70

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

"Will there be children before or after the wedding?" Anne sipped her tea and eyed us both with a happy smile.

I glanced down at my lap with a laugh, while Theo sighed tiredly, "mum, please, we haven't talked about it yet..."

"When's the wedding, then?" She continued and this time, I held back a laugh at her excited smile, and instead leaned against Theo's side, my arm looping around his.

We had finished the delicious dinner Theo had kindly prepared for us, and now were enjoying a cup of tea each until we'd retire upstairs into the bedrooms.

My belongings were in Theo's bedroom, since he'd insisted on it, while Anne had brought her small suitcase toward a guest room.

"We haven't talked about that either..." Theo told her.

We both knew we wouldn't rush to get married, we were fine just being engaged and, with all the hardships concerning our relationship, taking things day by day. Planning for the future would present multiple challenges and a long conversation about several things.

"I would love a spring wedding," I added with a small smile forwarded to Anne.

"Oh, that'll be lovely! I'm coming dress shopping with you!" She immediately offered, and my smile widened.

"I was thinking it'd be a summer wedding," Theo spoke, and my attention returned to him.

"But spring would be so beautiful!" Anne piped in, breaking our intense eye contact, "think of how stunning Lettie will look!"

A small and fond smile pulled at the sides of his, "she'll look stunning anyway. The season really won't affect it..."

"We can talk about it later, it's so far in the future," I decided to end this diplomatically.

"Why is it so far in the future?" Theo's brows were furrowed once I looked back at him.

"Oh... I just, with how you're now living here..." I explained, "and I'd like to complete my masters first..."

"That's two years, Scarlett," he reminded me, both of us clearly with different views on when we would be married, "I don't want to wait that long."

"It'll be a huge hassle, I'll end up panicking while trying to study," I shook my head gently, "but we'll talk about it later. It's no big deal."

He didn't seem content with my opinion, but let it go for the sake of Anne sitting opposite us, a curious expression painting her features.

"What about kids, though? Boys or girls?" She changed the subject.

"A boy," Theo replied proudly, "he'll learn to kick a ball before he can even walk."

I felt slightly uncomfortable now, even though it was sweet of him to be so excited about a future together. I discreetly brought my arm back to my lap from around his arm, and cleared my throat.

"I'm still very intent on adoption in the future," I told Anne, "the gender doesn't matter, as long as a child is able to get a good home."

I could feel Theo's eyes burning into the side of my face, but decided not to meet his gaze, knowing it would just trouble me more.

When Theo and I had discussed briefly on kids in our futures at my father's, he had told me he wanted a boy. I was slightly disturbed by how controlling he was right now, but understood the reason why.

The psychological effects of us living so far apart for a year, meant that he gained some peace of mind by having that control. It enabled stability for him to be exact on what the future would bring.

"It'll be a boy," Theo assured us, and I held back a sigh. I was understanding of how he was feeling, since I felt it too, but still didn't approve of how he was acting. My coping mechanism wasn't making solid plans or controlling, because it would just cause more chaos.

"We'll see," I sent Anne a small smile, "it's too far ahead to start planning now..."

__

"What the hell was that?" Theo asked me as soon as he'd closed and locked his bedroom door behind us.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, standing with my back to him in front of the large window wall.

On some level, I felt like asking him the same question, but knew I wouldn't. I just wanted everything to be peaceful now that we only had this weekend together.

"Scarlett? Are you listening to me?" I snapped out of my relaxed state when he took ahold of my upper arm and turned me to see him now standing beside me in the dim room, the moonlight from outside granting a dim glow around us.

"Let's get ready for bed, okay?" I gave him a small smile and managed to get his hold to loosen on my arm a little, "do you mind if I take a quick shower?"

I was too tired to start arguing with him.

"I do mind," his dark eyes were hard, but I could see how troubled he was, and it pained me, "why are you so unwilling for us to have a future? Do you not want that?"

"Theo. Calm down—"

"Don't tell me to—"

"Theo," I silenced him, "please. I want a future with you, but we both know planning everything doing perfectly now won't make living apart any easier. When we feel like it's good for us to get married, we will."

"Two years is too long, Scarlett," he shook his head, hand leaving my upper arm completely, "I'm not waiting that long. I don't have to live in England for us to get married and have kids."

"You know you're only planning all this so you'll have something concrete to look forward to with us. Is it because you think you're going to lose me, hm?"

I knew I was on the right track with the way his gaze softened for a moment.

"I want you to be my wife. I want to have kids with you. Is it so wrong of me to want that as soon as bloody possible?" He continued.

I sighed again, hoping he'd be able to psychologically evaluate himself and his actions right now, "no, but you need to take in to consideration what I want as well. You're rushing. I know it's making you feel better to have everything planned out and in control, but we don't work like that. We live in the moment, remember?"

"Scarlett—"

"I've flown out from London to see you. Do you want to spend this weekend bickering?" I raised my brows at him, his stubbornness slightly getting on my exhausted nerves.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated breath.

"I'm going to take a shower now," I told him and kissed his jaw quickly in hopes of getting him to relax. Then, I walked past him and to the en suite.

I hesitated for a moment, before deciding to look the door behind me.

I took a shower, in the process calming myself and giving Theo time to sort his thoughts.

He really couldn't be blamed for anything. I understood exactly how hard this was, but he just dealt with it in a different way; a way which I may not be too comfortable with. I simply didn't want him to be frustrated with me, when I thought realistically about our possible future together.

"Theo, listen..." my voice trailed off when I realised he wasn't in his bedroom once I stepped out of the en suite with a towel wrapped around my body.

"Oh," I breathed out and examined the empty room.

I decided to get in to bed and hope that he'd return from wherever he'd gone before I'd fall asleep.

I changed into the hoodie he'd given me ages ago, and got underneath the duvet on one side of the bed. The pillow had his delicious scent lingering, and I instantly felt like I was home again.

I had grabbed a spare pillow to cuddle as I closed my eyes with my back turned towards the door and the other side of the bed.

Just as I was about to lull off into a deep and needed state of sleep, I heard the door open quietly. It had to have been around ten or fifteen minutes since I'd gotten myself settled under the duvet comfortably.

I heard the door close, and then being locked. The bed dipped beside me as Theo got in underneath the duvet.

My heart rate had accelerated a little, as I realised he was just laying on his back beside me, most likely thinking. I didn't want him to over-think, I knew from personal experience how torturous it was.

"Are you awake?" His voice was low and quiet, as if he was preparing to gain no answer.

"Yes," my eyes were focused on the city of Madrid below us, through the windows.

He shifted behind me, turning onto his side to face my back.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," he murmured genuinely, his hand sliding over to my waist underneath the duvet.

I felt his hot breath fanning along my neck almost pleasurably. I moved to lay on my back with Theo supporting himself up with his elbow as he watched me intensely.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said—"

"It's fine," I told him quietly, "I know what you're going through, just... please, don't deal with it that way, it's not ideal."

"Nothing's ideal about this," a frown covered his gorgeous features.

"Listen, this'll just be for 11 months longer. Then we'll move in together and take showers together..."

My smile seemed to relax him.

"It's so far away. I feel like a complete idiot, but I can't stop feeling like you'll find someone else and I'll be here, unable to do anything about it."

"That won't happen, Theo. I love you. Love doesn't just fade with a little bit of distance," I spoke, "we've done fine until now. Let's continue the same way, alright?"

"Alright," there was doubt in his tone, but still he nodded, "are we okay?"

"Yes, of course we are," a gentle giggle left my lips, and he smiled lightly.

"Good."

"Are you just going to stare at me?" I asked him teasingly, and he chuckled with a shake of his head.

"You didn't come all the way from London to have me stare at you?" He raised his brows at me.

"No," I laughed quietly, our moods now much more relaxed, "that's not what I came here to have you do..."

"Oh, wow," Theo smirked mischievously, and my heart swelled at his better mood, "I'll do anything you want, birdie. All you have to do is name it."

Even his tone aroused me, never mind the way he was watching me.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net