I unlocked my bedroom door, a habit I usually skipped, but Theodore being around made me extra cautious. It was weird having a guy crash at my place, especially for a whole night. Hell, it was weird having anyone over for more than ten minutes, period.

Stepping into the living room, my heart did a little jump when I spotted a figure lurking in my kitchen, right by the wide-open fridge. Theodore, startled as much as me, slammed the fridge door shut and turned to face me, looking very flustered. His hand shot up to scratch his hair which looked like a bird's nest, with a few stray strands sticking out every which way.

"Uh," he stammered, sounding totally caught off guard. "I was just leaving."

He shuffled out of the kitchen to grab his guitar by the couch.

Brutus started barking as Theodore made a beeline for the front door. He stood there for a long moment, his back to me, and I just stood there, arms crossed, watching him, my mind racing.

Could I actually handle having him around if I, you know, hypothetically asked him to stay? I mean, the dude's ego was about as big as the sun, and it'd probably burned a lot of bridges, leaving him with nowhere to go. But he was too stubborn to admit he was basically homeless now.

I looked over at Brutus, his sad doggy eyes fixed on Theodore as he walked away. It always amazed me how perceptive dogs could be, how they could sense when something or someone didn't sit right with them, and how they would never hesitate to let their feelings be known, loud and clear. And in Brutus' case, his fondness for Theodore added a layer of trust in my mind. I mean, we'd already shared a roof for two nights, and so far, I was still alive...

I let out a dramatic sigh and followed Theodore out the door. He'd only gone as far as four steps. Without even realizing it, the words tumbled out of my mouth.

"You have nowhere else to go, right?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, avoiding direct eye contact. One hand lazily found its way into his jeans pocket, and he shrugged nonchalantly.

With a hint of hesitation, I offered, "You can stay here..."

There was a stretched silence.

"Really?" His response was more of an accusation than a question.

I tried to explain myself, stumbling over my words slightly. "I mean, I know you're in a tough spot right now, and I'm just... trying to help. I'm a good person, and believe it or not, we still exist."

Theodore's eyes met mine directly, and he spoke with a sense of determination. "I promise I'll pay you back once I get a job. I won't stay for more than a week."

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵.

I could only manage a nod in response as I stepped aside, allowing him to enter the apartment.

As Theodore made himself comfortable on the couch again, he removed his coat and slumped down. "Where's your suitcase?" I noticed, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"It got stolen at the Bath and Spa," he replied coolly, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

I just stood there, my brain short-circuiting. I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there like an idiot, my feet glued to the spot.

Finally, to break the awkward silence, I blurted out, "You can use my bathroom ... if.. if you need to take a bath." It was the only bathroom in the whole apartment, and it was in my room. Theodore looked up, his eyes meeting mine for a split second before he looked away. I turned and marched into my room, grabbing a fresh towel and an old, oversized college orientation t-shirt I'd worn maybe once.

"Here," I said, tossing them on the table in front of him. "You can wear this after your shower."

He just sat there, staring at the stuff.

"The bathroom's this way." I marched to my room, expecting him to follow. And he did.

"Everything you need is in there," I said, gesturing vaguely. "Soap. Hot, running-" He entered and shut the door. "...water. Hot. Running. Water. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦!" I muttered under my breath, utterly annoyed.

I burst into the living room, my phone buzzing with a FaceTime notification while the laptop in the kitchen flashed its little icon.

Mom was calling.

I grabbed the laptop and sat down at my study table in the living room, swiping the screen to answer her call as her anxious face popped up, filling the whole screen. She did her best to throw on a smile.

She was literally my twin, with those familiar brown eyes and long, wavy hair that had a golden brown shimmer to it, way brighter than mine. And her amazing, infectious smile along with that deep dimple of hers - one charming feature I sadly didn't inherit.

"Hey, Mom!"

"Casey, sweetie," she replied, her voice tinged with that unmistakable concern that made my heart sink a little. "When are you coming home?"

I caught a glimpse of the Christmas decorations in the background as two guys strolled past behind my mom with big boxes while she turned around to direct them on where to drop everything off. It was one of those times when the decorations were way more extravagant than usual, which only happened when she was throwing a party.

Our house wasn't the biggest, but it was big enough to squeeze in a whole bunch of people from the neighborhood.

My mom had been a nurse for as long as I could remember, but about three years ago, she decided to take a leap of faith and quit her job to chase her dream of becoming an interior designer, and honestly, it felt like she was absolutely nailing it. She had such incredible talent. We were all proud of her.

"Mom? Whose party is it this time?"

"We're hosting the neighborhood's Christmas Potluck this year, Casey! I couldn't believe it myself, but they 𝘢𝘭𝘭 wanted me to do it!" She beamed with excitement, her back still turned to me as she directed more guys on where to place the boxes, reminding them to be gentle with some of the fragile decorations. "I really need you home any time soon."

"I'll be home after our office party," I replied, knowing deep down that I could head back right then and skip the office party since Mr. Dupont had given me leave after my hip injury and all, but honestly, the thought of Theodore halted all that. I'm all he's got at the moment, I guess...

"And when is that? Exactly what date would I be getting you back?" she asked, her tone a mix of urgency and hope.

"On the nineteenth, Mom. By the way, where are Ken and Dad?"

She stood up and walked over to chat with one of the guys who was hauling in boxes, quickly snatching a small one from him before making her way back to me.

"Your father and Ken are out shoveling snow from the driveway," she answered, opening the box she'd snagged and pulling out a snow globe, her expression instantly shifting to one of displeasure. "I CANNOT believe Ken ordered the-" but she cut herself off mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open as she stared at me, shock written all over her face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, and that's when I noticed it too-who she was staring at with such wide eyes.

Theodore had just stepped out of my room, his damp hair tousled as he rubbed it with the towel I'd given him, and even though my oversized orientation shirt hung loosely on his frame, it somehow looked just right paired with his black, worn-out cargo pants. It suited him in a way that made me feel a mix of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. "Shit!" I thought, my heart racing.

"Who's that?" my mom asked, her voice laced with curiosity, disbelief etched across her face as she stared like she'd just seen a ghost. "Is that a full-grown man in your apartment, Casey?"

I shut my laptop immediately, feeling heat rise to my cheeks as I turned to look at Theodore, who was meeting my gaze with a calm, almost intimidating stare that had me frozen in place. In that fleeting moment, I saw something in his eyes-gratitude, actual gratitude!-but before I could fully process it, he looked away and wandered over to sit by the window. My mom was buzzing my FaceTime again, but I ignored it, too caught up in the whirlwind of emotions swirling around me.

"Uh, I'm gonna head to a cafe for umm..." My brain was officially on vacation. "You want anything?" I finally managed to squeeze out.

He dug around in his pockets and then shoved a dollar bill into my hand. "Whatever this can buy."

I got dressed and basically left my apartment to a total stranger and a supposedly smart dog.