Chapter Twenty
~Toby’s POV~
Icaught Paxon hauntingthe festival, wandering around the edge.He wasn’t looking at anything, just walking slowly past booths and food tables without really noticing them.His eyes were unfocused, hands shoved deep into his pockets.Every now and then, someone called his name, and he pretended not to hear.
I jogged up behind him and called out, “You realize festivals usually involve fun, right?Not brooding in slow motion, acting like you’re in a sad music video.”
He jumped slightly at my sudden presence and then sighed.“Hey, Toby.”
“Hey, Toby,” I mocked, mimicking his low tone.“Dude, you sound like you just found out puppies aren’t real.What happened?”
He didn’t answer.His gaze drifted toward the Hope’s Embrace booth that wasn’t too far off.The one where Cadence had just been helping.His jaw flexed and I didn’t need to ask anymore.
“Ah,” I said, nodding.“That’s where you wandered off to.Did you talk to her?”
“For like thirty seconds,” he muttered.“Then I left.”
“Thirty seconds?”I groaned.“That’s not a conversation, man.That’s a drive by.”
He gave me the faintest glare, but it didn’t stick.His shoulders slumped again.“I don’t know what to say to her.Every time I try, it comes out wrong.Or I don’t say anything at all.”
“Then maybe stop trying to sound right,” I said.“Just sound like you.”
Paxon didn’t respond, simply staring at the ground instead like the answers he needed were there.The silence stretched long enough to annoy me, so I did the only logical thing and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the nearest booth.
“What are you doing?”he asked, startled.
“Saving your mopey ass from self-destruction.We’re going to have some fun.You remember fun, right?You used to laugh before all this emotional constipation.”
“Toby—”
“Nope, no protesting.Step one of the Toby Healing regimen: do something stupid and mildly competitive.”
We ended up at another Project Second Shot booth where we had to toss rings around rubber ducks in a kiddie pool.“Time to give charity to kids while also beating your ass.”
Paxon shook his head, his mouth twitching.That was a small win in my books.We tossed rings.I missed the first one completely and it bounced off the water, hitting the volunteer’s shoe.Paxon landed his perfectly.Of course he did.
“Show-off,” I muttered.
He laughed and for once it looked like there was actual sunlight in all the dark clouds hanging over him.
Wanting to lean into that, I was even more dramatic in tossing my next ring.It missed the entire kiddie pool, skittering across the floor.
Paxon laughed even more.“You’re ridiculous,” he said.
