(TORREN) Being with Theo and his family felt surreal.
I was used to them separately by now, but seeing them together in their own home, with all their family dynamics, was not what I’d imagined.
Everyone knew about their family history.
Theo’s mother had passed away when they were kids, a sudden, rare medical condition that had blindsided them.
Since meeting them, I had assumed that was why they were so close.
But introducing his dad into the mix painted a far more complicated picture.
Theo’s father was an intimidating man.
He was shorter than Theo, resembling Henry in build, but that’s where the similarities ended.
He was silent and cold in a way I hadn’t expected after knowing his sons, carrying an air that altered the vibe of the entire house.
He’d arrived that morning for breakfast, and though they all sat together, subtle shifts in their energy were immediate.
The three brothers instinctively drew closer to one another.
Theo took a seat beside his father, physically shielding Lex and Henry.
The usual banter and teasing were replaced with tension.
Theo’s spark dimmed.
Henry’s transformation was even more striking, typically the life of the party, he became quiet and detached.
Watching him jump at his father’s slightest glance was unnerving.
It was so unlike him.
Their relationship with their stepmother was polite, cordial even, but distant.
Even with Remy and my mum present, every interaction felt like a well-rehearsed script, the conversations polished but hollow.
After breakfast, Theo’s father asked to see him in his office.
The door clicked shut, and that was it.
Theo didn’t look at me once before he left.
I’d spent the morning dreading how I would face him after what had happened in the kitchen the night before.
With all the awkwardness, plus the Remy situation, I wasn’t sure how to face him about it.
I wasn’t even sure if it was something we were supposed to talk about or let slide.
But now, my anxiety seemed ridiculous.
Whatever weighed on Theo was far bigger than our unfinished moment.
And classic Theo wasn’t somebody easy to get through to.
Not yet.
Or maybe we didn’t have a connection deep enough yet for me to be getting that interested in his personal affairs.
Maybe he wouldn’t take it lightly, that is, if he was even willing to talk about it to begin with.
Also, I was still dodging my mother and the inevitable ‘What are you doing with your life?’ conversation.
I didn’t want to talk because I had nothing to say about it.
Same old questions, with the same answers.
It had become a boring conversation at this point.
Thankfully, Henry whisked me away to pick up some friends before heading to the marina.
His “friends” turned out to be three girls, gorgeous and barely dressed in bikinis.
By the time Theo showed up an hour later, they were already deep into their first bottle of champagne.
Theo didn’t look like himself when he arrived, tense and serious, his usual effortless charm buried beneath whatever had happened in that office.
His expression hardened further when he noticed the rest of the party.
He poured himself a glass, took a work call, and drifted to the other side of the boat, keeping his distance.
I kept waiting for him to come back, but after an hour, I went looking for him.
He was on the deck, sitting alone, smoking and scrolling through his phone.
“Hey,” I said softly.
He turned, the crease between his brows visible even behind his sunglasses.
“Hey.” These past two days had been a crash course in navigating Theo’s moods.
Before last night, I had only known the teasing, smiling Theo.
I had no idea how to deal with him while he was this serious.
“Still working?” “Not really.” His voice was sharp, clipped.
“Are you okay?” Clearly, being with his dad had soured his mood.
At least that was something I could relate to.
He sighed, dragging on his cigarette.
“Not really.
I shouldn’t have come out today.
Don’t think I’ll be much fun.” “Did you fight with your dad?” Theo shrugged.
“Not a fight, exactly.
More of a…difference of opinion.
He’s supposed to be retired, but he keeps showing up.
It’s like a catchy song you can’t get out of your head.” “So, yes,” I said.
He chuckled, a small but welcome break in his bad mood.
“It’s hard enough being my age and running a multimillion-dollar company.
Being treated like a child on top of that?
It’s infuriating.” I couldn’t imagine that kind of pressure, so I said the only thing I could think of.
“If there’s nothing you can do about it right now, why not let it go for a little while?
Maybe try to have a good time?” The corners of his lips lifted, just barely.
“Are you offering to show me a good time?” he asked, his voice warming slightly.
Much better.
“I think Henry’s got that covered.
They’re already drunk,” I pointed out, nodding toward the others.
He laughed, a softer sound this time, and reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine and resting it in his lap.
“I’m fairly certain you’d make me feel better than my brother could,” he said with a smirk.
I scrunched my nose.
“That sounded terrible,” I teased, and his laugh came louder, freer.
“Are you going to come over?” “Yeah.” His smile widened, but before he could move, Henry’s booming voice cut through the moment.
“Why the fuck are you holed up here?” Henry called out, a bottle dangling from his hand.
I pulled my hand away instinctively, guilt searing through me.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
Theo’s expression shifted in an instant.
His jaw tightened, his smile disappeared, and he stared at his now-empty hand, frowning.
“I’m going inside.
I have a headache,” he said abruptly, standing and walking away before I could stop him.
“Shit,” I whispered under my breath, watching him go.
Once again, I’d managed to piss him off.