Chapter 55 The Coin Toss
Veronica's POV:
I was seated between the two brothers... in the center of the oversized couch—Theo to my left, Max to my right.
The movie played on the massive screen in front of us, something action-packed that Max had chosen, but I wasn't really paying attention to the explosions and car chases. I just couldn't...
Instead, I found myself glancing down at our wrists, a small smile tugging at my lips.
Three matching rose quartz bracelets, pale pink stones catching the dim light of the room. I'd actually made them wear it. For real.
It wasn't much of an issue with Theo... he already had two other bracelets in his right wrist, citrine and amethyst crystals that he'd explained the properties of in detail when I'd noticed them earlier.
Of course, Theo would know more about crystals than I could ever hope to explain. His well-versed knowledge in spirituality seemed to extend to everything, from meditation practices to the metaphysical properties of gemstones. He was a spritual master!
Max, however, was a different story entirely. He was an athiest in a good day... he'd litreally confessed it to me in the beginning itself... that his brother was the crazy religious one.
Now... the pale pink bracelet looked almost absurd against the dark ink of his tattoos. It was contrasting strangely with the geometric patterns... and symbols that wound up his forearm.
He'd worn it with clear hesitation at first... shooting me skeptical looks... mouthed me like, 'Why are you making me do this, Veronica...' As if I was asking him to wear a tutu.
But now, somehow, it looked like it belonged there... like the soft pink had found its place among the bold black lines, blending into his aesthetic in a way I hadn't expected.
Max shifted beside me, and I felt his attention drift from the screen towards me... I glanced over, catching him looking at his wrist, at the bracelet I'd given him.
Then, still looking straight at the TV, he reached over and held my hand, tighter...
I froze.
My breath caught in my chest as his fingers intertwined with mine, making me feel warm and confident and completely against the contract we'd signed less than two hours ago.
My heart hammered as I tried to process what was happening, tried to figure out what I should do.
Theo's sharp green eyes caught it immediately.
"That's it." His voice cut through the movie's soundtrack, sounding precise and disapproving. "It's been not even two hours, and you already violated our agreement... Why am I not a bit surprised? You are just acting your crazy self now..."
Max groaned, but he didn't let go of my hand. "Come on, brother... Veronica was looking at my hand, she wanted me to do it... and I held it for her. It's for her. I didn't make the first move..."
He was entirely lying... but I knew it was to make Theo crazy...
"Did you ask Max to hold your hand?" Theo turned to me, his expression serious.
I shook my head no, my voice seemingly lost somewhere in my throat.
"Then it's still a violation, brother," Theo said with the satisfaction of someone who'd just won a logical argument. "So to make things right, I get to have the first date with Veronica tomorrow."
"What?" Max's hand tightened around mine as he turned to glare at his brother. "That's not fair! You can't bend the rules as you wish!"
"I'm not bending them," Theo replied calmly. "I'm enforcing them. The contract clearly states this point—"
"The contract doesn't say anything about penalties!" Max shot back, finally releasing my hand as he leaned forward to look past me at Theo. "You can't just make up consequences because you want to!"
"Actually, if you read clause seven—"
"Clause seven is about Veronica's authority, not yours!"
Their voices rose, talking over each other, and suddenly the space between them felt impossibly small.
I was trapped in the middle of a verbal tennis match, my head turning back and forth as they argued about contract interpretation and fairness and who was being more unreasonable. Noisy little boys!
"Guys... guys... just stop!" I finally managed to raise my voice above theirs.
They both fell silent, turning to look at me.
"Please don't fight already," I said, hearing the exhaustion in my own voice. "Let me choose this."
I looked at both of them—Theo with his righteously analytical expression, Max with his frustrated gaze... and realized I had no idea how to choose.
As usual... the thought of picking one over the other, of seeing disappointment in either of their eyes... even if it was just a date... made my stomach twist.
"Or I'll just flip a coin," I said suddenly. "Heads or tails."
Max didn't hesitate. "Heads."
"Tails," Theo said quietly.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a quarter, my fingers trembling slightly as I balanced it on my thumb.
This was insane. I was about to let chance decide which brother I went on a date with first.
But before I flipped it, a thought whispered through my mind: Let it be tails. Let it be tails.
I paused, my thumb frozen mid-motion.
Why was I hoping for it to be Theo?!
The question rattled around in my head, demanding an answer I wasn't sure I wanted to examine.
Was he really what I wanted? Or was he just... safer? Less intense than Max, less likely to make me feel like I was standing at the edge of a cliff with my heart in my hands?
Theo was predictable, structured, gentle. He was meditation and morning coffee and thoughtful conversations about philosophy. He wouldn't push me too hard or too fast.
Max was spontaneous, passionate, overwhelming. He was adrenaline and challenge and feelings I couldn't quite name. He'd already held my hand without asking, already broken the rules we'd barely finished signing.
Let it be tails, my mind whispered again, and I hated that I didn't know if it was my heart speaking or my fear.
I flipped the coin.