for last night. She even suggested we go see a movie so we could talk. Stop throwing tantrums at me."
His tone made it sound like he was doing me a huge favor by suggesting we talk things through.
I rubbed my temples, feeling drained. After a moment of thought, maybe talking it out wasn’t such a bad idea. I needed to make my stand clear, so I sent him the hotel address.
When his car finally pulled up outside, Theo lowered the passenger window and looked me over, his expression immediately souring.
“You went out in your pajamas?” he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
"Don't you know Jenny defended you all night? And now you're stirring things up again?" he continued, his annoyance now directed fully at me.
I had no energy left to argue. “My clothes were soaked from the rain yesterday. What else do you expect me to wear?”
For a moment, Theo looked taken aback, as if my answer had caught him off guard. He fell silent, unable to argue for once.
From the front seat, Jenny gave me a saccharine smile. "See, I told you Amy’s not such a bad person. It must’ve been a misunderstanding. Let’s all just talk it out. Oh, and Theo gave me his jacket earlier. Why don’t you try it on? It might fit."
I gave her a smile back, but my face was all sharp edges. “No thanks. I’m not into secondhand stuff. It’s... dirty for me.”
She didn’t even blink, and I just slid into the backseat without saying another word.
Theo’s expression darkened, and I could practically feel his anger boiling. But when he turned to look at me, he hesitated. My calmness threw him off.
Jenny saw it too and jumped in. "Sorry, Amy. My foot’s still healing, so I need more space. Can you sit in the back?"
Theo glanced at me through the rearview mirror, but I was done. I shut my eyes, blocking out the rest of the world.
Jenny kept chatting, subtly mocking my appearance, but I didn’t bite. I was too tired to argue, and honestly, I didn’t care anymore.
Even Theo seemed to be growing frustrated with her. Finally, he snapped, “Leave her alone. She can wear whatever she wants. Who cares how a pregnant woman looks?”
His dismissive tone made Jenny grin like she’d won something. She went on about the soup Theo made the other night and how fun the party games were. All stories I had no part in.
But I didn’t mind. I felt like I was finally breathing again. The exhaustion of pregnancy had worn me down, and I needed to rest.
Theo kept sneaking glances at me, waiting for some reaction, but the silence just made his unease grow. I was done being his emotional punching bag.
When we got to the theater, Theo tried to take charge again. "Stay close. It’s dark, and the floor’s uneven. Hold onto me so you don’t trip."
I couldn’t help but smirk. A movie with him, thanks to Jenny? How poetic.
But before I could even process it, Jenny grabbed Theo’s hand and dragged him off, leaving me behind once again.
By the time I found my seat, Theo was already fussing over Jenny, helping her with her drink. In the dim light, I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes, but it vanished almost immediately.
“She got a little excited earlier, and I didn’t notice you. Don’t be mad,” he murmured, but his words didn’t even register in my mind.
I nodded, not really listening. "I’m not mad. Actually, I won’t be mad anymore... not this time, not ever. After the movie, stay behind. I have something to say to you."
Theo didn’t catch my words. He was too busy with Jenny, who was calling him over to help open her popcorn.
Then, in the middle of the movie, a loud crash echoed from above us. In an instant, the steel frame from the ceiling came crashing down.
People screamed and ducked, instinctively protecting themselves. My heart raced, but my mind was elsewhere.