For a moment, neither of us says anything. The porch is silent except for the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze and the distant sound of a car passing on the street.

Theo finally breaks the silence. “So, what happens after all this? After tomorrow?”

I don’t answer right away. Because the truth is, I don’t know. The idea of finally being free of Aubrey, of winning, should be reassuring. But it’s also terrifying.

“I guess I’ll figure it out one step at a time,” I say finally.

Theo is silent for a moment, then he nods. “Yeah. That makes sense.” He glances down at me, his voice quieter. “Just…you don’t have to figure it out alone.”

The words settle over me, warm and certain. I tilt my head up, meeting his gaze, and for a second, I forget how to breathe. There’s a look there—an undercurrent just beneath the surface. A feeling that makes my pulse quicken and my stomach flutter.

I swallow. “Thanks, Hot Shot.”

His lips twitch like he wants to say more, but instead, he just smiles, shifting slightly so he can press a kiss to my forehead. It’s soft, lingering—just long enough to make my heart stumble over itself.

The weight of tomorrow presses down on us, heavy and suffocating. But right now, at this moment, it’s just the two of us. The whisper of the wind, the distant murmur of voices inside the house, and the quiet, steady rhythm of our breathing.

Theo’s still watching me, eyes unreadable in the dim light. Then, without a word, he reaches for my hand, threading his fingers through mine as he tugs me forward.

I don’t ask where we’re going. I don’t need to.

We step into the shadows, moving just far enough from the house to be out of sight but not so far that we lose the hum of activity behind us. Theo takes the blanket we were cuddled under earlier and spreads it out over the ground, the moonlight casts silver streaks across the fabric.

Theo turns to me, his grip tightening around my wrist. His voice is low and rough. “Lie down.”

A shiver runs through me, heat curling in my stomach. I do as he says, my pulse hammering as I settle back onto the blanket. The grass beneath the fabric is cool against my overheated skin, but all I can focus on is him.

The world fades to nothing but him.

Theo’s hands skim my sides, slow and deliberate, as he settles his weight over me, his thighs bracketing mine. The heat of his body presses into every inch of me, grounding me, trapping me beneath him in the best way.