Chapter Eight

Robbie

Like clockwork my mental alarm woke me up 5:30 a.m., as it did every morning. The events of the day before were a little more distant and I felt better. I still had no idea what I was going to do about Brent, but I did know that I wanted to enjoy my weekend with Theo and get some studying in for upcoming finals. I rolled over to watch Theo sleep for a while but sat up quickly when I saw that he was sitting up in bed with his Surface in his lap.

“Are you okay?” I asked, alarmed because I’d never seen Theo up so early except when he had been deejaying all night long.

He set the computer aside and brushed his fingers across my cheek. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end from the compassionate expression he wore.

“Sugar, we need to talk about something, and I don’t want you to get freaked out.”

“Too late, Theo. What’s wrong?” A hundred questions and scenarios ran through my mind. At the forefront were thoughts that he was upset because of what had happened the night before, and the weight that was suddenly upon my chest began to choke me.

He chuckled. “Well, that didn’t work. Robbie, breathe.”

I took a deep halted breath, searching his eyes. His laughter relaxed me a little, but the fact that he wanted to talk so early in the morning had to mean something terrible.

“Something happened. Nothing that can’t be fixed, but something you’re going to beat yourself up for. And I don’t want you to. And Maggie doesn’t want you to. We’ll get a handle on it. But you’ve got to promise to keep breathing, just like that, as I show you something. Okay?”

Tension raced across my shoulders, causing the muscles to bunch as my mind whirred. Maggie? Beat myself up? I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak aloud, and continued to take deep breaths as I wrung the sheets between my fists. Theo tapped a few things on his computer and turned the screen to face me. I saw video of Brent and me in the hallway and was happy I had not had breakfast. When I glanced up questioningly at Theo, his expression drew my attention back to the computer. He was right; I utilized my training quite well. I watched as the video showed me fleeing down the stairs and Brent remaining in the hall. My gaze flicked up to Theo again. What was I missing? He nodded again to the computer, and I looked back down. Brent was in the hall. It looked like the video had ended or paused. But then another student ambled by and paused, dropping to one knee and shaking him. Brent didn’t respond to her. He remained immobile.

“What’s wrong with him? I know I knocked him out but…” I asked, as the hallway was soon flooded with students and professors responding to the bystander’s call, and shortly thereafter, security. “Theo?”

Theo’s tone was soft, and he pulled my hand free from the fist I unconsciously had been making. “Sugar, you told him to stop. Commanded him…to stop. And he did.”

The horror of what Theo was saying hit and I backed away to the footboard, shaking my head.

“Honey, it’s okay. He’s okay. He’s in the hospital and they’re running tests. Maggie is getting on the first flight this morning, and we’re going to pick her up. She’ll fix this.”

“I didn’t…” I didn’t what? I didn’t mean to do it? I didn’t do it? The proof was there in video for everyone to see.

Theo closed the computer and put it on the table beside the bed, then moved to pull me to him. “I was so pissed off last night that I went looking for him in the Interface. I wasn’t going to do anything, though fuck knows I wanted to beat him up at a minimum. And I found out what happened. So, I called Maggie and, well, congratulations,” he offered, attempting to lighten my mood. “Guess you know how to issue Commands.”

Limp in his embrace, I couldn’t stop shaking my head, trying to deny what I’d done.

“It’ll be okay. Maggie’s going to make it right and then maybe shift gears to help you out with the Command thing. Looks like my man has talent.”

I rested my head against his chest. A battle at self-flagellation and accepting comfort from him took root in my chest. “I can’t believe I did that,” I finally managed.

Theo scoffed. “I can. He was a son of a bitch to you, and you responded. You defended yourself,” he insisted.

“Did…did you say that you wanted to beat him up?” I asked, pulling away so that I could look up into his dark eyes. He hadn’t said anything like that last night. I tried to think back, but I had just been so wrapped up in my own emotions that I hadn’t noticed how it had affected him.

Theo sighed heavily, his expression one of embarrassed apology. “Worse.”

“Yeah?” I couldn’t help but smile.

“Sugar, you say the word and I would happily ruin him. I had to contain myself last night, but I had fantasies that ranged from hiring a hit man to planting child porn in his computer and sending in a SWAT team so he could spend the rest of his life in prison as Bubba’s bitch.”

“Wow…I love you, too.”

Theo pushed me back without warning, his weight crushing me as his mouth dominated mine. I opened to him, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him fiercely to me.