I swallowed hard, my throat tight.“That doesn’t help,” I whispered.“Knowing he cares doesn’t fix how much it hurts.”
Toby’s smile turned sad.“No, it doesn’t.But maybe it means he’ll come around.And if he doesn’t then we’ll just add his name to the long list of idiots who let something good slip through their fingers.”
That earned a laugh from me, it was shaky and weak, but it was real.“You’re too good at this.”
He shrugged.“Therapy’s expensive.Humor’s free.”
I snorted and focused back on my work.It was only a few minutes later when he spoke again.
“Candy cane?”
“Hm?”
“I think you need a break.”
I snorted.“From what?My life?”
“Yes,” he said simply.“Exactly that.”
Before I could respond, he gathered all my papers and set them aside.
“Toby!”
“Nope.Music time is over.Mental health time is happening.Get your shoes.”
I blinked.“What?Why?”
He grinned, wide and mischievous, like he was about to commit a felony.Knowing him, it probably was.
“I’m taking you out on a date.”
My stomach flipped.“A—what?”
“A date.You know, that thing couples do together,” he said proudly.“A much-needed, very fun, extremely therapeutic Toby-approved date.”
I blinked again.“I...what are we doing?”
He stood, grabbed my hand, and tugged me to my feet.While I knew he wanted to keep the idea a secret, he also knew how I felt about surprises.I watched him fight with himself before giving in and telling me.
“Paintball.”
I froze.“No.”
“Yes,” he said, already dragging me toward the door.“Candy pop, trust me.You’ve never lived until you’ve violently chased your friends around and bruised them legally.”
“Toby, I’ve never done that before.”
“Even better.Come on.”
He didn’t wait for me to protest again, he just pulled me along, practically buzzing with excitement.
Twenty minutes later, we were walking into a facility I didn’t even know existed.The building smelled like rubber, sweat, and cheap soap.Alarms buzzed every round or so, echoing through the giant warehouse of neon obstacles and fog machines.
My heart thudded in my chest as Toby shoved protective gear into my hands.We were given black vests, and I saw others with a lighter color.That way you knew which team you were on.There was also a mask with a shield on it.
“I’m going to get shot,” I muttered.
“Yup,” Toby said way too cheerfully.“Repeatedly.But hey, so will I.And it’ll be beautiful.”
