T —
It’s the twenty-first century. You could have texted me.
Brooklyn Marie
For some reason it strikes me as amusing that he went to all the trouble of leaving me a note. Amusing and endearing. He doesn’t owe me anything, but still wanted to make sure I knew where he was.
So I guess the least I can do is hydrate and pick a movie.
Pulling a bottle of lemon–lime electrolyte drink free of its plastic binding in the fridge, I twist the orange lid free as I walk to the great room. I spent most of my time here yesterdayasleep—and the space was dark when I was here for dinner—so I’ve never gotten a great look at the room itself.
It’s a large space with soaring ceilings covered in planks of warm wood. Windows line the back wall, looking out over the distant mountains. A large stone fireplace takes up another entire wall, with a television that’s probably as wide as I am tall mounted above the mantle.
Plopping down on the large, overstuffed sectional Tobias made up as my sickbed, I pick up the remote and turn on the television. It’s set to a music station, and I can’t quite figure out how to get anywhere else.
Copper and Bruno both pop their heads up, attention snapping my way. A second later they’re jumping out of the cozy little dog bed they’ve occupied all morning, and racing my way. Copper leaps right onto the cushion next to me, flopping down dramatically.
Bruno isn’t big enough to accomplish the same feat, but he still gives it his best attempt, managing to clothesline himself on the edge of the seat.
“Oh no.” I scoop him up and pepper his furry face with kisses. “Are you okay?”
“Not bad.” Tobias’s voice makes me jump, pulling Bruno close as adrenaline drops into my veins.
At some point he’s going to notice how on edge I am. The way any unexpected sound or movement results in a response I can’t seem to get under control.
And at some point, I’m going to have to tell him why. He’ll look at me differently after that. He should. I look at me differently too.
But if Tobias notices my unnatural reaction to his sudden appearance, he doesn’t show it. He just nods toward the television,giving me a grin. “Having a hard time working that thing?”
My relief at having a little more time before everything changes has all the air rushing from my lungs on a weird laugh. “Obviously.” I drop the remote to the sofa beside me. “I was about to start pushing random buttons, so I guess you got here just in time. Otherwise I would have had everything all screwed up and it would’ve taken you hours to fix it.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s just a TV.” He says it simply. Easily. Casually. As if it’s impossible anyone would consider me royally screwing up his entertainment system a big deal.
But I can say with absolute certainty, someone would. They would act like it was the end of the world and I was the biggest freaking idiot on the planet. They would yell. They would scream. They would belittle. They would shrink me just a tiny bit more. Add another crack in the shape of who I am so it would be easier to mold me into who they expect me to be.
Tobias sits on the couch next to me, his movements calm but controlled as he picks up the remote and patiently explains how I get to all the different streaming apps. He’s just finished explaining how to activate the cable box, when his phone starts to ring.
Passing me the remote with directions to pick something to watch, he stands, digging his cell from a pocket as he walks toward the hallway leading to the garage.
He doesn’t make it all the way there. After taking only a few paces, Tobias stops, his shoulders going tight as his spine snaps straight. “What?”
Again, I startle. Not visibly, but my insides still react. Not in surprise this time, but at the sharp tone of his voice. The sudden tenseness in his frame.
When Tobias spins to face me, his expression is hard, and it affects me in a visceral way.
Almost immediately his features smooth out, shoulders dropping, hand unclenching where it was balled into a fist. He's listening to whoever’s on the other end of the phone, but not saying anything back.
After what feels like forever, he finally responds, tone chilly. “I’ll be there in five minutes.” He disconnects the call, watching me for a second before scrubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t want to have to tell you this.”
I swallow hard, bracing as much as I can. “What is it?”
His eyes lift to the ceiling, head barely shaking as his jaw clenches. “Your parents are at the big house.”
I knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time before they narrowed down my location. There are honestly only so many places I could’ve gone. It says a lot about them that it took this long to find me. Shows how little they actually know about what my life has become.
Or maybe they know, and just don’t care.
“I’m going to go talk to them.” Tobias shocks me with his statement.
