Under normal circumstances, Rennie would gladly sit with Brooklyn’s family, but Rennie wasn’t feeling herself. She was worried about Graham and Grady, even though Grady was in the best place he could be at the moment, and she felt a strong disconnect with Theo . . . her thoughts went to him immediately.
“What’s wrong, Ren?”
She shook her head slightly. “I may have forgotten to tell Theo I came here.” Rennie felt about two feet tall. A sense of guilt washed over her. As of late, she was insensitive toward Theo and absentminded when it came to him. “Fu—” She covered her mouth to keep the slur trapped inside.
Brooklyn took Rennie by the arm and pulled her toward the back of the ballroom, through the glass door, and out onto the covered balcony, away from the party. “Spill.”
“I don’t know, B. Things are off between us. It’s like when you’re on the highway, and you see a sign for the town you want to go to, but you stay on until the next exit—I feel like Theo got off on the first exit, and I kept driving. We’re not on the same page for anything, which is stupid because nothing has changed between us, except I haven’t seen him since before he went to Japan.” Rennie sighed heavily. “I just think we are both overworked, and everything will be fine once we go on vacation after Christmas.”
“Isn’t he spending Christmas with you? Honestly, Ren, when you called and said you were coming, I thought something had happened between you because I didn’t expect to see you until Christmas morning. I know it’s only a couple days away, and I love you dearly, but why aren’t you with Theo?”
Rennie stared at her friend, hoping the answer would appear on her face. It didn’t, and Rennie had no idea what to say other than “I don’t know. I need to go call him.”
Back in her room, Rennie threw on her oversize sweatshirt, picked up her phone, and went out to sit on her balcony. She pulled her legs to her chest and dialed Theo’s number. Her call went right to voice mail. She tried again, only to get the same result. By the third call, she opened her mouth to leave a message but thought better of it. They needed to talk. He would see her missed calls and call her back, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Her thoughts drifted over the past month, and she tried to pinpoint when her relationship with Theo slipped. It could’ve been Thanksgiving, when he hadn’t called. Not that she would’ve noticed, because she was busy with Graham and Grady’s situation. It seemed everything was fine before then, but why the change in her? Admittedly, it wasn’t because she had spent an uncomfortable weekend at the hospital with her friend, regardless of their past. Something bugged her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Rennie’s phone rang, and Theo’s face displayed on her phone. She held it in her hand for a moment and looked at him before answering. “Hey,” she said.
“Hi. What’s so urgent?” he asked in a hushed tone.
Rennie paused. No “Hi, love” or “Hello, sweetheart,” and he whispered. Why would he whisper if he was in his apartment?
“Where are you?”
“At home, why?”
“Why are you whispering?” Her tone was accusatory and demanding.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked sweetly. Rennie heard a door click and wondered what was going on. Why was he short with her and speaking in hushed tones?
“Is there someone there with you, Theo?”
“Renee, what is going on?” His demeanor changed to forceful and serious.
“Nothing. It just seems like you’re whispering and being secretive.”
“I’m busy,” he said. “I’m trying to pack for San Diego.”
Rennie’s teeth clamped down on her lower lip as her mind said “Fuck.” She had forgotten about his trip. Even worse, she’d told him she couldn’t go, and yet she’d taken vacation early because her boss had pissed her off. “Oh, right. I forgot about the trip.”
“You forgot I was leaving?”
“No, it slipped my mind. Anyway, I just wanted to talk. I miss you, Theo.”
“I’ll be in Seattle in a few days, and then we’ll be in Canada together.”
“Yeah.”
“What is it?” he asked. She could tell him where she was and have him drive to Cape Harbor, or she could go back to Seattle. The thing was, she had already brought all her Christmas presents with her, along with her work, and she really didn’t feel like being alone. She stood and leaned over the railing. Down below, she spotted a couple of guys milling around on the beach. For a moment, she thought one of them could be Graham coming to hang out with Bowie, but Graham was on his way to Port Angeles to see Grady for family therapy. Why was Graham at the forefront of her thoughts suddenly?