Teddy

JENSEN: You alive?

ME: Just barely. Remind me to never, ever do tequila shots again.

JENSEN: Pretty sure I have. Lots of times, babe.

ME: Yeah, well no one has ever accused me of being a fast learner.

JENSEN: Need anything? 7-Up? Saltines? A sponge bath?

ME: I hear orgasms help hangovers.

JENSEN: Behave.

ME: No.

JENSEN: For real, Teddy. Do you need anything?

ME: You. Just you.

JENSEN: If I stop by, will you behave?

ME: If I say no, will you still come?

JENSEN: Baby.

ME: Fine. I'll be a good girl.

JENSEN: Somehow I don't believe you.

ME: Come anyway.

Twenty minutes later, Jensen arrives with a plastic bag full of supplies. I pull them out one by one, setting them on my kitchen counter, my smile widening with each item. Cherry 7-Up. Red Gatorade. Saltines. Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams. Mint Oreos. Chewy Lifesavers.

"Pepper beef jerky?" I hold up the bag for him to see.

He grabs it from my hand. "Oh, that's for me."

I gesture to my snacks. "Somebody loves me."

"Me," he says, pulling me in for a quick kiss. "I do."

I pick up the pop and soda crackers and lead him into the living room. Once we're settled on the couch, I explain, "I'll save the junk for later when my tummy feels better. Thanks, by the way. That was sweet."

He gathers my feet into his lap and softly massages them. "Sutton stopped by. She called me a mess."

I take a drink of the 7-Up and set it aside on the table. Then I lay back against the couch cushions, getting comfortable. Jensen throws a blanket over me, and I snuggle into it. I close my eyes, reveling in the comforting sensations as his hands move under the blanket from my feet to my calves.

"Gotta love sisters," I say softly.

"She's not wrong, Teddy. I kind of am a mess. But I'm working on it." His hands pause, and I open my eyes to look at him.

"I texted Caroline."

When I don't say anything, he resumes rubbing my legs. "We're going to meet up."

"When?"

"Next weekend."

"That's good, J."

I lift the corner of the blanket and pat the couch. "Lay with me."

"Baby," he warns.

"Just lay with me. I'll be good. I promise. I don't feel good. I just want you to cuddle me."

He crawls under the blanket and situates our bodies so I'm tucked under his arm. I snake my hand under his shirt to rest my hand on his stomach, wanting to feel his warm skin, and I let out a contented sigh when I hear his heart beating under my ear.

He combs a hand through my hair as we lay in the quiet apartment. I'm halfway asleep when he speaks again. "I'm sorry I put us through this, Teddy. I can't promise I won't screw up again because we both know I probably will. But I can promise to never hurt you on purpose. And I will always fight for us, ok? Because you are the most important thing in my life. I don't want you to ever doubt that."

I press my lips over his heart. "I never doubted it, Jensen," I say through a yawn.

"You're going to fall asleep, aren't you?"

"Probably. But don't leave, ok? I sleep better with you."

"Ok, baby. I won't leave."

His soft fingers in my scalp lull me asleep.

-

THE STEAM FROM THE COFFEE MUG WARMS my face as I take a sip, the liquid scalding my tongue. I curse my impatience, needing the caffeine jolt to wake my foggy brain. My attention is directed toward my open front window from my perch on my couch when loud voices filter in from the parking lot. I'm still not used to the random noises at my apartment. I miss the quiet intimacy of Jensen's place.

Just then my phone dings and a slow smile lights my face when I check the screen. Speak of the devil, the man in question just texted me.

We've been texting more over the past week. Flirty, fun texts. Not the passive-aggressive or apologetic ones from before. We also resumed our daily lunch dates—except we've been eating on the patio behind the apartment, opting for a more neutral setting than the place we practically co-habitated in would provide.

Things have felt lighter between us. More normal. And Jensen has been less moody. More himself, which we can argue is always a bit grumpy on his best day. But it's his usual grumpy, the adorable one I've always loved.

After reading his text, I quickly type out a reply.

JENSEN: I'm meeting with she-who-must-not-be-named in a bit. But did you want to meet up later for a hike with your obnoxious dog?

TEDDY: He's only obnoxious because you don't have the right brand of love like me.

JENSEN: You mean I don't spoil him. Let's keep it real.

TEDDY: But is it really spoiling if I'm just giving him his best life? Shouldn't we all live our best lives?

JENSEN: In that case, I want to spoil you all the live long day.

TEDDY: Mmmm. That sounds like a tease. Your follow through sucks these days.

JENSEN: It's called patience, baby. I realize you have zero, but you know it'll be worth it. I'm sure my track record speaks for itself.

TEDDY: Distant memory. Need new evidence to support this theory.

JENSEN: Jesus, Teddy.

TEDDY: You know you love me and my impatience.

JENSEN: Fuck yeah I do.

JENSEN: So...the hike?

TEDDY: Sounds like a date. I have missed my dog something fierce.

JENSEN: Just the dog, huh?

TEDDY: And his grumpy daddy, I guess.

JENSEN: His grumpy daddy will see you later.

TEDDY: Good luck, J. Proud of you.

I finish my coffee before hopping in the shower and getting ready for the day. When there's no word from Jensen, I decide to catch up on laundry. When I come upon my stash of Jensen's pilfered shirts, I give them the old sniff test and realize I need a fresh batch. His scent is fading.

When I still don't hear from Jensen, I make myself a quick lunch, eating it as I stand at the kitchen counter, scrolling back through our messages. It's been hours and I'm feeling restless, so I decide to head out to the farm to grab Scout without Jensen.

I let myself into the apartment, Scout immediately greeting me at the door. I lean down to pet his head. "Hey there, buddy. Did you miss me?"

Tucking the leash under my arm, I quickly type out a text to Jensen to let him know I picked up Scout. As soon as I hit send, I hear a ping from inside the apartment. I look up to see Jensen's phone on the kitchen counter lit up. I walk over to it and pick it up in confusion. He must have left in a rush if he forgot his phone.

It pings in my hand and messages pop up on his lock screen.

CAROLINE: It was good seeing you again.

CAROLINE: I'd love to finish what we started.

CAROLINE: Are you free later?

CAROLINE: I think I might have left something there *blushing face emoji*

My head pops up, looking around for what she could have left when I see Scout trotting away with something red and lacy in his mouth.

"Oh gross," I whisper-shout into the quiet space.

I stalk across the room with a pencil in my hand. "Drop it," I demand, using the pencil to pry the panties out of my dog's mouth. I hold them in front of me to inspect them.

"Ew. Just ew. Come on, girl. This is just gross. And desperate."

I walk back to the kitchen with the underwear speared on the pencil in front of me and drop them onto the counter next to Jensen's phone. I toss the soiled pencil into the trash and grab a fresh one and a piece of paper, quickly jotting a note.

J,

Scout and I got sick of waiting. We are off on an adventure. I see you forgot your phone. I'm assuming something came up. Call me.

T

P.S. Your guest left you a present.

I load the dog into my car, and we drive back into town, parking in my apartment lot. After securing the leash on Scout, we set off down the sidewalk. I don't have a particular destination in mind, so we wander down the streets, waving at people who cross our path.

A few minutes into the walk, I hear someone calling my name. I turn to see Sutton jogging toward us.

"Teddy, hey," she says once she reaches us. "Jensen isn't with you?"

"No, he wasn't home when I grabbed Scout. He must have rushed off somewhere because he forgot his phone. It was on his kitchen counter. Why? Are you looking for him? Something up?"

Before Sutton can respond, someone else interrupts. "Oh, Jensen got a call during our date, and he had to cut it short to deal with an emergency."

Sutton and I both stare at Caroline as she squats down to be eye level with the dog. "Hey there, pretty thing. Long time, no see, huh?"

Scout, the traitorous beast, rolls over onto his back and exposes his belly, his tail wagging eagerly.

"Uh," Sutton says, blinking rapidly. "First off, Caroline." She holds up a finger like she's ticking off items on a list. "It most definitely was not a date. We all know what that long-awaited conversation was, and you calling it a date only makes you look thirsty and desperate. Gross."

Caroline stands, patting her perfectly primped hair, a slow smile breaking across her face. She says nothing as she waits for Sutton to continue.

Sutton holds up another finger. "Second. Just because the dog likes you—who likes sticks, by the way, so not a great judge of character—doesn't mean the rest of us do. And, third, you withholding information about whatever emergency you happened to be present for like you're a pretty, pretty important princess is petty. Just spill."

"Oh, Sutton," Caroline laughs, "you've always been a spirited little thing. I assure you I wasn't trying to withhold information. I don't know anything more than what I've said. Jensen got a call, said he had to go, and rushed off. Too bad, too, because it was just starting to get interesting." She cuts a devilish look toward me and lowers her head in fake embarrassment.

Sutton starts to speak again, but I press my hand onto her arm, stopping her. "You know what, Caroline. You've always been threatened by me and that's why you act like this, why you were always mean to me in high school. I didn't get it at the time. You were with Jensen. Clearly, he chose you. But it turns out you had a right to be threatened after all. Maybe you're psychic and were predicting the inevitable. Or maybe you were just sensing the strong connection between me and Jensen and knew we were bound to end up as more than friends eventually."

Caroline scoffs. "Word on the street is there is trouble in paradise." She lifts a single eyebrow, barely able to contain the haughty grin threatening to split her face.

"Since we're real people with real feelings, we are going to have issues. But since we love and respect each other and know what we have is worth it, we are willing to fight for our relationship, to work through it instead of running away."

Caroline crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes at me. "That's a low dig, Teddy. You don't have any idea what you're talking about. Just because Jensen told you his version of some teenage sob story, doesn't give you the right to judge me. You don't know what I went through."

I blow out a breath, shaking my head. "You're right, I don't. I'm not judging you. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. That's a lot for a teenager. I'm not trying to minimize it. But you seem to forget that you weren't the only one who went through it. Jensen deserved more then and now. He doesn't need you coming on to him. Trying to rekindle whatever relationship you think you had in high school. Leaving him..." I hold my hands up to do air quotes. "'Gifts.' What he needs is closure from the only other person that experienced it with him. If you can't be mature enough to give that to him, just stay away."

"Wait," Sutton interjects. "Gifts?"

I shake my head at Jensen's sister before turning my attention back to Caroline, who is staring at me, speechless.

I yank on the leash. "Come on, Scout. Let's finish our walk while we wait for Daddy."