Page 17 of Aperture

Even though I obviously would have loved to have known my parents and have more time with them, I’ve never allowed myself to wallow in self-pity.

“What about your family?” I ask.

“Well, you know my sister, Sarah, and her husband, Jeff. I’m really close to them and the kids. Emmett and Ellie are my world these days when I’m not working. My parents live about an hour away. We all get along, for the most part,” he smirks.

“That’s amazing,” I say.

“Do you want to have children of your own someday?” I ask, probably a little too boldly.

“I do,” he answers honestly. “I didn’t realize it until my sister had them. It’s cool though, you know? You get to make up for the stuff you didn’t get when you were a kid.”

I nod in agreement because I feel the same way.

“Where did you go to college?” I ask.

“I went to Princeton.”

“Really?” I know it’s none of my business, but my curiosity gets the best of me.

“Is that how you know Wyatt?”

He exhales and leans back on his hands as if he’s been waiting for that question. “He didn’t tell you?”

“No, we didn’t talk about you at all, but I did get the feeling that you two aren’t exactly best friends,” I concede.

“Was it the suffocating, palpable tension that gave it away?” he asks with a laugh.

“It was pretty hard to miss,” I offer.

Theo thinks for a minute and then starts talking. “We were best friends. We met in college. He was my roommate, and we were pretty much inseparable.”

“What happened?” I ask, hoping I’m not pushing my boundaries too far.

“I had a girlfriend. We were all close. We would hang out together all the time.” He stops talking, and I can tell this is difficult for him. I wait to see if he’s going to continue.

“I was a quantitative economics major. He was a political science major, like her. He met her first and introduced me. Maybe he liked her first. I don’t know. But she and I hit it off right away. We started dating, and things were going great, but it wasn’t long before I started to think he had feelings for her. I confronted him, and he denied it. We fought. He must have gone to see her right after that. I don't know what he said, but she was furious. She accused me of being jealous and controlling.”

“She broke up with you.” I finish for him.

“She did. I was heartbroken. Then shortly afterward, she went missing. No one knows what happened to her. She was never found.” Theo is looking out over the tumultuous waves as he speaks quietly. He is as far away as the horizon.

“Oh my God,” I exhale. “Theo, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

He lays back on the blanket and I fall next to him, both of us laying on our backs, staring up at the stars. He reaches out and grabs my hand, rubbing his thumb over my own, in thought. His touch gives me butterflies. He is here, present with me. His touch feels like the past is now far away.

“It was a long time ago,” he finally says. “I prefer to think she was pissed and confused and just took off. She didn't really love college. I’m sure she just started over somewhere new.”

I squeeze his hand and turn my head to look at him. “I’m sure you’re right.” I smile tightly.

He places his hand on my cheek and looks into my eyes. The twinkle that is normally there is replaced by sadness. Sharing something so personal makes me feel connected to him, and I have a desire to convey that. I slowly reach up and place my palm on his cheek. His stubbled cheek tickles my palm as he leans further into it.

“God, you’re sweet,” he tells me. Then, he very slowly leans in and touches his nose to mine.

“You look sweet.” He rubs his nose across mine. I inhale sharply as my heart skips a beat in anticipation.

“You smell sweet,” he whispers.

Then he leans in further and gently touches his lips to mine. “You taste sweet.”