TOBY
Ifucking love driving into our garage after school and finding Jodie’s little black Abarth parked in the space next to mine. I can’t fight my smile, knowing that she’s upstairs waiting for me.
We got called into work this evening for the first time since the Lovell shitshow. It was the last thing I wanted after Jodie messaged to tell me that she was back at mine after visiting Sara, but I had little choice.
I’ve already tempted fate enough when it comes to ignoring the boss’s orders in favour of my girl. He might have given me a free pass given the situation, but I doubt I’ll ever get it again.
I’m just glad I’ve managed to secure the weekend off.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I push my door open and climb out, Nico, Alex, Seb, and Theo right behind me.
Nico and Alex are too busy taking the piss out of each other to notice my excitement about being home. It’s not something Theo and Seb miss, however. Probably because it’s a feeling they’re experiencing right alongside me as we head up to our flats.
The second the lift dings on our floor, Seb and I spill out.
“You going to play with Nico?” Seb asks Alex when he fails to follow us.
“Better than listening to you four fuck the night away through the walls,” he quips.
“Fuck off, bro. You can’t hear shit and you know it.”
“I dunno,” Seb mutters. “Didn’t you hear that screamer he brought home the other night? Sounded like a dying fucking cat.”
Alex’s chest puffs out with pride.
“I was just that good.”
“Pretty sure I heard, ‘Get the fuck off me, you monster,’ at one point.”
“Nah, mate. You must be mistaken. That was probably Stella.”
“Un-fucking-likely,” Seb scoffs. “We all know how much Stella loves my cock.”
“Jesus. I’m out,” I say, pressing my hand to the pad beside my door, more than ready to leave these idiots behind in favour of my girl. “Enjoy your evening,” I call over my shoulder a second before their bickering is cut off and the incredible scent of something my girl is up to hits my nose.
My stomach growls loudly as I kick my shoes off.
My heart pounds harder with every step I take, and my mouth waters—both for the food she promised she’d have ready for me when I was finished and for her.
What I’m not prepared for is the sight that greets me as I round the corner and find her standing in my kitchen with a spatula in hand.
“Hey,” she breathes, a wide smile spreading across her face and her eyes twinkling in excitement.
“Hey. This smells—”
Behind her, something bubbles over, the hiss of the water against the electric hob filling the space around us.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.”
Twisting around, she pulls the pan away from the heat and attempts to mop up the mess with a tea towel.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been trying so hard to—”
“Whoa, baby,” I soothe, placing my hands on her waist and pressing the length of my body against her back. “You’re welcome to make as much mess as you want to,” I tease, my lips brushing the shell of her ear.
“B-but your kitchen is—”
“A kitchen. It’s a place to make a mess,” I assure her.