Page 95 of Tobias

…yes?

Right. Stupid question. Send me the address and let me know the time. I’ll be there.

I assume I’ll be home around 9:30, so that’s what I tell him. I give him the address and let him know where I keep the spare key because I may be late. And I trust him.

He sends me back a smiley face with pink cheeks. It’s adorable.

My evening goes by quickly. The date goes well, and before I know it, I’m rushing home to find Theo waiting for me in my living room. I close the door, and I’m greeted with a smile. A smile that looks way too good in my house, on my couch… waiting for me. Inmyhome. It’s almost like he belongs here.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Theodore

Tobias invited me to his house. This is a big step. I hadn’t really thought about coming over here before he asked. It wasn’t an issue for him to come to my place. I like it there, and he seems comfortable. But the fact he invited meandtold me where his spare key is? This is huge.

I don’t have much to do while I wait, other than walk Biscuit, shower and change, which takes a little more than an hour. Tobias told me he won’t be home until 9:30, meaning I still have a solid five hours to kill.

He’s probably still home, and I could call or text him, but I don’t want to be weird about this. So instead, I decide to go for a ride. I put Biscuit in her kennel, grab my keys, and go to the garage. It’s too stuffed in here with the three cars. I need to figure out what I’m going to do about the new one. I don’t feel right driving it, which is why I haven’t done it yet. Marianne drove it here while I drovemy car.I’m not sure what I’m going to say when I have to meet my father for somethingand he asks why I’m not driving it. It’s not like I can tell him to return it. He’d have a fit. So, I’ll just hide it here until I figure it out.

For now, I get intomyBentley, the one I bought with my own money. I press the button to lift the garage door and head down the driveway and turn right. I’m not sure where I’m going, I just need to drive to pass the time. Fiddling with the radio, I settle on a station that plays classic rock. I end up by Elliot Bay, find a place to park and get out to walk around since the rain has taken a break.

I barely make it to The Big Wheel before I’m jogging back to my car because of the rain. It comes out of nowhere. A lot of people do the same, running back to their cars or looking for shelter. Anyone living here knows it’s a terrible time to walk around, but they attempt it anyway. If you live in Seattle, you need to be okay with the rain or never leave your house.

When I’m back in my car, I blast the heat to get warm and dry the water droplets off me. I drive around for a bit, then make my way back home and end up taking a nap with Biscuit on my bed. My alarm goes off an hour before I have to leave, this way I can get up and not be groggy before heading over. I feed Biscuit, let her out and since the rain has stopped, I play catch with her in the backyard for ten minutes. When I get back inside, I change my clothes, get Biscuit settled in her kennel, and go for my car. The moment I’m in the garage, my doorbell rings.

“What the hell?”

I have no idea who that could be, so I head inside and go to the front door. Maybe it’s important. Looking through the peephole, I frown and pull it open.

“Asher? Is everything okay?”

He pins me with a stare. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

He steps in, heading over to my couch, completely missing Biscuit in her cage. Because I don’t know how long this will take, I let her out. She hurries over to Asher, who raises a brow at me.

“I got a dog,” I say with a shrug.

He pets Biscuit, scratching behind her ears. “And called off your wedding, apparently?”

There’s no way I can hide my shock over hearing that. Those are not the words I was expecting to come out ofhismouth.

“What?” I laugh. “Where did you hear that?”

All my muscles have seized up, and I can hardly breathe.

“From Max.”

“Max, as in your brother?”

Asher purses his lips. “Look, I’m not mad about whatever is going on, but I am offended that you haven’t talked to me about any of this. What the hellisgoing on?”

“I am so confused,” I comment, running my hand through my hair. “Where did Max hear this?”

Asher holds my gaze, pursing his lips. “From Tobias.”

The way he says it,from Tobias, and not fromsomeone namedTobias, makes me think he knows him. Or that he has more info than he’s letting on.

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