Theo's rules

- familiar -

Pinching my bottom lip with my fingers, I stared ahead, eyes gazing at the passing cars and houses. The sky a mundane grey, barely any sun out as the gloomy clouds looked back at me, I was lost in my thoughts.

"Cora?"

"Hm?" I blinked, looking at him.

Theo with one hand on the steering wheel, shot me a quick questionable look. "You're a bit quiet. I'm surprised you haven't asked me about what my dad wanted to discuss."

"Oh yeah," Of course I wanted to know but I was just distracted by that unknown man I spotted a few minutes ago. I didn't want to overreact or say something that would have Theo going back to his house to look for that guy, it wasn't uncommon for random people to walk by, but... something was off.

"Yeah." He said matter of fact, coming across bothered by my lack of interest.

"I am just distracted. It's probably nothing but..." His eyebrows pinched together, eyes peering at the rear-view mirror before doing a quick glance at me. "When I was waiting for you, there was some guy walking and he kinda stopped, just staring at your house."

Theo, with a serious look on his face, took in my words. "Did you recognise him?"

"That's the thing... something about him did seem familiar but I wasn't obviously up close to him."

"Right..." He inhaled and exhaled air through his nose, leaning his head back on the interior leather seat. "So he just stopped and stared at my house? Nothing else? Didn't do anything to you?"

"Well... he caught me staring-" As I said that, I could see Theo visibly worry. Probably thinking the worst... like maybe the guy was a flashing pervert and exposed his shrimp to me.

Thankfully that did NOT happen otherwise I'd be sitting here traumatised.

"And turned, walking into the forest. Okay actually saying it out loud sounds so stupid. It's probably nothing." I finished my sentence.

"It's enough to make you tell me."

I smiled to myself.

Theo, past all that tough exterior, does have a special way of being considerate and understanding. Which makes me see it as genuine and real.

He doesn't put on this overly caring act and he's not the type to send me romantic messages in the morning or send flowers to my house, in fact, he doesn't even realise how sincere his words are sometimes, especially when he says things like that.

I'd rather those deep, meaningful comments which aren't said intentionally to make me swoon than flowers.

Where the "good morning baby" messages with a thousand emojis vomited out of their phones keyboard type of dudes might say something like "don't worry, it is probably nothing" or "I'll protect you" Theo views it as me obviously putting my trust into him to tell him something I've noticed, that I've had to notice for a reason.

Even if it's dumb, I still found comfort in telling him about it and I think he likes that. That he appreciates that and wants me to seek comfort or reassurance from him. I love that quality so much more than someone just telling me things for the sake of telling me things.

Theo is actually such an understanding person deep down, at least towards things that take me by surprise. Unnecessarily mean? Of course. Cruel, yes, bit sadistic? Definitely, but fake? No, he's not.

The more and more I spend time with him like this, the more I realise I'm actually.. falling hard for him. That I'm opening up and warming up to the idea of this man being my lover, my mate and my companion for the rest of my life.