Page 105 of The Penalty

As I step off the elevator, I stop short when I find Tobi leaning against my door with his arms crossed. Uh oh.

I slide my phone into my pocket and lift my chin in a nod. “Hey Tobi, what’s up?”

Using my keycard, I unlock the door and he follows me in without a word, closing the door behind him.

“I don’t know if I’m more insulted that you think I’m stupid or more betrayed by all the lies.”

Fuck.

“That’s not?—”

“Shut up!” Tobi yells, then clenches his jaw. “I know you were just at Rhys’overnight. And you’re wearing a fucking Gods hoodie! Why?”

I look down at my chest and groan. Shit. I didn’t realize it had a logo on it since there wasn’t much light. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what he knows or what Rhys is planning on telling him.

“Rhys was invited to another thing with his brothers, we were exhausted so we crashed at his place. I obviously don’t have clothes there.”

One of his eyes twitches. “And last week when he was here all night?”

“Are you stalking him? How would you know where he was all night if he wasn’t with you?” That urge to protect Rhys is fighting against wanting to protect my brother. I don’t know what to do or who to help more. Either way, I’m hurting someone who matters. I fucking hate this.

“I wouldn’t have to if you guys would stop lying to me! He’smybest friend, Teddy! Mine! And now I find out you’re seeing him, and I can’t even get him totextme back!” he yells the last word and steps toward me. I swear I can feel his words like a physical hit. “You’ve never given two shits about him or what he was doing. Why all of a sudden are you hanging out? Pretending to date him? It’s fucking suspicious!”

“I’m helping him out!” I pace to the window and back, desperate to find a way to deflect without throwing anyone under the bus. “You’re the one who got sick to begin with and left him drowning in a shit creek with no paddle! So I stepped up and helped. It’s not my fault they assumed we were dating so I’ve been invited to other shit.” I want to cry at the look of pain on his face. Even my dumbass doesn’t misunderstand what that is. It might as well be written in text on his skin.

“You demanded to be taken with him the second time. You could have let him tell them you broke up, but you didn’t. Why?” His hands are in tight fists like he wants to hit me, and I would let him if he took the swing. I more than deserve it for this. He’s right. He deserved a lot better than what we are doing to him.

“It’s better for me to go than for him to have to face it alone, isn’t it?”

Keep fucking digging your grave, you idiot.

Tobi will never forgive me for this when he finds it all out. It’ll be the final break in our chain.

“It would have been better for you not to go at all then I could have gone to the dinner thing with him!”

“This isn’t about you! It’s about being there for Rhys. He needed someone at his back, and I was there. I was doing this in part for you too! He matters to you, so he matters to me!”

Tobi looks at me like he’s going to cry. What the fuck is happening right now? What am I missing?

“Look me in the eye and tell me that’s all it is. You’re fake dating him to help him out with his brothers.” Tobi steps up to me, almost chest to chest. He’s breathing too hard, and I can’t tell why exactly.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing and help him out.”

Tobi watches me a heartbeat longer than is comfortable, and I’m holding my breath as he does. My lungs burn and my heart aches at the lies I’m spewing. The guilt is going to eat me alive like one of those flesh-eating bacteria things.

“Fine.” Tobi turns and leaves, slamming the door behind him as he goes.

I sag onto my bed, feeling like a piece of bird shit on the sidewalk, and drop my face into my hands. Why is this so hard? Why does it feel like my insides are being twisted like a corkscrew?

Shit.

I have to warn Rhys.

My Glory Hole: tobi is inside 2 us

Breeder: Fuck

TWENTY-EIGHT

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