Page 48 of After All This Time

"I don't know; I saw you pass your phone to her."

"No, she took my phone," he corrects, looking completely unbothered. I nod, pulling up the Uber app to book a ride, but hedoesn't let it drop. "She asked if I wanted to hang out after, but I'm not about to let you go home alone."

"Are you serious right now?" I pause mid-scroll, placing my phone on the table and meeting his gaze head-on.

"Oh, fuck me. No. Don't start, Mills. I'm not having this conversation again."

The look in his eyes dares me to argue, but there's something else too. No matter how much I push, no matter how hard I fight, he's not moving. He's not budging. And as irritating as it is, there's something inside me that fucking loves the way he doesn't back down.

"If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't leave Tessa, Jen, or any other woman to go home alone this time of night just to get laid." I roll my eyes, and before I can open my mouth, he adds, "And I know you think I'm some asshole who fucks his way around the country, but I'm not. I'm coming with you, so make your peace with it, and the next time you wanna roll your eyes at me about it, I'll follow you fucking everywhere just to piss you off."

There's nothing left to say, and even if there were, I'm not sure I could find the words.

Silently, I reach for my phone to book the Uber that I'm now apparently sharing with Tobias.

He stands first, his hand outstretched to help me up, and I take it. The moment I'm on my feet, regret hits me instantly—these heels were a mistake. They look incredible, giving me an extra four inches that I desperately need when standing next to Tobias. However, each step is like tap dancing across a field of Lego bricks while having cheese graters strapped to your feet, and I already know they're coming off the second I sit down.

Once we're settled in the back of the car, I kick them off with a sigh, stretching out my toes. The relief is immediate, and I can'thelp the little sigh of pleasure that escapes as I let my head fall back against the seat.

"Much better," I sigh.

Tobias smirks, glancing down at my discarded shoes in the footwell. "You sure you'll be able to walk on those toes after butchering them all night?"

"Why do you think I took them off? Any longer, and I'd have been begging you to saw my feet off."

"Jigsaw style?"His tone is light, playful, but his eyes… fuck, his eyes are anything but.

"If that's what you're into,"I murmur, though something in his baby blues has me second-guessing my words.

"Games aren't my thing."

"So… what is your thing?"

I shouldn't have asked. The moment the words slip out, I know I've opened something I can't close. He turns, and time seems to slow.God, his eyes.They're not just looking at me. They're stripping me bare and peeling back layers I've spent years constructing.

"I don't think I know anymore, Firefly."

This is not happening.

I need to shatter this tension. I need to shove it out of the car and out of my mind, because what the hell even is this? My pulse is hammering in my ears, my skin is on fire, and I can't think straight with him this close. I let out a shaky laugh and turn my face toward the back of the driver's head.

"Well, you might wanna figure that out before you drive yourself crazy."

His gaze remains on me for one endless moment, like he's waiting for me to give in. Waiting for me to crack and meet him in this space we're both pretending doesn't exist.

But then he looks away, and just like that, the moment's gone.

All I want now is my bed, my head hitting the pillow, and a few hours of not thinking about my stepbrother.

Chapter 19

Tobias

This thing with Amelia—it's not just me.

Whatever tension is twisting itself between us, we're both tiptoeing around it. It's unspoken, but it's there, sparking up whenever we're close enough to feel it.

And I get it—there are a million reasons why crossing that line would be the worst possible idea. There's too much to risk, too much to lose, and we both know it.

---