Just Like the Movies

Chapter Seventeen

"Uh...what...did you just say?" I asked haltingly, wondering if I'd somehow misheard Theo because there was no way he was telling me to spend the night with him.

"That's why I asked you to meet me," he responded, sounding too calm for my liking.

I couldn't help but gape at him. "Huh?"

"You said you were scared last night. I wanted to suggest you stay with me so you wouldn't be too scared to sleep again." He pointed to the far side of the cabin where a ratty old cot I hadn't noticed before was set up. "I'm sleeping there. You can have my bed."

Oh. So that's what he meant.

But it still didn't make sense.

"What about Rowan?" I asked. Where would she sleep? On the air mattress with Theo?

He gave me a questioning look. "I asked her. She said you'd feel more comfortable with me."

"Wait, you guys don't share a room?"

"No. There's only one bed in each cabin," he said. "I asked them to bring the cot over today while we were filming."

I didn't think only having one bed would stop them. Where had Theo and Rowan slept the night I stayed at her apartment? Had they not slept on the couch together? Was there a spare room I hadn't noticed? Why did I care so much?

"Obviously if you're uncomfortable, I'm not forcing you to stay here," Theo continued, his head turning to the side as he adjusted the pillows again, the sharpness of his jawline bared to me. "It's up to you."

I found myself hesitating, even though I really, really should have declined his offer immediately. "You'd be okay with it? If I stayed here?" I asked instead.

"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't. You're injured, too. You need rest. And you'll be safe here, so you don't have to be scared."

I wanted to hide my face in my hands, embarrassment creeping through me as he brought up my being scared again. "I didn't feel unsafe," I muttered, my cheek burning. "These cabins are just a bit creepy."

"Should I have Rowan collect your belongings from your cabin?" he asked, pulling out his phone.

"Okay," I agreed meekly. "Thanks."

Theo focused on his phone for a moment before letting out a short sigh, making me hyper-aware, wondering if I was the cause of his sigh. He walked over to me, tossing his phone on the desk, frowning down at me as he stopped at my feet. "How were you scared of sleeping in your cabin, but not climbing a mountain in the dark to look for me?"

I had to tilt my head all the way back to look up at him. "That's a great question. I guess my concern for you outweighed my fear. You know, if you can believe I feel that way without you owing me anything," I added, still feeling a twinge of insult from earlier.

Theo's expression tightened for a moment, and I now recognized that look of distrust, but I watched as he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, and releasing his tension as he breathed out. "...I'll believe it," he said tersely, avoiding my gaze. Then a second later, softly muttered, "Thank you."

It hit me then. His need to make sure doors were locked, his abstinence from alcohol, his dislike of being in the public eye, his aversion at the thought of someone having feelings for him, his hesitation of revealing where he lived, his lack of trust, and now his resistance to ever having to owe anyone were all connected. It was hard for him to trust that I could be concerned about him without an ulterior motive, just like he hadn't trusted me when I first offered to pretend to be his girlfriend. I wasn't the problem in any of these situations. He'd told me that before, too, when he'd said he could only trust me because he had something over me. That it wasn't me, but him. But I hadn't really understood it until this moment, and instead, had selfishly felt hurt by him.