𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝

Chapter 18- Lydia

Theo💋❤️: Lyd... did you jet there safelky?
                                                                                                                       1:30 AM
Theo💋❤️: are you ok?
                                                                                                                       1:45 AM
Theo💋❤️: Can you answert me as soon as you wakek up?
                                                                                                                       1:59 AM
Theo💋❤️: Im sosorry about last night.
                                                                                                                       2:55 AM
Theo💋❤️: I know i funked up
                                                                                                                        3:00 AM

Theo💋❤️: Can't sleep.
                                                                                                                        5:05 AM
Theo💋❤️: the place's so shitty and empty without you.
                                                                                                                        5:05 AM

This message was deleted.

                                                                                                                        6:02 AM

On a normal day, Theo would never type a single letter incorrectly. Now seeing the amount of spelling errors in his texts proves just how wasted he was when he sent them, to the point I can hear the slur in his voice from the texts.

The sheer volume of the texts is a jarring contrast to Theo's usual control. Each typo, each repeated "I'm sorry" screams of his worry and desperation more than intoxication. This isn't just drunken regret– it's raw, unfiltered panic. It's a different kind of vulnerability that tugs at a corner of my heart I thought I'd sealed shut yesterday. I force myself to look away from the screen, the image of his remorseful face flashing unbidden in my mind.

The last message that he deleted was sent by sunrise, which indicates that he didn't sleep all night.

"Bro was typing with tears in his eyes." Celine grins.

Of course, Celine would find this funny, she eats boys' hearts and drinks their tears for lunch.

"Ugh, don't make me feel bad," I mumble.

"Bad? Liddy, you didn't do anything wrong, he used you. Let your absence be your revenge."

I sigh, nodding. "Alright."

The midday sun beats down on the windshield, blurring the chrome and glass facade of Theo's hotel into a shimmering mirage. Celine fidgets in the driver's seat next to me, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. It's been nearly an hour since we pulled up in Dahlia's generously loaned car, the silence broken only by the rhythmic hum of the air conditioning and the occasional honk from impatient drivers on the street below.

Anxiety gnaws at me. Leaving everything I built with Theo behind feels like ripping off a bandage, knowing the wound will be raw and exposed. The truth is, I don't wanna leave, I love this place, I love Theo's company, but he doesn't love mine. And the thought of staying any longer, of pretending like everything is normal, is suffocating and embarrassing.