Before December

Chapter 16: Who's fighting?

Theo POV:

I checked the time again.

12:57.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I picked up my pace, annoyed at myself for even looking. Lydia would be fine. She was going to an art gallery, not trekking through the wilderness. Sebastian worked there and seemed more than happy to play tour guide for the afternoon. Mum had made me promise to keep an eye on her. That was all.

"You're late."

I looked up to find Sean waiting outside the old warehouse, arms folded across his chest. "By about thirty seconds."

"Still late."

I pushed past him. "Who's fighting?"

The grin that appeared on his face immediately made me suspicious. I stopped walking. "No."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"That face says enough."

Sean laughed and opened the door wider. "Come on. You knew why I called."

"You said you needed me."

"I do."

"For what?"

His grin widened. "For this."

I swore under my breath. I should have known.

Inside, the warehouse was already heaving. Voices ricocheted off the exposed brick and steel beams while people crowded around the makeshift fighting area, shouting predictions over one another as folded notes changed hands.

I looked at Sean. "You owe me."

"Yeah. Yeah."

"This better be quick. I've got somewhere to be."

Sean glanced at his watch before looking back at me. "Since when do you have somewhere to be?"

I immediately regretted saying it. "Just get on with it."

He stared at me for a second before a knowing smile spread across his face. “You really do have somewhere to be, don't you."

“I told her I’d meet her.”

Sean paused. “Her?”

I realised what I’d said a second too late. “Lydia.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Wild?”

“Don’t.”

Sean’s grin slowly widened. “Interesting.”

“There’s nothing interesting about it.”

“Isn’t she at the gallery with Sebastian?”

I gave him a warning look. “Shut up, Sean.”

“You told me a few days ago you hated her.”

“I still find her incredibly irritating.”

“Didn’t look like you hated her when you kissed her last night.”

“It was a dare.”

“Right.”

“It was.”

“And now you’re rushing off because you told her you’d meet her.”

“I’m taking her home. That’s all.”

"Sure it is."

I shook my head and pulled off my hoodie, tossing it towards him. "You're imagining things."

"Am I?"

“Yes. Mum made me bring her. I’m just taking her home.”

Sean gave me a look that said he didn't believe a word of it.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you think you know something.”

His grin returned. “Maybe I do.”

“You don’t.”

Lydia was irritating. That part was true. She talked too much. Questioned everything. Never knew when to leave something alone. She'd been in England less than a week and had already managed to walk into my room, steal my towel, get involved in arguments that had nothing to do with her and annoy the hell out of me. Then there was the way she looked at me when she was angry, eyes narrowed like she was plotting my murder while her cheeks turned pink. It shouldn't have entertained me as much as it did.

"Earth to Theo."

I looked at Sean. "What?"

"Your fight."

"Yeah. I know."

"Try actually paying attention."

I rolled my shoulders and stepped forward. Usually, this was easy. Not the fight itself. The switch. The second it started, the noise around me blurred into something distant and everything else disappeared with it. Anger, Jake, whatever crap was going on at home—it all faded beneath instinct and movement. Today was different. Apparently my brain had decided to replay every irritating thing Lydia Wild had said since breakfast.

Preferably iced, preferably large, and preferably sometime before I die.

I could still picture her expression when I'd told her what I drank. Like ordering an Americano was some kind of character flaw. Then, for no useful reason, my brain supplied last night too.

The kiss.

I hadn't expected it to make me feel the way it did. I'd thought about it more times than I cared to admit.

I almost smiled.

I shut that down immediately.

The next thing I knew, I stumbled sideways and heard Sean shouting something from behind me. I shook my head and refocused.

Unfortunately for me, she was difficult to ignore. I wasn’t sure why that annoyed me as much as it did.

I blocked another hit and moved forward.

This was ridiculous. She was probably at the gallery by now. Looking at paintings. Talking to Sebastian.

Not my problem.

I landed a hit harder than I needed to. Sean yelled something from the side. I ignored him.

Sebastian could show her every painting in the building for all I cared. He could explain brushstrokes, talk about dead artists and stand there with that stupid polite expression for the entire afternoon.

Fine by me.

Completely fine.

After that, the rest blurred past. By the time it was over, my lip stung and my jaw ached, but I'd had worse. Sean walked over and tossed me a towel.

"You were terrible."

"I won."

"Still terrible."

I wiped my face and checked my phone.

2:06.

"Shit."

I shoved the towel at his chest and grabbed my hoodie.

Sean followed me towards the exit. “You really don’t like that Sebastian guy, do you?”

"I never said that."

"You didn't need to."

"What's that supposed to mean? He's fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes, fine."

He laughed. “Go on, then. Wouldn’t want to keep your art gallery waiting.”

“It’s not my art gallery.”

“Obviously.”

I left before he could say anything else.

By the time I reached the Mercer Gallery, I was seriously regretting not cleaning myself up properly first. The woman behind reception looked alarmed the second I walked through the door.

“I’m fine,” I said before she could ask.

She continued staring. Brilliant. I shoved my hands into my pockets and scanned the room. Then I heard Lydia laugh. I turned towards the sound. There she was. Standing beside Sebastian, her arms folded loosely while she stared at a painting, and Sebastian was leaning slightly towards her as he said something that made her laugh again.

I frowned.

Sebastian was still talking. Still standing too close. Probably not actually too close. Whatever.

Lydia turned and spotted me. Her smile disappeared instantly. Her eyes widened. “Theo?”

Sebastian followed her gaze. I ignored him.

Lydia hurried towards me. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “That doesn’t look like nothing.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

I wiped at my lip with the back of my hand. “Hardly.”

She stared at me like I’d lost my mind.

Then Sebastian appeared beside her. “You alright, mate?”

I looked at him.

Perfect hair. Easy smile. Not a mark on him.

“Fine.”

Lydia folded her arms. “Where were you?”

“Had something to do.”

“Clearly.”

Her eyes moved over my face again. The annoyance in her face softened into something I didn’t particularly want to examine, and I looked away first, then glanced towards Sebastian.

“Enjoy the tour?”

Lydia blinked. “What?”

“The gallery.”

“You turn up twenty minutes late looking like you’ve been in a fight and you’re asking if I enjoyed the gallery?”

“Just wondered.”

Her eyes narrowed. Sebastian looked between us like he was trying not to smile. That irritated me too.

“Yeah,” Lydia said eventually. “I did. Sebastian knows a lot.”

“Does he?”

Sebastian smiled. “Occupational hazard.”

I forced something resembling a smile back.

Lydia looked between us. “You’re being weird.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m really not.”

Sebastian chuckled.

I looked at him. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Something about his expression made me want to leave immediately.

Lydia stepped closer and studied my face again. “You seriously need to tell me what happened.”

“I don't.”

“Why not?”

“Because it's none of your business.”

“Theo—”

“Can we just go?”

She stared at me for another second before shaking her head. “Fine.”

Sebastian smiled at her. “I’ll see you around, Lydia.”

“Definitely. Thanks for the tour.”

“Anytime.”

Anytime.

Brilliant.

I turned towards the exit before I said something stupid. Lydia hurried after me. The second we stepped outside, she caught up beside me.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re suddenly in such a bad mood?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m fine, Wild.”

“You’re bleeding, you’re acting like an asshole, and you still won’t tell me where you’ve been. So forgive me if I don’t believe you’re fine.”

“Believe what you want.”

“You also said you’d be back in an hour.”

I checked the time. “Barely late.”

“You’re twenty minutes late.”

“Details.”

She muttered something under her breath as she followed me down the street. I glanced back through the glass doors. Sebastian was still inside. Still looking in our direction.

“What?” Lydia asked.

I turned away. “Nothing.”

She followed my glance through the doors, then looked back at me. “You really don’t like him, do you?”

“He annoys me.”

Lydia looked at me. “You barely spoke to him.”

“I know him.”

“From where?”

“School.”

“You’re friends?”

“No.”

“Then what’s your problem with him?”

“He annoys me.”

She stared at me. “That is not an explanation.”

“Wasn’t meant to be.”

Lydia stared at me before shaking her head. “You are so weird.”

“And yet you’re still following me.”

“You’re my ride home.”

“Exactly.”

“Idiot.”

I kept walking.

A few seconds later, I heard her footsteps behind me again. I told myself the irritation sitting in my chest had nothing to do with Sebastian. It was probably the split lip.

Definitely the split lip.