Page 8 of The Substitute (New York Gods #4)

EIGHT

TOBI

Monday rolls around and I grab a sweater and pull it on, trying to sneak out of the room before Ambrose gets back from practice.

Savage texted me all week, shockingly and I don’t want to tell Ambrose what I’m doing.

I keep thinking about the hug he gave me and I desperately want another, but after kinda being a dick to him, I’m scared to ask.

My only excuse for letting Mr. Pre-Med take me out is I’ve barely left the dorm in weeks and it would probably be good to get out. So I walk down the block and around the corner before I get my phone out to text… I realize I don’t even know his name.

Tobi: What’s your name?

Mr. Pre-Med: Savage

Tobi: That’s an odd name.

Mr. Pre-Med: It’s a nickname. Everyone has called me that since I was a kid.

Tobi: A weird one.

Mr. Pre-Med: I’ve been called it so long I kinda forget how it comes off.

Tobi: Are you sure you want to be out? It’s so cold.

Mr. Pre-Med: I’ll help warm you up…with some hot cocoa. I know where you live, no ghosting me.

Tobi: I wasn’t trying to!

I thought about it all day, but I’m not going to tell him that.

It’s not so much about him, more about not wanting to leave my room, but if I don’t want to fail out of college, I guess I have to start.

Leaving my room also got me to shower, so there’s that.

I guess letting a hot guy take me out has benefits.

Mr. Pre-Med: I’m nearly there. Should I come up?

Tobi: NO!

Tobi: I mean I’m already downstairs.

I send him my location so Ambrose doesn’t even see a glimpse of him.

Stylishly ripped black jeans and a black hoodie under a leather moto jacket give the cocky stride of the tattooed giant an ‘I give no fucks’ vibe.

How does he just walk around with this much confidence?

I want to sink into my hoodie, but he catches my eye and smiles at me.

Why does it make my stomach fluttery when he does it?

“Good. I don’t have to track you down.”

“What? I sent you my location,” I say.

“You could have handed off the phone to some kid or tied it to a cat.”

I don’t have a response for that, so I just blink at him.

“So, what kind of studier are you? Do you need silence or background noise?” He crosses his arms, which only makes his chest look wider. Jesus fucking christ. I bet he gives amazing hugs. Why am I obsessed with hugs all of a sudden?

“Uh, kind of both, I guess.” I shrug and shove my hands into my hoodie pocket.

“Coffee shop work?”

“Yes.”

We find a place and since we’re near the university it’s busy but tolerable. Savage leads us to a back corner and tells me to sit.

“What do you want to drink?”

I look up at him, and every possible drink order has left my brain entirely. “Uh…”

He smirks at me. “Or something to eat?”

My stomach grumbles, but the thought of food is gross.

“Uh, no thanks.” I shake my head. “Black coffee with sugar is good, thank you.”

He nods and heads to the counter.

I dig my notes and textbook out of my bag and get them set up.

“Dedicated. I like it.” Savage hands me a cup, which I take and warm my hands on it.

“We’re here to study, right?”

He sits next to me, closer than necessary, and leans over the open textbook. “Physical Chem? That has a brutal lab.”

“Did you take it?” Why would a pre-med student need physical chemistry?

“No, but I know people who did.” He sits back in the seat, watching me, and it makes heat crawl up my neck. I fold my legs up onto the chair to sit criss-cross. “Did you take Calc already, or are you taking it now?”

“I took them freshman year to get them out of the way.” My phone buzzes in my pocket. Confused by who the hell is texting me, I pull it out to find Ambrose is the one sending me a message.

Ambrose: Where did you go?

I don’t respond, just shove the phone back into my pocket.

“Smart.” Savage nods and claps my knee. My phone buzzes again as we get settled. I admit I haven’t done the reading for the last week, so he agrees to read them while I take notes. It feels like a waste of his time. He’s pre-med for fuck’s sake, he has his own studying to do. “Baby girl?”

I blink and turn my head to see him grinning at me. My cheeks heat at being caught not paying attention.

“What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

“Just that there are better ways for you to be spending your time.” Jesus fucking christ. Way to sound ungrateful. I guess it’s better for this god of a man to realize now that I have zero self-worth so he can dip out early.

“If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.” He smirks like I walked right into that one.

I guess I did.

My phone buzzes again, and I’m ready to throw it. With a growl, I rip it from my pocket and see Ambrose has continued to text me.

“Jealous boyfriend?” Savage lifts his eyebrows at my phone.

“More like your stupid brother.” I open the messages to see what the hell he could possibly want.

“So then yes.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, or I wouldn’t be here,” I snap.

Ambrose: Seriously. Are you okay?

Ambrose: You didn’t go back to the bridge, right?

Ambrose: Tobi!

“Are you not allowed to study when you have a boyfriend? Sounds toxic in a not fun way.”

“What? That’s not. No.” I shake my head and respond to Ambrose, so he stops freaking out. Savage is confusing me, and I don’t know how to answer him without making myself look even more pathetic.

Tobi: JFC! Leave me alone!

“Sorry,” I mumble and put the phone on the seat next to me.

“What does he want?” There’s a very smug expression on Savage’s face as he leans closer and glances at my lips.

I’m not telling this man that I was suicidal and his brother, who he hates, saved me.

“Just seeing where I am, I guess.”

“Hmm. And did you tell him?”

I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “No.”

“Why not?”

“If he had a location, he would probably show up,” I say, holding up a finger. “And I really don’t want to deal with his shit mood when he finds out I’m with you.”

“He does seem to get huffy when I’m around.”

I lift an eyebrow at him. “And I would love to know why that is.”

Savage shrugs. “My mom married his dad, who’s a real prick. We don’t really get along.”

“I’ve noticed.” I say, trying to silence my phone as it buzzes again. But this time, Savage snags it and shoves it into his jacket pocket. “Hey!”

“It’s rude to be texting when you’re having a conversation with someone. You’ll get it back when we’re done.”

The casual way his body language and tone shift to one that brooks no argument from me is both terrifying and sexy as fuck. How did he do that?

“What was that?” I ask him, eyeing him to see if I can figure out what changed.

“What was what?”

“That change in your demeanor to be all…” I motion to him, not really knowing how to describe it.

A knowing smile full of sexual promise lifts one side of his luscious lips. That is not helping the situation, and my cock is very interested in whatever he’s promising.

“You like it, so what does it matter?”

“I didn’t say that.” My chest and neck heating is not helping me make my point.

“Not with words.” The way he drags his attention down my body is alluring and makes me nervous. He clearly knows what he’s doing, and I have limited experience here. No one has ever looked at me like this, and all at once, I want so much more of it and for it to stop immediately.

We get back to work, he orders food, and when I realize how long we’ve been here, I’m surprised I’ve had a good time. I’m caught up on notes and the reading, Savage somehow convinced me to eat, and I’ve laughed more than I have in months.

“Thanks for this. I appreciate it.” I shove my stuff in my bag so I don’t have to look at him.

“Of course.” He stands and waits for me. “I’ll walk you back.”

Panic flares in my chest. “Oh, that’s okay. You don’t need to do that. I’m fine.”

“I insist.”

Fuck.

Can’t wait for Ambrose to freak out. Maybe I can sneak away and go to bed while they fight…

I will have to make an excuse to not let him come up. I don’t need Ambrose more annoyed and possessive.

I hold my hand out for my phone, but Savage just looks at it then at me.

“My phone.”

“What am I getting out of it?”

“Not having it buzz in your pocket every twelve seconds?”

“It’s kind of soothing, actually, and it’s giving me more pleasure than it should to know it’s driving Ambrose nuts.”

I sigh and give in. My brain is mush, so there is no way I’m going to out-think him.

“Come on, baby girl, it’s going to be fun.” He boops me on the nose with a grin and leads the way out.

Fuck fuckity fuck.

That was adorable, and I think I hate him for it.