Page 70 of Push

With my hand on my hip and zero time for more of the same crap, I simply glared at him.

He was even more insistent when he demanded,“When?”

I threw my hands up. This was ridiculous. “The night of the party. When he dropped by the next day.”

“Here?” Toby’s eyebrows rose as he pointed at the floor. “Ian cameherethe day after the party?”

“His conscience got the better of him. At least one of you has one, I suppose.”

Toby blinked. “You tell me everything he said.Right now.” I’d never heard his voice so cold.

“Why? So you can tell more lies? Or because you want to take your anger out on him for finally telling me the truth?”

“I told you the truth!”

“Your version of it.”

“You still believe I slept with Kayleigh?”

“I believe thefacts. You never came home. Your car was parked outside her house all night. You skipped work the next day.”

“I was at Ian’s! I was drunk off my face. I passed out in the car, and I couldn’t shake it. I didn’t want you to see me like that,so I went to Ian’s. He tried to sober me up, and he…he gave me…a…” Toby barked a laugh of disbelief at the ceiling. “This is fucking surreal. This isn’t happening.” His chest heaved on gulped breaths, but silence stretched between us.

Worried, I touched his forearm. “Toby?”

“Ian’s a dead man.”

Then he was gone like lightning. He spun on his heel and charged down the hallway. His feet had already hit the stairs when I realized what was happening and called out to him.

“Toby!”

He ignored me.

I rushed after him. “Wait!” But I couldn’t keep up.

“No! Every single word out of that traitor’s mouth has been a lie! This whole thing was a setup!” Toby flew down the stairs two at a time. “He’s a fucking dead man!”

The crowd of familiar faces hovering at the bottom of the stairs barely had a chance to react.

Elias copped the worst of it. Toby barreled past him with a muttered apology on his way to the door. I came flying down the stairs a second later. Marnie’s hand darted to grab my arm, tugging me to safety before the front door slammed in my face.

My legs turned to jelly. I’d never seen Toby so angry. The only reason I didn’t collapse in a heap was because Marnie’s arms were tight around my waist.

Elias shot an uncomfortable glance down the hallway. Liam leaned against the wall near the kitchen, munching on a piece of celery and looking utterly bored by all the commotion.

“I would’ve bet a million dollars her husband was referring to you,” Elias said to him.

“Me too.” Liam’s sigh was heavy. “What a disappointment.”

“I suppose you played a part in what just happened?”

“Eli, you always think the worst of me. I’ve been a good boy.” Liam smirked when he heard Marnie’s giggle. “For once.”

I dropped my eyes to my feet.Talk about humiliating… “Sorry you had to see”—I winced—“all that.”

Liam snorted. “Please, that was nothing compared to the time Mama Serrano chased Eli with a frying pan for stealing nibbles of the Christmas ham.”

“She chasedyouwith a frying pan,” Elias corrected him. “Lord Almighty, if you’re spilling Christmas anecdotes and interfering in Gwen’s life, it can only mean one thing.” He laughed. “Welcome back to the family!”

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