Chapter 6

Theo

Waking up is a slow process, but the first thing I notice is the weight pressing against me. Warm, soft, and familiar.

Erica.

The night before rushes back to me. We'd been on the phone, just talking, as we'd taken to doing often in the last few days. I was finishing up a night shift and when Erica cracked a joke about me coming to her bed, I couldn't resist. It's a risk to be here. Joy could notice I wasn't home. But everything about Erica feels like a risk and every step I take with her feels more than worth it.

Erica lies there, peaceful, like she belongs here. My arm's draped over her, holding her close like I could shield her from the world. But the weight pressing down on my chest says otherwise. I can't protect her from what's coming—not from the mess we've made. I stare at the ceiling, knowing this moment between us is fragile, temporary, and bound to break as soon as the real world catches up.

I glance over at her. Her hair spilling across the pillow, and the soft light filtering through the curtains makes her look...angelic. Like none of the guilt and confusion I'm drowning in touches her.

But I know better. It's a topic we avoid, but the more time I spend with her, the more I know there's no way I can do without her. Which means that at some point, Joy has to know.

As if the universe is determined to fuck me over, Erica's phone buzzes, breaking the silence. She moans softly before rolling off of me with a sleepy stretch. The moment she grabs her phone she freezes and I don't have to guess who it is.

Erica stares at the screen like it's going to explode. I watch her fingers hover for a second before she silences the call and leans back against me, a frown marring her beautiful features.

"Everything okay?" My voice is rough, low from sleep, but I can't hide the concern there.

She gives me a small, forced smile. "Yeah. It was Joy."

I feel something twist inside me—something heavy and wrong. Joy, my daughter. Erica's best friend. And here we are, lying to her, sneaking around behind her back. It doesn't sit right with me. None of this does.

I let out a long breath and drag my hand over my face. "We should talk about this, Erica. About… what we're doing."

The words feel heavy, like they're dragging both of us down. But we can't keep pretending this won't blow up in our faces. Sooner or later, it'll catch up to us, and I'm not sure how either of us is ready to deal with the fallout.

"I know." She sits up, leaning against the headboard, now avoiding my gaze. "But what are we supposed to do, Theo? Joy's my oldest friend. You're her father. If she finds out…"

What I should say is that we need to tell her. What I should do is push the issue, considering I brought it up. But the look on her face enrages every bit of protectiveness in me. I don't care what I have to face. Erica should never look like that when I have something to do with it. So I open my mouth and blurt out.

"Never mind. She doesn't have to find out," I say, my voice firmer than I expected. I reach out, placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to ground her, ground us. "Not yet, at least. It's only a little bit anyway. We need more time with just us, figuring us out first."

Erica finally looks at me, her eyes searching mine like she's looking for some kind of reassurance. "And what happens when she does? Because she will, Theo. You know she will."

I don't answer right away. Instead, I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead, letting myself feel the weight of her. I want to stay in this moment, pretend we can keep doing this forever.

"I don't know," I admit quietly. "I just…I don't want to lose this. Lose you."

She leans into me, her head resting against my chest, and I feel her breath catch, just like mine. Neither of us wants to give this up. But I know what she's saying is right. This thing between us, it'll hurt Joy, and the thought of that guts me.

"I don't want to lose this either," she whispers, her words muffled against my chest, "but we can't keep pretending it won't hurt Joy. It will."

We sit there in silence, clinging to each other like it'll make the answers come, but it doesn't. We're stuck in this mess, and no matter how hard we try to ignore it, there's no easy way out.