Page 66 of Aperture

He stops and reaches for my wrist and I turn toward him, still smiling.

“What?” I ask.

“I just love watching you laugh,” he says, as he sweeps a piece of hair out of my face behind my ear. I close my eyes and lean into his touch. It feels so perfect, but the moment is broken when he speaks.

“How did you get Theo not to have a hemorrhage over you spending the day with me?”

To hear him mention Theo’s name immediately shifts the tender moment and I step away.

“He’s actually out of town for work,” I tell him. “But I can make my own decisions.”

“I know you can, Millie.” He pauses for a moment as if he’s not sure if he wants to open whatever can of worms, or in his case, millipedes he is about to. “Are you sure he’s out of town for work right now?”

“Of course, I’m sure. I spoke to him earlier.”

Wyatt’s face is unreadable at first and then I can see the minute he makes a decision.

“Do you trust me?”

I don’t answer right away even though my entire body is screaming “yes!”

“Do you trust me,” he asks again.

This time I answer with confidence. “With my life.”

“I need to show you something then,” he says.

We get in the car and start to drive.

When Wyatt said he wanted to show me something, I never dreamed we’d drive an hour to San Francisco and end up in front of a seedy nightclub. We didn’t speak much on the drive. My anxiety was working overtime and Wyatt was deep in thought.

“What are we doing here, Wyatt?” I’m trying to hide the irritation in my voice, and failing miserably.

“I told you,” he answers evenly, “there is something you need to see.”

“Let’s get it over with, then.”

He lowers his head to his chest and takes a breath like he doesn’t want to do this anymore than I do. I think he’s about to say never mind, but he suddenly grabs the door handle and exits the car. I get out, not waiting for him to open my door.

We walk past the bouncer, who doesn’t ask to see IDs. I get the feeling he could care less if we are underage anyway. He’s probably just here if someone gets stabbed on the dance floor because from the looks of this place, it’s not that far of a reach.

I follow Wyatt to the edge of the dance floor. “What am I supposed to be seeing?”

Before he can answer, I see exactly why he brought me here and it makes my heart plummet.

There, on the dance floor, is Theo. He looks different from the Theo he is when he is with me. This Theo looks meaner, darker than my Theo. His sleeves are pushed up on his forearms, revealing his corded muscles, and he’s wearing distressed jeans with rips in the knees. He looks younger, somehow. But it’s not the way he looks that has me spinning. It’s the fact that he’s dancing with a woman. I don’t even think you can call it “dancing.” He’s basically dry fucking her on the dancefloor. He’s behind her, grinding into her, with one hand on her hip and the other splayed across her stomach. She’s wearing a tight black dress that’s barely covering her ass. I don’t need to see it anymore.

I turn to leave but Wyatt blocks my path.

“You need to see this,” he says gently. He puts his hands on my hips and spins me back around to face the dance floor. My eyes land back on Theo, whose right hand is now traveling up the woman’s outer thigh. Her dress is hiked up and I have a full view of the side of her ass and the shred of fabric that she’s wearing for underwear. Her head drops back onto his shoulder and his hand moves the front of her G-string panties and slips inside.

I stand there, blinking back tears, unable to look away. Theo’s hand is working her, right here for anyone to see. She is grinding her ass into him and riding his hand, her arms clasped behind his neck.

I feel Wyatt’s breath on my neck.

“I told you he wasn’t a good guy.”

His hands are still on my hips, flexing back and forth. His lips are an inch from my ear and I can feel his hot breath on my neck.