The Age of Love (Book #1)

14. What "lies" ahead?

"How about we save this for another occasion? Where you can bombard me with questions, just not tonight."  
He asks in a soft tone, sliding some loosen hairs behind my ear.

I'm a little disappointed but I agree and soon after that I fall asleep.

(...)

Next morning when I wake up, I don't recognize where I am – this bed doesn't feel like mine – I always had trouble sleeping in places where I wasn't used to. That's when my brain connected to my body.

It was his room.

The grey tones of his bedroom remind me of my idiotic plan of coming to see him, I had to stop giving in to impulses.

I turn rapidly to the side trying to find him but there's no one, the bed is empty and the sheets are perfectly tugged in. I feel my heart sink a little with the feeling of loneliness at dawn, this was different, different from waking up in your own bedroom everyday alone. This space last night felt like ours, nor his or just mine, and for some reason his absence was scary. 

I was afraid he'd left. 

But a familiar icy breeze runs over my feet bringing back memories of last night, the AC on, snuggling with him on the couch until 1 am. How was I even up?

I get up quickly wrapping the sheets around me, shielding from the cold. Make my way to the living room and I see him on the couch, his feet barely fitting in – I chuckled – Why did I even expect him to share a bed with me? It's Theo.

I was used to things moving fast and guys not turning down the first chance to sleep together, but not Theodore. The fainty light of day glimmered on his face, he had such a peaceful appearance. I turn my eyes to the city skyline and it was ridiculously beautiful.

I was looking out to a sky of Pretoria I've never seen before.

The sky from the 17th floor was a lovely mixture of pink and the cold morning blue, it had to be around 4 am. I ended up losing count of how many minutes I stood gawking at the sun rise before feeling a pair of arms closing around my body, startling me.

"Good Morning Night Owl." He whispers in a sleepy, sensual voice.

"You scared the hell out of me! Again!" I complain giggling and he laughs, a sleepy laughter.

"Really? Again? I just woke up Mads, how could I've possibly done that?" He is in a good humor for someone who slept less than 4 hours.

"You sleep walked all night Theodore. It's was madness in here last night." I try to sound convincing and Theo's grip around me stiffs as if he's his believing what I just said. I burst laughing.

"You should see your face!"

He lets go of me pretending he's offended. We both get ready - he gets ready - and we head out to the empty streets of Pretoria. It was quiet and peaceful, not a single soul or noise of another motor, besides the silent sound of his Mercedes. We stop at a gas station to get some coffee, the cashier lady seemed to be astonished looking at us, one in a high end suit ready to take off and the other in pajamas.

"Should we buy her coffee?" I joke. 

Theodore shakes his head taking one long sip, finishing the coffee immediately. 

"I forgot my wallet." He says, even though I paid for him this time.

I laugh, unbelievable.

"I'm excited for Shanghai." I comment and his head shift's quickly to my direction with a surprised look on his face.

"You're coming?!"

"Yeah, if you still want me to."

"Of course I do... I just..." Theodore isn't the kind to be loss for words.

"Just what?" 

"I just don't want you jumping off balconies to come see me on the other side of the world. You know how things work with me Madison. If you can't come, you can't and it's still fine." He says in a very serious tone. It annoys me how Theodore always wants to do everything the right way. Sometimes he does feel like my dad.

"I won't, I promise." I lie to him.

"I don't know..." He's so reluctant.

"Ok, how about this, give me a few days of convincing and I'll let you know?"

He ends up agreeing and takes me home, we say goodbye and as soon as I walk out the door, I look around for any known faces. I shamelessly step on my neighbour's window and help myself up, trying as hard as I can not to make noise and kill a 70 year old woman in her sleep.

Luckily everyone is still asleep, I lay on my bed and the familiar room allows me to drift my thoughts... Independence, car, finishing college and a job. Almost forgetting my situation at home with Theodore was too delicate for me to keep doing these things... I sigh. I had no master plan on how to ask them about Shanghai.

What the hell was I going to do?