You All Over Me [BxB]

Twelve

Stella's confession renders Theodore astonished, his eyes flitting to Jacob and then to his best friend.

He blinks rapidly. "You... you do?"

Stella flashes a mischievous grin. "Yeah! Why not? He's quite the catch, and considering you both run in the same social circles, I bet he's loaded. Plus, he's got that enigmatic, standoffish vibe that makes him intriguing."

Theodore's stomach churns uneasily, his vocabulary abandoning him out of the blue. "Ah, yeah, you might be right..."

It's going to happen, isn't it? He will officially be a third wheel. Or a fourth, with Austin around.

It's not as thrilling as it should be.

Their conversation is interrupted by the server calling out their order number. Stella perks up. "Oh, that's us!"

The server places their trays of steaming ramen bowls on the counter. Stella and Theodore each grab a tray, slowly walking to their table where Jacob and Austin are chatting.

"Shio for me and Jacob..." she hums, handing him his bowl.

"Thanks."

Theodore follows suit, his muscles tense. He eats in silence, relishing the hot soup while Stella and Austin animatedly discuss the earlier lecture.

Turning his attention to Theodore, Austin asks, "What's your take on this, Theo?"

He raises his head. "S-Sorry?"

Austin repeats his question, and Theodore orders all his brain cells to pay attention. He must be really, really tired.

******

Austin excuses himself promptly after lunch, citing some frat-related tasks and a long commute southbound.

With a hurried tone, Theodore chimes in, "I should go too. I've got something to attend to."

Jacob offers to accompany him, but Theodore declines quickly. "No, it's out of the way. Catch you guys tomorrow."

Left alone with Stella, Jacob's eyebrows meet. "What's with him?"

Stella toys with the ends of her hair. "I'm not sure. He's been acting strange since this morning."

"I guess he's drained."

"Could be. When Theo's in the zone, he is in the zone," Stella agrees.

Jacob huffs. "He should slow down."

"I get him. I'm kinda the same. We seek validation in academic achievements," she sighs, then tosses him a crooked smile. "By the way, I spoke highly of you. He'll trust my judgment."

Jacob's cheeks flush with surprise. "Why would you do that?"

Stella grins mischievously. "I think you're a great match for Theo. He's cute, you're hot, and there you have it-a fantastic combo."

He scoffs. "You're fetishizing us, aren't you?"

She scowls. "What a rude accusation! Can't I just ship my bestie with a hot guy?"

As they leave the restaurant and head toward the mall's exit, Stella continues her defense. "I genuinely think you two are perfect for each other."

"You don't even know me."

Stella chuckles warmly. "All I have to do is watch you whenever Theo's around. You're not exactly subtle. He's just a bit of an idiot when it comes to these things so he hasn't noticed. But I do."

Jacob opens his mouth to respond but is left speechless. Stella holds her sincere smile.

"And remember," Stella adds, her tone growing serious, "you were there for him when he was badly beaten up, and you supported him when he faced ridicule for not pursuing Omicron... even when you weren't friends."