Love with strings detached

Chapter 48

I take a sip of my hot cocoa as I look outside the window at the gloomy sky. The clouds are an angry dark grey colour, shielding any sunlight away from us.

I like the booming sound of thunder nearby and the heavy rain hitting and sliding down the glass, only because I'm cosy in the comfort of my blankets and don't have to go outside today.

My phone screen lighting up takes my attention away from the people running whilst holding tightly onto their umbrellas across the pavement. I place my warm mug on my lap, holding it still with one hand as I check my message with the other.

"Hey Daisy, I hope you're doing well, can you do me a favour and keep an extra eye today on Theo? Xx" -A

My eyebrows furrow and my bottom lip push out as I read Amelia's text. Why do I need to pay extra attention to him today?

"Why?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you? I thought he would but look, it's personal, so I can't speak out on it. If he wants to he'll tell you but just please, stay close to him today, he needs it even if he doesn't do anything to get it." -A

"No, he hasn't told me anything. I actually haven't spoken or seen him today at all," I text her.

"Yeah, Thomas and Miles reached out to him as well but haven't gotten a response, if you talk or see him can you please let me know?" -A

"Yeah, of course, will do."

"Thanks, Daisy." -A

I push the blankets aside, instantly feeling colder but I ignore it as I leave the mug on the desk and stand up to go check on Theo.

I put on my crop black blazer over my black turtleneck and put on my black biker boots, grabbing my key card and phone from the desk before I leave my room. I knock on his door for about five minutes but I get no answer, he's not in.

As I pull my phone out to call him, I remember something and instantly know where I'll find him. I push my phone in my back pocket and rush to the elevator taking it down to the ground floor.

I bypass the lounge area and laundry to the gym, seeing it have a piece of paper stuck on the door, saying it's reserved for the next two hours.

I lift my fist up and knock on the door three times, trying to look inside but to no avail since the door is made of foggy glass.

A dark shadow comes closer to the door and yanks it open. A feeling of relief overcomes me as Theo is standing there, dripping sweat on his naked chest as one of his hands is covered by a boxing glove.

"May I come in?" I ask, looking at his straight face rid of any emotions.

He moves aside not saying anything, letting me in before closing the door behind me. He quietly goes back to the punching bag and puts his other glove on before he starts hitting it.

"Amelia texted me, saying I should keep an extra eye on you today, are you alright?" I ask, sitting down at the small steps behind him.

He keeps punching the bag and moving around it, light on his feet.

"If you don't want to tell me it's okay, I'm not going to push for it," I say, hugging one leg closer to me as I rest my head on my knee.

I don't know how many minutes passed of me just sitting there in silence, watching him punch the shit out of that bag but they were a lot.

"Today is the anniversary of my parent's death."

I slowly lift my head up as my mouth falls agape at his words. I can feel my eyes instantly starting to tear up. I sit there, shell shocked, watching him give his hardest punch yet at the bag with a frown on his face.

What do I say to that? I'm sorry? What's that going to do?

"They died today, 14th of January exactly eight years ago from a car crash," I stay silent, listening to him.

"I was only 12 at the time. I had to move in with my grandma after that incident a town away. Those were the worse years of my life so far, the most mentally damaging as well. I didn't know how to feel, what to think, what to do after that. Imagining telling a kid that his parents are dead, and how he's never going to see them again, never hear their voice again, never hug them again, never feel their love again," his voice starts strong but ends as a mere whisper as he's punching intensifies.

"You think that would be enough to break a kid for life but no, life decided that I can take more apparently as only two years after that my grandma which I loved, died from a heart attacked in her sleep," he says, his voice wavering.

Jesus Christ! I bring my hand up and push away the tears that escape my eyes.

"Ever since then I've been living with my aunt, from my mother's side and that's it," he says as his punches weaken.

I watch him trying to blink back his tears through the full wall mirrors as he rests his forehead on the punching bag. I stand up and approach him slowly, making him turn to look at me.

The look in his eyes knocks my breath out of me as if he punched me, I haven't seen such beautiful eyes look so broken before.

"Thank you for opening up to me, I can see how hard this is for you. I wish there was something I could do to take the pain away but there isn't," I say softly, looking at him.

"You're so strong Theo and admirable," I say as he falls down on the ground, sitting with his knees apart and his arms resting on them.

He hangs his head low, biting his lip, trying so desperately not to cry as he takes his gloves off. I kneel between his legs and grab his cheeks, gently moving his head to face me.

"I'm sure your parents are so proud of the man you've become," I say, smiling as tears stream down our cheeks.

"And I can understand now why you're so afraid of love, seeing how life deprived you of it but now you found it again in someone else. I love you, Theo," I say, resting my forehead on his as tears start falling harder down his cheeks.

He parts his lips to say something but I put my fingers over them, stopping him.

"I don't want you to say it back just because I said it to you. I want you to say it to me when you truly feel it and accept it. I just so happen to say it to you now cause I do truly love you, I can wait for you," I say, removing my fingers from his lips, seeing a small smile appear.

His hands fist my hair and pull my lips to his, kissing me desperately hard. He pushes all his emotions into this kiss, bruising my lips instead of bruising his knuckles.

He pulls me on his lap and continues kissing me as tears stream down his face. His left-hand moves down and grabs my ass, keeping my body flush up against his.

Hearing his journey today makes me realise that you never know what's going to happen next. You can only hope for the best but you'll never know if you'll get it until the time comes.

For all I know, this might be the last moment we spent together, so I'm glad I got off my chest how much I've grown to love him.

A/N

So much loss and pain in Theo's childhood 😞

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one as Daisy takes Theo's mind off things...👀❤️💋

Feel free to comment & vote, I really appreciate all the support ❤️

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday! Xx

Stay safe & stay strong!

All the love - M ❤️