Most girls would be jealous of Calliope Draycott. She seemingly has it all. The friends, the money, the boyfriend, and in a few years, if all goes to plan, she'll have the job too. So why doesn't she feel happy? It's after a disastrous family dinner...
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When Theo opens the door and he sees the look on my face, his smile drops and he just pulls me into a hug and rubs my back soothingly.
I nuzzle my face into his chest and grip the back of the knitted jumper he's wearing tightly and try to resist the urge to cry. Again.
It's been five days since Isaac said that we should take a break and I've spent all of them crying. Even in my lectures, if there is something mentioned that reminds me of Isaac - and considering all my lectures lately are about corporate law and he just so happens to be a corporate lawyer - I'm crying a lot.
None of the lecturers has said anything to me though. It's a big class, so I doubt they've even noticed.
When Arden found out that Theo had suggested watching Tangled because we didn't get the chance to on Monday, she kicked me out of our house. That might have had more to do with wanting to spend time with Josh without having to listen to my crying or blowing my nose loudly every five minutes.
Now I'm here with Theo though, I finally feel comforted. I love Arden, she's like the sister I never had, but her hugs have nothing on his. All too soon though, he's pulling away from the hug, causing my grip on his jumper to loosen, and he's ushering me inside.
He shepherds me into the living room and he stretches out on the sofa, leaving barely any room for me, but he moves his legs a little bit when I put a hand on my hip as if to say seriously?
He just smiles brightly and reaches over to the coffee table where he has a bowl of popcorn and places it in the small gap between us. Then he says the magic words. 'I ordered a pepperoni pizza, it'll be here soon.'
I smile, and I'm grateful, I am but I know he can't afford this. 'Are you letting me pay when it arrives?'
He shakes his head, 'it's already paid for,' and he looks so proud of himself, and if he were anyone else, I'd shut up and let them pay for the pizza.
But it's him, and I can't help myself.
'Theo, I can't let you pay for this. I appreciate the gesture, I really do, but please let me transfer you the money.'
I hate that I'm even having to ask him if I can, and if I already had his bank details saved, I wouldn't have to, but things can never be as simple as I want them to be, can they?
'No, let me do this for you.'
I shake my head, 'I can't, so either tell me your bank details or I'll ask Josh for them. I'm sure he'll have them.'
I wave my phone in front of his face mockingly, because we both know that in the end, I'm going to get my way.
What I don't expect, is for him to nimbly pluck my phone out of my hands and to quickly put it in his back pocket.
'Theo,' I whine, 'give it back.'
He shakes his head, 'only when you stop this nonsense about paying for the pizza that's already paid for.'
