2. Toby
Chapter 2
2 months ago
“Red.”
That one word lands between us like a bomb. He knows it’s the one thing he can say to make me back off. I step back, and when he slams the door, I tap the top of the limo to let the driver know he can leave.
I watch the sedan’s tail lights fade, my heart cracking in two. I storm back into the house when I can't see the lights anymore. I go straight to Aiden, my fist raised, but Jace grabs me around the waist. “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?” I yell, struggling in Jace’s hold. “YOU SET HIM UP?”
“Toby,” Jace growls. “Calm down.”
“No! Fuck that. Let me go!”
“Let him go,” Aiden says quietly. “I deserve to get my ass kicked.”
“Do you have any idea what you just did?” Jace asks, but he still won’t loosen his death grip. “Oliver put his trust in us that night, and you just fucked him over by lying to him. And us. You need to start talking.”
“I don’t want to hear any of his bullshit. Nothing he can say will make up for breaking Oliver’s heart.” Aiden looks at me with sad eyes, but I don’t fucking care. “So I’ll make up for it by breaking his goddamn face.”
“Aiden,” Jace barks. “Start fucking talking.”
Aiden rakes his hands through his hair and sits heavily in the chair. “Nothing I say here will fix this.”
“No, it won’t,” I agree, finally jerking free from Jace’s hold. “I should have known something more was up when you laid that law down not to see him again.”
“I was going to tell him. I just…didn’t know how. Then I found out you guys were fucking him behind my back.”
I lunge for Aiden, but this time, Jace doesn’t catch me before my fist connects with Aiden’s cheek. “Fucking him behind your back?!”
“Goddamnit, Toby!” Jace barks and jerks me back into his arms. “You need to chill.”
“Let me go,” I say as calmly as I can. “Jace. Let me go.”
Jace loosens his hold but doesn’t move away. “We weren’t fucking him behind your back. And who the hell are you to judge us when you knew who he was and used to fuck his goddamn sister? I don’t know what kind of fucked up shit you got us involved in, but you need to leave.” Aiden opens his mouth, and Jace takes a menacing step forward. “I’m trying to stay calm here, Aiden, so I suggest you get the fuck out of my house before I let Toby beat the shit out of you. I don’t even know who the fuck you are right now.”
Aiden gets up and slowly walks toward the door. He turns around when he gets there. “I’m sorry.”
Aiden slams the front door behind him, and when I try to leave the room, Jace grabs my arm. “Where are you going?”
“To get Oliver back.”
Present Day
As that night rolls around in my head, I watch Oliver pull away from the club and head back inside. I search out the big guy who was manhandling him and shove him into the bar. Several glasses hit the ground, and he whirls around to face me.
“What the fuck, man?” he says, shoving me back.
“That was my man you had your hands all over,” I reply, stepping into his face.
“Your man looked like he was already fucking around.”
“They’re best friends.”
The guy laughs, and it pisses me off even more. “He could be my best friend any goddamn time with that tight ass.”
I swing before the thought even crosses my mind. It connects with his nose, and I don’t stop punching him until I feel several arms wrapping around me. I jerk in their hold, and they drag me toward the door, but not before I see the mess I made of the other guy’s face. The bouncers toss me outside, and I hold up my hands. “I’m done.”
“Go home,” one of them demands.
With a nod, I walk to my motorcycle, sling my leg over the seat, put my helmet on, and fire the bike up. I pull out and open the throttle, flying through the city at breakneck speeds. I split between cars and push the bike even faster. I come to a screeching halt and pull over in front of Oliver’s apartment. I push the kickstand down, pull my helmet off, and lean back on the bike, propping my feet on the handlebars. The light is on, so it gives me a little relief that he went home.
It’s been the longest two months of my life without Oliver. Jace and I messaged him nonstop, and when that didn’t work, we called, and then we got the fateful message that his number was no longer in service. I resorted to going to his apartment, but he would never come to the door; Leland always answered. He told me I needed to let Oliver heal, and I respected that.
My phone rings, and I dig it from my pocket. I slide to answer when I see Jace’s name. “Hello?”
“Why did I just get a phone call that you got kicked out of Pride’s Place for fucking fighting?”
“Because the motherfucker had it coming.”
“Toby,” Jace sighs. “You can’t keep doing this. Where are you?”
I look up at Oliver’s apartment. “Out.”
“You’re watching him again, aren’t you?”
I want to deny it, but he’ll know I’m fucking lying. It’s the same thing I’ve done for the past two months. I’ve watched over Oliver to make sure he’s safe. “Yeah.”
“Come home, Dirty boy.”
“I can’t do this anymore, Jace. I need him more than I need fucking air.”
“I know. So do I, but he isn’t going to talk to us until he’s ready. Come home, and let me take care of you.”
“I’ll be there soon.” I disconnect the call and watch the lights in Oliver’s apartment turn off. I let my feet hit the ground, and right when I’m about to slide my helmet on, Leland comes marching out of the front door. He storms right up to me and punches me in the arm.
“What the fuck, Toby? I didn’t tell you we’d be there for you to go all fucking he-man on some jackass.”
“He had his hands on Oli.”
“I know he did.” Leland runs his fingers through his hair and blows a breath out. “I feel like shit for telling you to show up. Oli’s a mess.”
Leland met me a few weeks after that night and let me explain what happened. He didn’t believe me initially but started to after I told him how I felt about Oli. He refuses to get in the middle besides dropping hints about where Oliver might be. Leland says Oli has to make up his own mind. “I don’t know how to fix it.”
“Figure it out because I’m tired of tucking my crying best friend into bed. Have you talked to Aiden?”
“Jace has, but I don’t want to hear his bullshit.”
Leland shoves his hands in his pocket and shakes his head. “I don’t know what to do. I want Oliver to be happy, but I feel like I’m stabbing him in the back by talking to you.” He sighs. “I think I’m going to call Payton.”
“Payton?”
“Oliver’s sister. He’ll never forgive himself until he gets it off his chest about what happened.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” I argue. “Aiden did.”
“I know, but Oli doesn’t see it that way. His dad fucking sucks, and when Oliver came out as gay, Payton was the only one in his family that had his back. Payton and I are the only people he has.”
“Thank you for doing this,” I say sincerely.
“I’m doing this for Oliver. If you make me regret this, I’ll kill you myself.” He marches back into the apartment, and I put my helmet on to head to Jace’s.
I get there in record time, and he’s waiting in the garage, leaning against one of his many cars. I know that look all too well and steel myself. “That guy wants to press charges,” he informs me when I pull my helmet off.
“Let him. He deserved worse.” I brush by Jace, and he wraps his hand around my bicep. He jerks my back against his chest and locks his hand on my throat.
“I know you’re hurting. I feel it, too, but you can’t go around so willing to throw your life away.”
“Why does it matter?” I shoot back. “Nothing matters without him.”
“Not even me?” That makes me pause, and my heart sinks.
“That’s not what I meant.”
He gently turns me to face him. “I can’t fix this, and it’s driving me fucking crazy. Oliver walked out of our lives, you don’t talk to me anymore, and Aiden won’t come around. My family is broken, and I can’t fix it.”
“Jace—”
“Save it, Toby. I told you that we’d get Oli back. We just had to give him time. You didn’t want to listen to me, so do it your way. I can’t watch you throw your life away. I love you too much for that.”
I watch Jace walk into the house, my heart in my throat. I had no idea I was hurting him like this. I know he cares about Oliver as much as I do. It’s obvious. But I never considered what my actions did to Jace.
Now I feel like the world’s biggest asshole.
My phone ringing the next morning jerks me from a deep sleep. I reach out for it blindly until my hand closes around it. “Hello?” I answer without looking at the caller ID.
“It’s Leland.”
I sit straight up in bed. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you home?”
“I’m at Jace’s. Leland, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I can’t find Oliver. He wasn’t at home when I woke up, he’s not at work, and he won’t answer his phone. I’ve been looking for over two hours.”
“What’s his number?” I say, swinging my legs out of bed.
“I’m not supposed?—”
“What’s the number, Leland?” I walk into Jace’s office, and he looks up with a frown until he sees the panicked look on my face. “Now.” Leland rattles off the number. “I’ll call you back.”
“What’s going on, Toby?” Jace asks.
“Leland can’t find Oliver.”
“What do you mean he can’t find him?”
“As in, he’s fucking missing.” I dial another number and run my fingers through my hair as I wait.
“Montgomery,” they answer.
“Kristian. I need you to track a number for me.”
“Toby, I already told you I can’t break the law so you can stalk your boyfriend.”
“He’s fucking missing, Kris. Didn’t you break the law by using your detective resources to try and find Felix?”
“Fuck. What is it?” I give him the number and hear him typing in the background. “His location is turned off.”
“Dig deeper.”
“I have to have a warrant for this shit, Toby. I’d have to call the cell phone company to get them to turn his location on.”
“Then do it.” I start pacing, and Jace is staring at me with a mix of concern and confusion.
“No. This is where I draw the line. I ignored the fact that you’ve been openly stalking this poor guy. I talked that asshole out of pressing charges last night. I’ve covered for you more times than I can count. Please don’t make me feel like shit because I don’t want to risk my job.”
“He could be hurt, Kristian!”
Jace jerks the phone from my hand, ignoring my glare. “What’s going on, Kris?” Jace looks at me and pulls me into his arms. “I’ll handle it. Thanks, man.” He hangs up the call and lies my phone on the desk. “We’ll find him.”
“How? We have no clue where he might be.”
“We’ll go over and talk to Leland. Between the three of us, I’m sure we can figure out where he could be at. His location is off, so he’s not hurt and turned it off so he wouldn’t be found, Toby.”
“How can you be so goddamn calm?”
“Because I need to be. For you.”
I wrap my arms around Jace’s neck and hug him as tightly as possible. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He squashes me against his massive chest. “Let’s go find our boy.”
Our boy.