“My head hurts too much to listen to a conversation about my baby sister’s tits. Ow,” he complains when Alex throws another cushion at him.
It’s not until I’m placing two more mugs on the coffee table that a door down the hall opens and a sleepy Toby emerges.
“Mornin’,” he grunts, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his messy hair.
He’s shirtless, just wearing a pair of sweats, but as impressive as his body is—just like all of them, assholes—it’s the fresh scar on his chest that catches my attention.
Pain slices through my own as I remember what he went through recently, and all because of me. Me and my fucking deranged stalker. My stomach twists, much like it did when I first woke up, and I prepare to have to run to the bathroom.
Thankfully, it subsides with a couple of deep breaths.
“Hey,” Toby says, clearly sensing where my head’s at.
He walks over and grips the back of my head, pulling me into his body and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“I’m okay. And it’s not your fault.”
“But—”
“No, Stella. Just… no.”
I nod in his hold and take a couple of seconds just to soak up his strength.
Seb isn’t the only one who became a vital part of my existence almost overnight, because Toby did too. And long before I discovered how we were connected. I had no idea at the time, obviously, but I felt something… something stronger with Toby from that first day he dropped into my car and offered to sit with me while I waited for recovery. If only I knew how deep that connection ran, I might not have spent the entire night checking him out and trying to use him to drive Seb crazy.
“That’s better,” he says, noticing the smile on my face as I remember those early days. “Wanna share what’s making you smile?” he whispers so the others can’t hear us.
Taking a step back from him, I shake my head. “Just remembering how completely inappropriately I looked at you those first few weeks.”
He barks out a laugh, but I don’t miss the cringe that accompanies it.
“Yeah, well. You weren’t the only one,” he says. “I’m just glad your dad stopped us when he did.”
“Jesus,” I say, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I can’t even—”
“Stop discussing your almost incest and get the poor guy a coffee,” Alex shouts with a laugh.
“What the fuck did your last slave die of?”
“You’d probably rather not know, Princess.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you order food yet?”
“Yes,” he drawls as if I’m boring him.
“Good, now shift your ass and let Toby sit down.”
He salutes me with a wink and moves over a little.
“Where’s Emmie?” Toby asks, looking around as if she’s about to pop up from behind the couch.
“No idea,” I say.
“I don’t even remember getting back here, let alone how anyone else did,” Calli confesses. “What the hell was in that weed?”
“Uh… weed?” Alex suggests, laughing when she flips him off. “I like you more now Stella has corrupted you, Baby C.”
“Fuck you.”