My heart skips a beat as I rush to fix mine and Tobias’s hair. Grabbing a book off the shelf, I scramble to hide my erection. It’ll have to do for now.
“Come in,” I call out. Tobias’s eyes widen as he looks at me. Okay, maybe I should’ve grabbed a book for him too.
Ooops.
Nonetheless, Gwen pokes her head in through the crack in the door. Her bright smile flashing at us. “My darling,” Gwen’s voice cracks as she rushes over.
“Oh my god,” Tobias crumbles like a kid in her arms, tears returning again.
I can’t stop the lump in my throat as I watch them embrace.
“I was there every day you were in the hospital. I was never far away.” She sniffles, stroking the back of his hair.
He nods his head. “I know. Elijah told me everything you did,” he chokes out, half-laughing, half-crying.
“She really was my partner in crime.” I smile, walking over. I sling my arms around them both as we rock gently. Gwen smells faintly of vanilla and espresso — comfort in human form.
I can’t help the tears that build in my own arms as my eyes catch on my dad’s picture hanging on the wall. We really are a family.Always.
After a few moments, Gwen straightens up, wiping off her tears. “Well, um, that’s not the only reason why I came.”
She grasps the back of both of our necks, holding us still as she smiles back and forth between the two of us.
“I’ve been working on something very important with someone these past couple weeks,” Her eyes gravitate to mine. “As Elijah knows.”
Tobias looks at me confused, but I bite my bottom lip. This is somebignews and I’m not sure how he’s going to react to it.
“And everything is all set-up in a contract agreement. Everything’s a go, all you have to do is say yes.”
Tobias fully turns to me now. “Say yes? To what? Elijah, what’s going on?”
My mouth opens but before I can answer, Paul Hartman steps through the door.
46
Tobias
What is Paul Hartman doing here? And what does he have to do with Gwen—oh.
I look from Gwen, to Hartman and back to Elijah.
“Tobias, it’s so nice to see you back and doing well.” Paul smiles at me, extending his hand.
I still stand there speechless as I shake hands with him.
Elijah thankfully jumps in. “It’s his first day back. Still getting re-acquainted with everything.”
Paul throws up his hands and takes a step back. “I totally get it. Well, I don’tactuallyget it since I’ve never fallen through a frozen lake before but...” He glances at all of us, taking in the awkward energy shift and before he finishes his poor joke, he claps his hands and rubs them together. “So! We’re doing this, or what?”
My head swiftly turns to Elijah. “Doingwhat, exactly?”
Elijah licks his lips and turns my body towards him, as if it’s only us in the room. Damn, I love that about him.
“T, you in the hospital gave me a lot of time to think. I think I reacted quickly when you brought up Hartman’s offer.” He glances at Gwen and Paul before looking back at me. “I should never have put this all on you after my dad passed. Honestly, it wasn’t fair of either of us to throw this whole place on your shoulders.”
“You had to go to school, I understood—”
“No.” He shakes his head slowly, giving me a look I’ve only seen a few times on him. Only when he’s reallyreallysorry for something he’s done. “You’re only one person. It wasn’t fair.” He moves his hand and instead grooms the back of my hair down.
