Page 52

Chapter Fifty

Tobias

I miss you. Please talk to me.

I stare at his text. It’s the second—well, third—one he’s sent since he tricked me into a date with him on Valentine’s Day.

My anger over it has dwindled a little, but not enough to answer him—as badly as I want to.

It’s so hard not talking to him when he’s right there.

Now that I know he wants to talk to me, that he misses me, it’s hard to stay away.

I can’t go back to him just because of that, though. Saying he misses me doesn’t fix anything, but nothing can be fixed if I don’t give him the opportunity to explain himself, right? I have to let him try?

I shove the phone into my pocket and pull open the door to the bar. I’m met with Nathanial’s voice, while he does his own rendition of “Somebody to Love.”

How fitting .

“Aw, honey,” Luca says, walking to me with open arms and giving me a hug when he reaches me. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Luca,” I say with a huff.

“Are you sure?” He looks up at me, pouting.

“I’m sure.”

Hooking his arm with mine, we walk to the booth where the others are sitting, and I take a seat while Luca goes to the bar.

I’ve been here a few times since Theo and I broke up.

The first time I was able to dodge their questions about him.

The second, they already knew what was up. So on the third, I had to spill.

“How’s it going, Tobias?” Greyson asks with a head nod.

I shrug. “Same old shit.”

“Here,” Luca says, handing me a glass.

Giving him a smile, I take it and have a sip. Whiskey. He knows me so well.

My phone is burning a hole in my pocket. I can’t stop thinking about Theo’s text, and how badly I want to answer him. I keep wondering if he’s thinking about me. If he’s staring at his phone, waiting for me to answer him.

“Hey, so, Tobias,” Benton says. “Greyson was thinking about maybe getting a job in the dating scene.”

“Is that so?” I ask.

Greyson shrugs. “All I said was it would be interesting.”

“That’s a word for it,” I comment.

“You make good money?” Johnny asks, leaning against Greyson .

“Hell yeah, he does,” Luca says with a grin.

I nod in agreement. “Yeah, it’s good money.”

“There you go,” Johnny says, sliding his hand across Greyson’s wide chest.

They’re in an open relationship, apparently, and Benton has been dating them.

I’m not really sure how that works, but I’ve gotten glimpses of it here and there.

I have no idea how they handle that sort of thing because I never could, but as long as they’re happy, I’m happy.

I don’t know them as well as the others because I don’t come here as much, but they seem cool enough and they fit in.

If all the guys here accept them, then they’re fine with me.

“Any one hungry? I’m hungry,” Luca whines.

“Me too,” Mario says when he comes over, giving me a wave. “I hear the ovens are working.”

“Ovens? We have ovens?” I ask.

“Emmet redid the menu,” Mario explains. “Added a few new things. Bought a fancy pizza oven.”

“Pizza sounds so good,” Johnny says with a grin.

“But no pineapple,” Greyson says in a teasing tone.

“Hey!” I shout, pointing at him. “That’s rude.”

He chuckles as Johnny leans over to give me a fist bump. “Pineapple on pizza lovers unite.”

I laugh as Greyson throws his arm around Johnny, kissing his temple. “There’s always one,” he comments, and it makes my stomach drop .

Maybe that’s the universe’s weird way of telling me that things with Theo and I never would have worked. There’s never two pineapple-on-pizza lovers in a relationship.

“Not true!” Benton announces. “I love pineapple on pizza.”

Johnny’s eyes go wide, and then he gives Greyson a playful shove.

“Two on one,” Johnny says with a laugh.

“Sounds familiar.” Greyson rolls his eyes, looking at Benton.

“Brat.” He says it so quietly I hardly hear it, but I do see the way Benton’s cheeks turn pink.

I look away, knowing I’m not supposed to be paying attention to their intimate little scene but…

I don’t know. If they can make that work, can’t I make something work with Theo?

No, this isn’t about me making it work. Theo is the one who messed up. He needs to figure it out.

He’s trying.

Fuck off.

I finish my drink and stand.

“What kind of pizza am I ordering?”

They all shout different things at the same time.

“Pineapple!”

“Bacon!”

“Pepperoni!”

“Extra cheese!”

“Okay, okay,” I say. “Is there anything you all don’t like? That’ll probably be easier. ”

“Mushrooms.”

“Anchovies.”

“Pineapple!” Greyson shouts with his hands cupped around his mouth, and we all laugh.

“I think I got this handled,” I say, then go to the bar.

“Hey, Tobias,” Pete greets.

“I hear there’s a pizza oven?”

“You heard right. What can I get you?”

I glance over my shoulder, trying to figure out how many pizzas to get. We’ve got seven grown men who have been drinking for some time now.

“I think we’re going to need four.”

Pete taps away on the new fancy touch screen. I’m glad Emmet is doing good things for the bar without changing it too much. We’re getting needed updates but it’s still a safe place. “What do you want on them?”

“Two with all the meat you got.” He smirks, but keeps his gaze on the screen. “One with only pineapple and one with extra cheese.”

He nods, taking my card when I offer it. “Keep it open. And another whiskey, please.”

“You got it, babe,” he says as he swipes my card, then hands it back.

“It’ll be a bit on the pizza. Oven only cooks two at a time.”

“No worries. Let me know when they’re ready, and I’ll come grab them. ”

He slides my drink to me, and I take it before going back to my seat.

“Should be done soon,” I say as I sit.

I sip my drink, then put my glass on the table. Nathanial comes over and squishes on the side of me, resting his head on my shoulder.

“You’re sad.”

“I’m not,” I say firmly, rolling my eyes.

“I can smell it on you.”

I put my arm around him, shaking my head.

“I am fine, Nathanial. Please, don’t push this.”

His arm comes around my stomach and he hugs me. “Fine. But for the record, you deserve to be happy.”

Grabbing my drink, I take a mouthful then lean back, listening to the conversations going on around me. Nathanial is still holding onto me like I may run away. It’s always a struggle to get here, because I’m tired and want to sleep, but when I‘m here, I don’t want to leave.

These people are my friends, my family—I trust them. Even if I don’t want to talk to them about the stuff going on with Theo, I can tell them anything, any time. They are amazing people.

A small smile stays on my lips as I listen to them joking around, catching up on their lives.

I’m grateful to be a part of this, but even with all my friends surrounding me and Nathanial holding onto me like a koala, I can’t help but feel lonely.

I miss Theo. I wish he was here. I miss the way he'd sit here and listen to everyone talk, intrigued by the most basic conversations.

He was just happy to be included, to have friends, to be a part of this. To feel welcome and accepted.

My phone buzzes and I pull it from my pocket too quickly, only to find junk email. Though I shouldn’t, I open up Theo’s text thread and stare at the last three texts he sent.

I want to answer him. I shouldn’t, but I want to. Talking to him doesn’t mean I have to forgive him. Maybe hearing him out will help me move on…

“It’s okay to give him another chance, you know.” My eyes dart up and I see Nathanial watching me. “For whatever he did.”

“How do you know it wasn’t me?”

“Wild guess.”

I turn my attention back to the phone.

He adds softly, “People fuck up. We make mistakes. Some people are actually sorry for it.”

Narrowing my eyes, I turn back to Nathanial.

“Do you have any idea what you’re talking about?” I ask.

He huffs out a laugh. “Not a fucking clue. Just making guesses over here. The shit with your family, now him.” He moves off my side to grab a beer from the table.

I assume it’s his, but who knows? He's known for stealing people's drinks. “But by the look on your face, I’m pretty damn close.” He winks before taking off to the bar. I watch as he goes, and that’s when Pete comes out carrying a pizza, his eyes meeting mine .

I get up to get it, bring it back to the table, then go back for the second.

He tells me the others will be done soon.

He was smart for doing the pineapple and meat first, this way there is a selection.

The guys get to eating, but all I can do is stare at my phone.

Before I know it, my cup is empty, and I’m getting another drink.

I’m two sips in when I decide to text him back.