My next door neighbour | Updated | ✓

24. Tension

I knock on his door but there's no answer so I enter it and he's not there. I try the study room and find him in there, pen flying off the paper. He doesn't stop what he's doing or acknowledges me.

"Theo," I say quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

Without looking at me he replies. "Hmm?"

"Can we talk?"

Theo stops writing then sighs and looks at me. "Go on."

"Look, I understand what Callum did was so wrong and I also understand why you were so mad at him and why you did what you did to him. But I don't understand why after you hit him when I was there. You went out of your way to hit him more."

"Savannah we've literally been through this so many times, he deserved it. Just leave it at that because I can't be bothered going in circles with you." He goes back to writing his work.

I'm going nowhere with this. I'm going to try a different approach. I walk up to him and remove his pen out of his hand and move his work further up the desk. Then I sit on his desk in front of him with one on my foot in between his legs. "You need to stop ignoring me and just listen." Theo's facial expression shows a bit of amazement along with admiration.

He swallows. "I can't ignore you no matter how much I try."

"So tell me how did you do it? How did you realise that I needed help?"

"Well on Saturday when I told you to lay with me you rejected me, you said that you were going to pick up some things from the shops but you didn't take your bag or car. I put it behind my head because I was like 'oh she might have money in her pockets.'"

"Yeah." I nod understandingly.

"But when you came home, you were too quiet and crying... but then you started to ask about Katie so I thought that was the thing that bothered you." He touches the rim of my skirt gently brushing his fingers against my thigh. "But yesterday you were acting so angry and annoyed and I was confused at why you're acting like that if your parents are coming. I thought maybe it was because you don't want to move out from this house."

"And then?"

"You didn't want me to tutor you and you made an excuse for getting something again. You said that story about your friend so I asked you if you needed anything then tell me. And you lied to me and said everything's fine but I could see on your face it wasn't I knew you were hiding something from me. That's when I realised something was wrong. " He removes his hand from me and avoids eye contact.

A wave of guilt washes over me. "I'm so sorry Theo."

He nods his head but still doesn't look at me. "You didn't take your car again so I followed you and parked around the back of the park so I could see you. When I saw Callum I was confused. I thought you were going to do some sly shit. But I could tell by the way you both were acting that you didn't like each other. That's when it hit me... that the story that you told me about your 'friend' was actually about you." Theo stops for a moment, rubbing his forehead.

"Carry on." I reassuringly hold his hand.

This time, he looks at me. "The moment I saw him grab you and take you towards the back end of the park, that's when I realised what he was going to do. So I jumped over the gate and confronted him. I managed to get a hold of his phone and that's what I told him when I made you wait at the other end."

"What did you tell Callum?"

"I told him that I've got his phone and to meet me at the park at around 10ish if he wants it back."

"This all makes sense now. And that's why you made Matt stay behind?"

"Yeah. Otherwise, I would've taken him with me."

"What happened when you went to see Callum again?"

"I went with a few mates but I told them to wait behind me."

"Then what?"

"I made Callum unlock his phone and delete every photo he had of us and then afterwards I hit him more to teach him not to mess with you."

"I think you hit him too much."

His stare hardens. "I hit him enough."

"So why didn't you hit him properly in front of me?"

"Most girls don't like seeing someone get beat up in front of their faces and you looked so scared when I hit him the first time and you wanted me to stop."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have wanted to see it."

"That's what I thought." He puts his hands on both of my thighs.

"But Theo can I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"Were you really going to make Matt kiss me just to get me out of the way?"

His brows knit together and he moves his hands off me. "What?"

"What did you tell Matt to do?"

"That if you try to come to my room then distract you."

"Ohhh." I wish I could take back what I asked.

"What did Matt do Savannah?"

I get off his desk and begin to walk towards his door. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me again. I will gladly slam you against the wall and make out with you if you tell me."

"What?" I turn around and see Theo respectively close to me but holding his distance.

"What did Matt do?"

"Nothing, he was about to kiss me but I stopped him."

He looks at his watch. "You should be going home now. The guys will be back soon."

"Um- okay."

So we're just going to pretend that the whole 'slamming me against the door' thing didn't happen? Not to be needy or anything but I wanted it to happen.

It's now 10 pm and my mom has forced me to go to bed because of how late I woke up today. I mean I know I need sleep but surely 10 pm is way too early. Only because my parents sleep at that time because they're old and need the energy. Doesn't mean that I do too. I can survive off caffeine all day.

I give up on trying to fight back the privilege of sleeping late and get ready to go to bed. After putting on a nightdress and laying in bed I feel my phone vibrate whilst it's in charge.

Theo:
You're lucky I let you off today otherwise I'd be giving you a long hard lesson all night of how to properly speak to me.