Page 139 of Tobias

Now there’s this timid side that I’m not sure I like. I mean, I like all things about him, but I hate that he feels this way around me. It’s not how I want us to be. It’s not the way we’re supposed to be. It’s not us.

“You missed me?” I ask, my voice coming out husky as I take a step closer to him. There’s barely a foot between us now, but it still feels like miles.

“So much,” he answers back.

I brush my thumb over his cheek and rest my hand on the side of his face. His eyes fall closed and he takes in a shaky breath. I take the moment to look over his face, see his features. Not much has changed. Though it feels like forever since I’ve seen him, it hasn’t been all that long. Not counting Valentine’s Day, of course, because that wasn’t us. Not the real us.

“I missed you too,” I whisper, sliding my hand around the back of his neck to pull him to me. A shaky breath escapes him as he clenches my shirt, burying his face against my chest, not too different from how my sister was moments ago. I guess I’m forgiving two people tonight.

Running my fingers through the soft hair at the back of Theo’s head, I hold him and we sway gently. I’ve missed himso much. More than I allowed myself to feel. My chest is full of more emotion than I thought possible. It's hard to breathe.

“I’m sorry,” he says after some time. “I swear I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

“I believe you, Theo,” I say, pulling back to meet his bright green eyes that I’ve missed so much. “But we have a lot to talk about.”

He nods, not letting go of my shirt. “Yeah, we do.”

Cupping his cheeks, I lean in to kiss him. Just a soft press of our lips. He whimpers before I pull away and I rest my forehead on his for just a moment, before taking his hand and leading us to the couch.

“I asked for your honesty once, and I didn’t get it,” I start. He watches me carefully. “I’ve thought about a lot of things since we’ve been apart, and what I came up with is this: You made a mistake.”

“I did,” he says firmly. “The biggest mistake of my life.”

I nod, taking his hand again and running my thumb along his knuckles. “I also realized that my life is not as good without you in it. I miss you. And I regret not telling you I loved you on New Year’s.”

Theo sucks in a sharp breath, biting on his bottom lip as he fights tears.

Continuing, I say, “I don’t think it would have changed anything that happened, that’s all just part of our story now, but…” I tilt his chin up to look at me better. “I want to try again.”

“You do?” His words come out as a whisper.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Some small, some big. Some that hurt people and some that don’t matter. I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt and that it still doesn’t. It’s going to take time for me to trust you again.”

“I will do anything to make that happen.” Theo moves closer to me, lifting up on his knees. He grasps my face, looking deep into my eyes. “Anything, I swear. Can I please kiss you?”

“I’d like that.”

His lips meet mine, softly at first, but it doesn’t take long for it to turn heated. I feel how much he missed me in just the way he kisses me, like he’s remembering my mouth all over again.

He breaks the kiss but keeps his lips a breath away from mine. “I hate myself for not telling you that I loved you too, but I’m terrified if I say it now, you’ll think it’s a way to earn your trust.”

“Then save it for tomorrow. I don’t need your words right now,” I answer, pulling his body fully on top of mine.

He groans when he lands on me, shifting to get comfortable. He’s hard against my thigh, and I grip his ass to grind his dick against my leg.

“I need to know that you’re mine and only mine,” I tell him as I kiss his neck.

I should have asked that question before I told him to come here, but I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. With howangry I was over what he did, I can’t imagine him coming back to me if he hadn’t fixed it. I could be wrong again, but something tells me I’m not. And if I am wrong, and he’s doing this again, then I guess we just weren’t meant to be and I'm the biggest moron on the planet.

“Always, Tobias. Ipromise.”

I push him up slightly, needing to see his face. Maybe if I look closer, I can see the honesty there.

“It’s over?” I ask.

Waiting a beat that feels like an hour, he finally says, “Has been since she saw us. We even told our families together.”

My chest floods with warmth and my eyes fall closed. I focus on keeping my heart steady. “You did?” I ask, opening my eyes.

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