Chapter 170 Still You.

Chapter 170 Still You.
Lena smiled to cover up her slipped composure. 

"Well… that took you long enough."

Theon's intense gaze stayed on her. "I had good motivation."

Lena could feel his gaze burning on her, but she refused to meet his eyes. So she busied herself with the napkins. "Is that so?"

"Hmm."

The silence between them was charged. Heavy with everything unsaid.

Leo's voice shattered it.

"Are you two going to set the table all night, or can we eat?"

Lena turned to walk away.

Theon's hands tightened on the plate he was holding.

—-

Dinner was lively and filled with laughter. The house felt warm, in contrast to the cold outside.

Mrs. Chen joined them after being forced to sit down by Evelyn.

Roman had personally requested an enormous seafood boil because Evelyn had spent the last week craving it.

He sat beside her peeling crab shells and shrimp while she happily accepted the food.

At some point the baby woke up. Immediately all attention shifted.

“There he goes.”

Mrs. Chen laughed.

The tiny boy stretched his little fists before letting out an unhappy sound.

Evelyn quickly picked him up. While Roman took over feeding duties without complaint.

He barely touched his own food. Every few seconds his attention drifted back to either Evelyn or the baby.

Leo watched in amazement.

“If someone told me Boss would become like this, I would’ve reported them for spreading rumors.”

Roman didn’t even look up. “Get out.”

“See?” Leo pointed. “This is the scary version I’m familiar with.”

Lena nearly choked on her shrimp. Even Theon looked amused.

By the time dinner ended, Leo had almost been kicked out three separate times. And the baby had been fed.

Mrs. Chen had forced everyone to drink something warm.

Snow started falling outside again, and it was already getting late.

Evelyn glanced toward Lena. “You should stay tonight.”

Lena shook her head. “I still need to stop by the hospital.”

Evelyn frowned. “Why?”

“I need to pick up medication for Dad.” She hesitated. “And get myself checked.”

Roman, who was playing with the baby's tiny fingers, looked up. "Theon is heading that way. He can take you."

Theon’s tea went down the wrong pipe. “Cough—!”

Lena stared at him with disgust.

Theon grabbed a napkin. “Sorry.”

He wiped his mouth. Then looked everywhere except Lena.

"I am heading that way." He swallowed. "If you—if you don't want to—" He cleared his throat. "I mean—"

Lena rolled her eyes and walked toward the baby. She bent down and poked the baby’s tiny nose.

"Goodbye, little one."

The baby blinked at her.

She grabbed her coat and walked toward the door.

Theon stared after her. "Was that a yes or no?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then rushed out.

Evelyn burst into laughter. "I've never seen Theon this flustered. Is he always like this?"

Roman finally pulled his attention from the baby. 

"Theon is a difficult person. This is rare."

Evelyn smiled. "I can't believe Lena got him all flustered. And he changed so much. He didn't even create a mess while eating."

Roman brushed a strand of hair from her face. "People change. And sometimes they do stupid things for the people they love.”

Evelyn turned to him, eyes twinkling. "Did you change?"

His lips curved. "Oh, darling. You can't imagine."

"Really? I didn't notice."

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her hair. "Because I have to be on my best behavior around you. You don't know how cruel I can be."

She laughed. "It can't be that bad."

Roman ignored that. His attention remained trapped by her hair.

She turned to the baby. "I think I need to cut my hair now. It's past my waist. We have a baby now.”

Roman immediately frowned. “No.”

He took a strand of her hair and fiddled with it. "You promised not to cut it."

"But the baby—"

"I'll take care of the baby. Don't worry about your hair." He sniffed her hair, his eyes half-closed. "Just leave it for me. Hmm?"

Evelyn stared at him. "Of all things, I can't believe you have a fetish for hair."

"Not just any hair. Yours." His gaze met hers. "There's something captivating about you with long hair. I can't get enough."

Evelyn smiled. Warmth filled her chest.

Roman rarely explained himself. Yet here he was. Still playing with her hair like it was precious.

"I want it longer. I want it to hold more memories with us."

For a moment Evelyn remembered the day she had cut her hair after Nathan when she decided to end things with Nathan. And ever since then, Roman had never let her cut it again.

"Lyn."

She looked up. Her lips crashed into his.

Roman leaned closer, careful not to disturb the baby in her arms. His hand cupped her cheek and angled her closer. His tongue pried through her mouth, kissing her like he was starved.

He pulled back only when her face was flushed and she was out of breath.

"Roman," she whispered. "There's a baby in my hand."

"I know." His voice was hoarse. "I couldn't help it. I've been starved for too long."

She smiled against his lips. "Well, too bad. You'll have to wait a little longer. Until I'm completely healed."

His jaw clenched. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Let me try to take your mind off it," she said with a soft laugh.

"Okay."

"Okay… do you think Lena and Theon could work out?"

"You said she wanted to divorce Rhys, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then it might be possible—God, this isn't working."

He kissed her again.

\-—

The drive to the hospital was quiet. Streetlights reflected across the windshield and the snow covered roads.

Theon kept both hands on the steering wheel.

Lena stared outside.

For several minutes neither spoke.

"So… how's your father?"

Lena kept silent.

Theon’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He thought she would stay silent.

Then she finally looked away from the window. "He's doing fine."

Her gaze drifted to the interior of the car. "You changed your sports car."

"Yeah. I got this one about a week ago."

"So you were in the country?"

"No." He cleared his throat. "I ordered it even though I wasn't here."

Lena frowned. "You're driving it for the first time?"

"Yeah." He paused. "I wanted something to keep my mind off things. When I got back.”

Her gaze returned to the road. "Is it working?"

Theon’s jaw clenched. “It's difficult."

Lena didn’t respond.

The hospital soon came into view.

Theon parked but neither moved. The heater hummed quietly.

“Lena.”

She turned towards him.

Theon’s chest constricted.

After months of silence. Months of pretending. Months of checking on her through Roman because he couldn’t stop himself.

He finally couldn’t hold it anymore. “I’m sorry.”

Lena held his gaze. “For what?”

“For leaving.” His voice lowered. “For not saying goodbye properly.”

Something flashed across her face. But it was gone before he could catch it.

She forced a small smile. “I think we’re at the hospital.”

Then she opened the door. Cold air immediately rushed inside.

Theon watched her walk away. He watched her take one step. Then another.

His chest suddenly hurt.

The same way it had hurt every day since he left. The same way it hurt when he signed those papers covered in her blood. The same way it hurt when he boarded that plane. The same way it hurt every time Roman told him she was eating, sleeping, healing, and living without him. 

While he was barely holding himself together. He almost lost a patient in the operating table. Because his mind was all about Lena.

Theon got out. “Lena.”

She stopped. Snowflakes landed in her hair. Slowly, she turned.

Theon stared at her.

At the woman he had tried so hard to forget. And failed completely.

“I never stopped thinking about you.”

The world seemed to go still.

His breath came out white against the cold air.

“I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried."

Lena’s fingers tightened around her bag.

The snow continued falling around them.