Song of the chapter: Movement by Hozier (a new favourite of mine thanks to Virgin River)

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With our misunderstandings and an abundance of food and wine diminished, we had now moved on to lighter discussions. Except Theo didn't seem to be so comfortable doing so, for different reasons this time.

"Okay, my ass is officially hurting from sitting on these stools for this long. Do you mind if we move this to the couch before we start on the fortune cookies?" he asks, wiggling around on his stool like an antsy child in what is presumably an attempt to shake out the discomfort.

"That's fine." I answer, before we both lift ourselves from the stools to make our way to the couch.

Me and the fortune cookies are making ourselves comfortable in the corner piece of the lounge when Theo, who was right beside me, abruptly turns back to the kitchen. When he returns, I discover the wine bottle and glasses now resting on the coffee table to be what he had gone back for.

Noticing me eyeing the wine, Theo lifts the bottle and my glass in offer to me. I accept, subject to it being a small glass since I still have to drive home and know my own limits. But Theo, who has a very short trip to his bed tonight, goes ahead and pours himself a significantly fuller glass.  Regardless of the differing levels of wine consumed by either of us, we are both clearly feeling a bit— how do I best put it— more loose? We're not drunk but our inhibitions are lowered as we continue asking one another random questions, erupting into hysterical laughter at the most absurd of things.

"He could have fit on the door! He could have survived as well!" I argue passionately, not giving up on my cause as our next random discussion point gets more in depth.

"Maybe, there is a chance he could have. But, then the door probably would have gone under the water more because of the added weight, bringing them down with it into and consequently freezing them both to death eventually. It was the most practical solution. If you're looking for Leo and his love to die then you were watching the wrong movie, that's Romeo and Juliet." he tries to explain in his know-it-all tone.

"Okay Einstein. But, maybe they could have taken turns putting pressure on the door and going in the water?" I suggest, for which I earn an amused eye roll.

"The hypothermia would surely kick in too quickly. They wouldn't have enough time to warm up their bodies between the change overs. If they had known they'd be rescued not long after, then sure, they could have tried that. But they didn't." he rationalises. There's something about how serious he gets talking about this which amuses me. I never expected Theo to be such an expert when it comes to Titanic.

"Fine. You can have this one." I yield.

"Victory has never tasted so good." he gloats with a clap of his hands as he takes another sip of his wine, whilst my own glass rests on the coffee table to control myself.

"Okay, last one because I want to get to those bloody fortune cookies. It's a serious one so geet ready." Theo begins, hands flat against his thighs and leaning forward with feigned intensity. "Do you pour the cereal or the milk in first?"

"Um, what else would one do other than put the cereal first?" I question, not accepting any other possible option. "You don't want the cereal to be too soggy or dry."

"Phew!" he exclaims, wiping his hand across his forehead. "I was worried after that whole not having had sushi reveal and then the Titanic thing that you'd say something else absurd like milk first, and I wasn't sure if I could take any more blasphemy."

"You're an idiot." I tell him, which is received with a wide boyish grin. I already know that in our short time of knowing one another that Theo has established an enjoyment in stirring the pot when it comes to me, his teasing and smart mouthed comments endless yet always accompanied with his contagious grin.

"Nothing new. Now hurry up and pass over a fortune cookie, will you." he orders, nudging his head to the packet which rests in my lap.

I open up the packet and throw him over one while I take one for myself. While I am still struggling to crack open mine, Theo has already opened his own with one hand while his wine glass still rests in his other.

"'Congratulations! You are on your way.' Now what in the world does that tell me? On my way to what?" he asks incredulously, as though he was expecting some genuinely life changing advice to come from the fortune cookie. "I want another one." he says, extending his hand out to grab another fortune cookie with it being promptly slapped away by myself.

"That's not how it works. That's the fortune you're stuck with." I chastise him. "Now would be the time for me to read mine but I can't crack the freaking fortune cookie."

"Here, let me try." he offers, outstretching his hand again but for my own cookie this time. He begins cracking the cookie as he scoots closer to me, opening it up in my view. "'If your desires are not extravagant, they shall be granted.' Now, what exactly are these desires of yours, Ms. Adams?" he asks, the corners of his mouth lifting with amusement as I can only imagine how he might be interpreting the fortune in his slightly tipsy and increasingly cocky state. I don't tell him that right now, with his face so close to me as we sit side by side, the only thing I'm desiring is that we're back in my cramped kitchen with his body between his legs and it is something I've been trying to distract myself from ever since with my mission to reconcile with him.

"Oh, you know, win a million dollars and all. Nothing big." I sheepishly answer, turning my attention away from him to the cookie I grab out of his hand for myself so I just don't have to look back into those darkening eyes of his.

"Oh yeah?" he questions, his smirk from the corner of my eye as I fixate on the cookie firmly in my grip. He's found his next victim in a visibly abash me and now smug Theo is out to play.

I don't respond and the silence that follows from Theo too worries me enough that I lift my eyes back up to him only to find him watching me intently, biting down on his bottom lip as he squints his eyes with concentration. Suddenly, he is moving closer to me and I don't have enough time to process before his body is hovering above my own which has fallen back onto the couch cushions , face mere inches away from mine as he watches me with such a deep fixation. Finally, his head finds its stopping point beside my own while he holds his body up with his right arm positioned by my side on the couch. I wait for what I assume will be the contact of his lips returned to the irresistible spot he effortlessly finds on my neck. However, it is only once his head has moved back into my sight that the lack of presence of his lips on my skin confirms that he was indeed placing his wine glass on the side table that sits beside the couch behind my head, which I confirm by briefly looking over my shoulder.

"Yep." I barely utter, my throat drying in seconds as his eyes find themselves looking down at my lips. I know that despite what my mouth is saying, my actions just then revealed all too well what I was actually feeling. It's deja vu and I find myself experiencing all the same things that I had felt today in my kitchen before our tension had collided.

"Nothing else?" he asks, inching closer to me as he whispers the words into my ear. "No desire to be back in your kitchen with your hands tangled up in my hair and my lips resting right here?" he persists as he softly presses his lips to my neck like I had hoped he would only seconds ago.

"Moving from spot ... to spot ... until you are pulling at my hair." he continues, taking a break between words so that he can do exactly as he is describing, with the only difference from his recollection of events being that now my hands grip the fabric of the couch while his lips work their magic.

Leaving the wet touch of his lips and tongue to cool the skin he had imprinted upon, Theo lifts his head from my neck to gauge my reaction. However, I can't find the words to express what I'm feeling or what I want so I instead use my actions. Just like he recalled, I wrap my fingers through the threads of his hair as I tug his head forward, letting our lips chaotically collide. As his hands balance themselves between holding his body up above me and rushing over every surface of my body, my own tug at his dark brown locks as the outlet to my body reacting to his touch.

I'm grateful for that glass or two of wine in this moment because I wonder if it is the last small push that I needed to get over the line and gain the confidence, or willingness, to proceed with whatever is happening right now. Perhaps this is the case with Theo too, though I doubt it because I have met few with the level of self-esteem that he possesses. Regardless, I eagerly accept my new found confidence as I reap the rewards, with each touch of my body by Theo quaking my every fibre.

These tingles reach a new level as one of his hands finds itself creeping under the fold of my sweater, smoothly gliding over my skin as the garment is moved up. I would ordinarily feel insecure right now as the soft surface of my stomach is exposed, with the surface of it being better described as doughy rather than firm, but right now I'm too focused on how Theo is making my body feel. My lower lip is caught in the grip of his teeth as he lightly tugs at it before it is completely abandoned so that his lips can make their return to my jawline. Theo peppers my jawline with kiss after kiss, moving downwards to return to my neck and finally arriving just below my collarbone where he sucks at my skin.

My right leg is wrapped around his body as I pull his body closer to mine from where it hovers above me, my instinctual reaction to the shivers he is sending down my spine with each actions he performs with those devilish lips. I pull at the hem of his hoodie, with him tearing his lips away from me so that he can lift his body up and provide me full access to lift the hoodie. And so I do, pulling it up his torso and over his head. A short-sleeve black t-shirt remains, the sleeves short and shifting upwards so that the muscles of his upper arms are on full display as he grips tightly onto the fabric of the couch cushion once his hands are firmly planted down on either side of me again.

Lowering his body so that his face is level with mine again, I begin to move forward so that our lips may intertwine once again but he has another idea. He moves in the opposite direction, beginning his trip down my neck again but this time continuing so that he is making his way down my torso, his lips rejoining with my skin as they meet the exposed skin of my stomach where my sweater had once covered. With one hand moving up to grip the side of my chest where the lace of my bra lays waiting for him to glide his fingers over, his lips take in the skin awaiting underneath my bra forcing my hands to tightly grip the fabric of the couch now too as those tingles return throughout my body. 

The only thing that can tear my attention away from the way he is making my body feel at this moment is when I hear the ring of my phone. But it's still not enough. I don't even bother to glance towards where I had placed it on the coffee table as I am too busy being enthralled by the wave in which his hands and his mouth are moving chaotically in sync with one another over my body.

With his mouth moving lower and lower down my stomach, his fingers are delicately creeping towards the button of my jeans. That is, until the chime of my phone as it begins to ring once again disrupts us less than a minute after the first time. Not being able to ignore my phone ringing twice in such a short period of time, even if I have Theo's head hovering above my waist looking up at me with a devilish smirk and eyes reeking of mischief, I begrudgingly tear my gaze away from Theo so that I can look to the side and see whose name awaits on the screen. From what I can see, Jess' name and my goofiest picture of her flash across my lock screen.

I look to him and we can both see in one another's expressions exactly what is about to happen.

"You need to answer it, don't you?" he asks calmly, though the disappointment in knowing exactly what my answer will be is clear across his face.

I can't bear to say the words, both out of guilt to him and honestly myself, so I instead opt to nod. Theo sighs, lowering his head onto my stomach in disappointment before pushing himself up with his hands on either side of my body until he is sitting on the couch and leaning over to grab my phone for me. However, by the time he passes it over to me my phone has already stopped ringing.

I am preparing to immediately call Jess back when a message notification comes across my screen.

Jess: You forgot something. Come home when you can ... preferably soon. Don't worry, no one's dying.

Whilst I am relieved that there is presumably nothing too serious awaiting me, I know that if Jess is the one asking for me to come home then I should really do so. She knows that I am at Theo's and wouldn't interrupt if she didn't think it was vital I do so.

"I should probably get going. Jess needs me." I explain, turning to look at Theo who is still waiting patiently next to me.

He nods, the awkwardness of the situation settling in as our adrenaline highs sink quickly.

"That's okay." he says, running his hand through his dishevelled hair as I lift myself off of the couch.

I'm reminded of my significantly exposed torso when my top slightly shifts as I stand, promptly pulling it back down as soon as I can. As I collect my handbag from where it sits on the kitchen bench, Theo joins to walk me out. Once we reach his apartment door I turn back to say a proper goodbye.

"Goodnight." I simply say, not knowing what else to say after what just happened on his couch.

"Goodnight Ella." he replies, leaning against the doorframe and looking down at me.

With nothing more to say, since I'm not going to say Hey thanks for making out with me again, I begin to turn away from Theo.

"Wait!" he exclaims, grabbing onto my arm and pulling me back. My body is turned back at him as his touch lingers on my skin. "Thanks for coming here and clearing things up. You were the bigger person and I know I can be stubborn sometimes. I enjoyed tonight. All of it." he adds, his mischievous grin coming out to play as he says those last words.

I feel the tension in my shoulders lessen as I relieve myself of the breath that had been building up inside of me. Thankfully he took the initiative to acknowledge what just happened so that I don't have to.

"I enjoyed it too." I confirm. "I'll see you around Harrington." I tell him, enjoying the chance to finally use his own words on him.

Chuckling, he responds back, "See you around Adams."

He lets go of the arm he was still very much holding onto as I begin my walk to the elevator. When I reach the elevator doors I turn around and sure enough Theo is still waiting by his door watching me leave with his boyish grin remaining on his face. As the doors close and my view of Theo is eliminated bit by bit, until he is completely out of view, the events of tonight begin flooding my mind like a high tide rolling in.

I wish I could say that at any point of my trip home what the hell have I forgotten was all that was running through my mind , because it should've been if it had Jess calling and messaging me while I was at Theo's. And I should be more frustrated that Jess hasn't answered my calls or messages since, but instead my mind is preoccupied by all those moments that had collectively fabricated what could only be described as an unforgettable evening. I am distracted by the thought of Theo's lips all over my skin or the sight of Theo's head as it moved further and further down my body and what could have happened if we weren't interrupted.

The whole car ride home it is what invades my mind, and it continues to do so as I walk through my apartment building. As I take the last few steps towards my apartment door, I wonder how Theo and I can go so drastically from one thing to another— from a great day out, to kissing passionately in the kitchen, to fighting, to apologising, to laughing, and finally to making out on his couch. I almost have whiplash from how rapidly we have gone from one stage to another, like a rollercoaster going from each dip to each upturn. Except by this point, there was no fear of what the next drop could be like— only adrenaline and curiosity and excitement. It had been a while since my mind, and body more importantly, had experienced this but god it was intoxicating. I had well and truly self-diagnosed myself with an addiction tonight and my drug was definitely Theo Harrington.

I unlock the door, hoping to clarify everything with Jess before heading for a shower and to bed. Opening up the door and walking in, I take a second to take off my coat and put down my things since Jess must just be waiting for me in her room.

"And where have you been young lady?"

I jump on the spot as a body lifts itself up from where it was laid across the couch, out of my sight.

"Crap, you scared me!" I exclaim as Lexi of all people emerges from under a blanket.

Wait, Lexi? What is she doing here?

"I scared you? You're the one staying out late and not responding after we made plans." she tells me with her hands resting on her hips as she jokingly makes her attempt at playing the concerned guardian.

Damn, Lexi! That's what I forgot! Jess' desperation for my return is much clearer now as I notice Jess' head eagerly appear from the kitchen. I was supposed to go out for dinner with Lexi tonight and finally catch up to talk after making plans to do so on my birthday.

"Crap. I completely forgot. I'm sorry Lex." I apologise. I've never stood anyone up and I hate the feeling, even if it is the repeatedly tardy Lexi who is the victim.

"I forgive you, mostly because I'm always late so it'll make me feel better." she jokes. "Anyways, we can just go out to eat tomorrow."

"Okay great. I'm so sorry, again." I repeat. "Why didn't you call or something?" I ask, sitting on the edge of the couch as her legs remain outstretched on what will be her bed for the night. 

"Well, Jess said you wouldn't be long so I thought I'd just wait. Then I kind of fell asleep. I guess that worked out well though since you were gone a while." she says. At the mention of my extended outing, Jess' mischievous grin appears from where she stands in the kitchen. I bite my tongue as I find myself tempted by the amusement that is witnessing Jess trying to keep her mouth shut.

Suddenly squinting her eyes and tilting her head as she observes me and my interactions with Jess, Lexi says, "It is rather late for you to be out. And you seem different, kind of giddy.