Accidentally in Love [Brett Hand x OC]

57

What Theodora had been holding in most of the night came out the minute they stepped back into the house.

She beelined to her room and shut the door quickly, leaning against it as tears began to spill out of her eyes. Covering her mouth with her hand, she let out a sob and sank down to hug her knees on the ground.

She buried her head in her knees, crying. Why do I feel like this? She didn't know why the events of her birthday were affecting her this much. She was definitely just being dramatic, and besides, she was drunk so she was 100 times more emotional.

She lifted her head when she heard a soft knock on the door. "Who is it?" She asked as she crawled away from the door.

"Reagan." Came her sister's soft voice, and she was glad it wasn't her dad.

"Come in." Theodora hugged her knees again, this time her back against her bed.

Reagan opened the door and closed it behind her softly. "God, what happened?" She sat down next to Theodora and snaked her arm around her.

"I don't know..." Theodora choked out, avoiding Reagan's eye. "I ended things with Jasper."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I didn't love him anyway." Theodora's whole body was trembling, "That's not what I'm sad about."

"Is it because of dad?" Reagan kept her voice low.

"No." Theo shrugged, "It's Rand, what's new? I expected him to crash tonight anyway."

"True." Reagan sighed, "Then what's really wrong?"

"I'm just upset because Brett wasn't there." Theodora whispered. It was weird to say out loud, she was scared to even feel upset about this.

Reagan was silent, the cogs in her mind were turning. Obviously Theodora would be sad that Brett wasn't there but for her to be upset to this extent? Theo didn't care this much about just anyone. Brett must mean a lot to her, if she was crying over him missing one night, when she literally just saw him yesterday and he already made a big deal out of her birthday to begin with.

"I know I'm just being dramatic," Theodora added quickly, "but I really wanted him there. He's literally one of my closest friends, y'know?"

"True." Reagan nodded slowly, "But is that the only reason that you're upset? Because he's your friend and he wasn't there?"

"Uh... I think so." Theodora looked over to her sister, unsure what she was implying. "Why, what are you saying?" She frowned in thought.

"Theo, I-" Reagan didn't know how to say what she wanted to say. "I think you might have feelings for Brett."

"What?" Theodora exclaimed, "Wh-what?" She got to her feet quickly, leaving Reagan sitting and looking up at her with a half-amused expression. To hear someone else say it was terrifying to her.

"I just mean-"

"No, no no no." Theodora laughed sarcastically, "I don't."

"I mean, you just broke up with your boyfriend and you're only thinking about Brett." Reagan couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Are you laughing?" Theodora snapped, she felt humiliated. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, all you talk about is Brett." Reagan shrugged, "Brett said this, Brett did that, Brett looked at me today, does my hair look alright?"

"What? I am not like that!" She scoffed in return, "What are you even saying? That makes no sense. You are crazy."

Reagan doubled over in laughter, while Theodora kicked her leg in anger. "I-I'm sorry." Reagan giggled, rubbing the spot where Theo had hit her.

"I don't." Theodora reiterated, though she knew it wasn't true. "I just..." She sat down again next to Reagan, "I just feel like maybe he doesn't value me as a friend, as much as I thought he did."

"Hmm."

"I thought he would make more of an effort to come to my birthday and like I get it if he had something on but at least tell me! And I know it really isn't a big deal but it just feels like he doesn't even care about me." Theodora explained, "Like, how would you feel if your closest friend just didn't come to your birthday."

"You know I don't have any friends." Reagan muttered.

"You do." Theo rolled her eyes, "Alright, would you be pissed if I decided not to celebrate your birthday with you?"

"But I would never have a party." Reagan frowned.

"It's hypothetical!" Theodora snapped.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I would be sort of pissed. But not like this. So whatever it is you're feeling, you should think it over, alright?" Reagan put her arm around Theo again.

"I'm just so... confused." She said quietly. Theodora didn't want to say it out loud, but she hoped Reagan got what she was trying to say. She was confused about her feelings for Brett.

Theo knew they were close friends but when she looked at him, her stomach would twist and she found herself laughing a little too loudly at his jokes and always hoping she could spend time with him, no matter how small the interaction was. And she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his arms around her when they hugged and his lips on hers when they kissed, twice. Surely it wasn't a coincidence that they'd kissed twice already, even though it 'meant nothing'.

And what if these feelings for Brett weren't even real? Crushes come and go, surely she had felt these things for other friends? But thinking back, she had never in her life. This was different. With a jolt in her stomach, she realised that she didn't just want Brett to be a friend.

The realisation made her mouth run dry. Is that what this has been the entire time? Theo felt like laughing, the proposition was stupid. It was Brett, for God's sake. She's had plenty of opportunities to be with him and yet she wasn't. Wasn't that a sign? Why had it taken so long for her to come to this realisation?

"Oh my God, Reagan." Theodora groaned, looking over at her sister. "I do. I like Brett."

"Ha! I knew it!" Reagan exclaimed loudly, "Uh, I mean... you should tell him how you feel."

"I'm scared." Theodora said truthfully, tears springing to her eyes again.

"Theodora Ridley, scared?" Reagan chuckled in amusement.

"I'm just confused. I need to think things over." She said.

"Okay. Take your time." Reagan hugged her sister tightly.