The Valentines

XIV

"William!" She snapped. "Give it back!"

"You're not calling Diana and you're not getting out of this. You belong here just as much as I do."

"No, I don't," she insisted. "What part of this don't you get? You two are married which means you two do the couple things. You two go on the dates. Do you really think that Esmé is going to be happy that I'm gate crashing that part of her life? I'm her platonic submissive, William."

"Exactly!" He protested. "That means you do get to do things like this! Esmé won't be mad that you're here, I don't know why you'd think she would be."

"Because I'm intruding where I don't belong!" Theo raised her voice. "I'm not a part of that relationship!" The whole situation was making her tear up and that made her angrier.

"Theo-,"

"Sorry," Esmé opened the car door and slid into the front passenger seat with a sigh. "It wasn't mean to be that long."

Theo watched as Esmé caught sight of William, green eyes scanning him quickly, a question on her lips before she turned to look at Theo and the surprise was evident when she spoke.

"I thought you were with Ada," she said.

"Ada's with Diana," William replied automatically. "Are you mad?" He turned to look at her.

"About?"

"Theo being here? Coming with us?"

"I'd have liked to know beforehand," she admitted. That was enough for Theo, who read her tone of voice as displeasure.

"I told you," she said to William, snatching her phone back and reaching for the door handle. Quick as a flash, William locked the doors. "Are you serious?!" She whirled around on him.

"What is going on?" Esmé's voice hardened, eyes narrowing as she looked between them both. Theo felt a swirling feeling in her gut. This wasn't going to go well for her.

"I want Theo on the date," William announced, eyes staring at his wife, almost daring her to tell him he couldn't have that.

"Does Theo want to be on the date?" She countered and both of them looked at the younger woman.

"How is that relevant?" She replied, not liking being put on the spot. She didn't want to admit that being around both of them made her feel better at the moment. She didn't want to admit that yes, she did want to go on the date and experience what a relationship was supposed to be like.

"Your wants are important," Esmé said. "Do you want to be here?"

"Do you want me here?" Theo countered and she knew it had come out far harsher then she'd meant it to when a guarded look crossed Esmé's face.

"Have I given you any reason to think I don't?" She replied in the same tone Theo had used.

"No," William said calmly. "She's over thinking it. She doesn't think she belongs here."

"I don't," Theo said firmly. "Not like this," she gestured between the three of them.

"Explain that," Esmé demanded.

"Like it's a relationship," she replied. "I'm not in a relationship with you two and I never will be. You're helping me cope with my life, that doesn't mean we're together," she gestured between herself and Esmé.

"You realise we do have a relationship, don't you?" Esmé snapped. Theo went to speak. "No," she held her hand up. "What do you think is happening? That we're creating a bond that's stronger than most people's marriages for the fun of it? With no end goal? With no intention of a relationship?"