Where Promises Must Glide

25 - Theo

It broke my heart every time.

The emotions in her words stung in her eyes, and I had to hold her as the excuse of a man walked away, rolling his eyes at her like a baby.

I took her inside once I had Monique make sure he left—after she delivered her handful of unkind words. Ophelia was still oblivious to it all, which I was so thankful for, but a few parents began to talk, which I put Monique and the girls on damage control for that. Juliette was my problem to deal with.

The second we entered her room, she collapsed into me, tears ruining my shirt, but I couldn't care one bit. "How did I let him do this to me," she heaved into my shirt. I kept stroking her hair, and attempting to calm her down. I didn't mind if she cried, I knew how much she was keeping it all in, but I was worried this would turn into a panic attack—the ones I used to have constantly.

"It's ok, Juliette," I whisper. I usually would call her a nickname or Jules, but after hearing him insult her and not use the name she liked, I wasn't going to add gas to the already fuming fire.

"He ruined everything for me, and I just let him. I was going to marry that bastard!" She screamed. "It's all my fucking fault! Every single thing I did was my fault, because I was so blinded by whatever fraction of love he gave me."

"It isn't your fault, and don't make yourself believe that whatever display of a man child that was could have some sort of dictation over you. You are ten times more than whatever imagination of success he could conjure. I don't see two gold medals around his neck?" That one caused a laugh out of her

Once I kinda got her to calm down, I asked her the question that has been sitting in the back of my brain. "What did Monique mean when she said 'forced her to do shit she didn't want'?" Even saying it, it didn't feel right. Every possible scenario played in my head of that those words meant, and every one made me more and more psycho to protect her and hurt him.

"It's not super important," she whispered, hiding her face in the crook of my neck. Her soft words caused vibrations to the sensitize skin, and i stifled a grown.

"I'm not going to pry, but if you want me to kill him," I smirked which caused her to huff a laugh.

She shook her head. "It's ok, I can survive one encounter from him. It was just a surprise to see him. I didn't even know he remembered where I lived."

"Wait he has your address?" It felt stupid as I said it, obviously he does how else did he show up. But I didn't like the idea of him knowing where she lived at any time of the day. He did not seem like someone I'd deem very friendly, or listens when someone says no.

"I had to give it to him, when he used to pay child support. Then he just disappeared, but I was ok because I was making money by that point in all my skating competitions." She explained. I nodded my head, attaching to every word she said.

She finally disattached from my neck, and sat next to me on the edge of her bed. She let out a deep sigh, and I raised a brow at her in question. "He was so horrible," she practically laughed, and a wave of confusion hit me.

"I know people say the abused fall for the abusers, but I wasn't abused. I was just manipulated. Maybe a little gaslighting. But abused wasn't what I'd describe our relationship. Not before Ophelia. Almost eighteen years of friendship and six of dating, and I had a child with this man, but I'd never consider him anything but a faulty ex." Her words sounded like she had been waiting to confess them for years, and I wasn't going to be the one to stop her.

"He manipulated you?" I ask, wanting to hear more from her past.

"A man with money like his, and power that his last name brings, who dates someone with none of those traits; tends to manipulate." She shrugged. I wonder how much time it took for her to realize this. I stare deep into her eyes, not letting any last look escape my vision.

"You are not a nobody anymore, princess," I explain softly. My eyes trailed through all her features. Her soft chestnut hair, button nose, her plump lips, and beautiful eyes. The scent of her perfume was intoxicating, but I wish it was the only thing I could smell for the rest of my life.

I went to wipe a bit of smudged lipstick off the side of her lip. Grabbing her chin with my hand, and swiping off the nude color with my thumb. I felt her breathing in my hand, and her eyes searched from mine, then dropped to my lips. Fluttering under her lashes, she looked up at me with her bright glistening eyes, and I simply couldn't look away. Her breathing hitched as I slowly retracted my hand.

This wasn't the time or place to do this.

But when she breathed: "Theo," her eyes almost closed, I couldn't resist.

"This time, I won't pull away," I tell her before smashing my lips against hers.

The kiss was slow at first, once I attached to the bottom of her lip, I kept my hold on her chin, but began to move my hands to the side of her jaw before running it down her hair. She moaned and I became animalistic.

The kiss deepened as I gripped her hair, and began to latch my tongue, fighting for dominance against hers. It was like an electrified shock. Her hands in my hair. Her hands on me. My hands through the smooth waves of her hair. Her breath heavy against mine. It was everything I needed. She tasted like wine and cherries.

Her skin was hot against mine. I pushed her against the bed so she was laying on her back, and the whole time we kept our lips together like oxygen was overrated but this feeling was like a drug that none of us wanted to get off of.

My hand went into the back of her shirt, and god how much I hated this outfit in this moment. The way it would look better on the floor, nothing covering how beautiful this girl is. My touch was cold against her warm flesh, it was like I couldn't get enough of her touch, how I needed to feel everything of her in this moment.

"Theo " she moaned and all the blood shot to my core. My hand went to the waistband of her dress, but I didn't move it any farther. She whimpered at the sensation. "Please," she whispered. My kisses trailed to her jaw, then behind her ear.

I bit her ear before whispering; "Beg, princess."

"Please Theo," she gasped as my kisses went down to her neck.

"I read your books, darling. Would you like me to replicate those scenes? Is that what you want?" I taunted. My hand moved on her hip, to her stomach, dangerously low. My lips moved from her collarbone to the nape of her neck.

"Jules, you should come out right now!" A knock came on the door, and the most audible groan a man could make escaped my lips. I got up from her, only to admire my work.

God she was beautiful.

Her hair was splayed around her on the bed, all messy and soft. Her cardigan was half off, along with her clothes. Her lips were red and puffy, and one last kiss was all I needed before walking out—after readjusting my jeans because I wasn't going to rock the biggest hard on at a child's birthday party.

"My offer is still up, to fix that problem of yours from all those weeks ago," I winked before walking out of the bedroom, Monique giving me the biggest glare which I shrugged off as I walked back to Ophelia.