Page 148 of The Substitute

“What are you sorry for?” I run my fingers through his hair and hold him.

“I saw Savage on the way home.”

Fuck.

“What did that asshole do?” I move to get up, needing to kick his ass.

Tobi tightens his grip on me. “No, he didn’t do anything. He didn’t even come in the bar when Rhys did. He stayed outside and was about to leave.”

“Still, he shouldn’t have come over and talked to you,” I say through my teeth.

“I know.” He sighs and falls into silence.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I don’t know what to do anymore.”

My heart sinks. Fuck. “In what way?”

“All of this.” Tobi breaks and sobs for a minute before he pulls it back enough to speak again. It’s the worst kind of torture to watch. I want to protect him, but I can’t. “I’m mad. I’m hurt. But I don’t know how to be that and still function. You deserve more than my shit over him, and I don’t want to talk to you about it since you hate him. But I don’t have anyone else to talk to, so I just don’t do anything. But then he messages me or shows up, and it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to beg him to hug me or tell me he doesn’t hate me. I don’t know how to do any of this, and my head never shuts up.”

Sobs rack his body as he lets it out. I wrap myself around him, holding him together while he falls apart. This is my fault too. I should have asked him specifically about how he was feeling with Savage. I let myself use my bullshit to ignore it.Savage might be the one who lied, but I’m hurting Tobi, too, by letting my shit get in the way.

Savage and I have to fix this.

FORTY-FIVE

AMBROSE

Once Tobi falls asleep, I carefully leave the bed and get dressed. He might be upset with Savage, but we have to fix this. It’s breaking him, and I can’t watch it anymore.

I grab my stuff and leave the room.

Clive is in the living room, so I tell him if Tobi wakes up, tell him I had to run an errand, and I’ll be right back. Yeah, it’s sketchy but whatever. I don’t want him getting worked up over me and Savage fighting or something.

It’s late, so it doesn’t take me too long to get to his place. I don’t want to go inside, don’t want to work things out with him, but I have to. This is bigger than me.

Knocking on the door, I don’t wait long for Savage’s roommate to open the door.

“Uh, hey.” He looks me up and down but doesn’t let me in.

“Is Savage home?”

“Yeah, hang on.” Lovelace yells for him over his shoulder. “Savage, your brother is here!”

“Step-brother,” I correct.

“Same difference, man.” Lovelace steps aside, revealing Savage.

He’s leaning against a doorframe like he’s trying to be imposing or some shit. “What are you doing here?”

“We have a problem.”

“Why’s that?” He’s clearly not happy to see me.

I side-eye Lovelace, then give Savage a questioning look. Does he really want to have this conversation with witnesses?

He sighs and leads the way up the stairs to his room. He leans against his desk and crosses his arms. “How is he?”