Page 11 of As the World Falls

“Cool, let’s go.”

I follow him out of the room and check my phone, seeing his location right next to mine.

Our dinner runs long because, like the annoying sister role that I play perfectly, I make Tobias explain to me exactly what his job duties are, and by the time he’s finished, I’m bored out of my mind.

It all sounded so business savvy and domestic, things I would have never described my brother to be. Having him back in my life reminded me how lonely I’d been lately. Lance was great, but if I was being honest with myself, it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted a family, and I had hardly any left besides Tobias and our dad, who was also somewhat estranged with the same problems Tobias had. I was a girl who needed her big brother, damn it.

I didn’t want Tobias to go anywhere again, so I needed to ensure he was okay. Which meant I needed to do more snooping. I wanted to be one thousand percent sure that he wasn’t doing anything shady.

When I walk back into my hotel after dinner and say goodbye to Tobias, I plummet into bed, feeling worn out from today’s unusual activities.

My phone rings in my purse, and I groan, flopping onto my back. Reaching into my bag tossed on the bed, I pull it out and answer it as soon as I see the capital L flashing on the screen.

“Hey, Lancelot.”

“Am I crazy, or are you not home at this hour?” I laugh at his puzzled tone and roll to my stomach in bed.

“I am, in fact, at a swanky hotel in the city, laying on a very fluffy bed.”

He’s silent for a moment on the other end before speaking again. “You’re in New York City?”

“Yup.”

“Why?”

“I came to check out where my brother works.”

I hear a muffled sigh and my brows furrow. “He’s got you acting all chaotic again already,” he points out.

I didn’t understand his sudden disappointment, and it brought on a wave of anxiety over me. “I’m not acting chaotic. I just reconnected with him and wanted to see where he works.” Honestly, it is more chaotic than that, but it was my doing, not Tobias’s. I was clearly the one with trust issues here.

“I don’t want you to get heartbroken when he hurts you again.”

“That’s a little pessimistic, don’t you think?”

He sighs again. “You’re right. I’m being unfair. I hate that you’re in a hotel all by yourself. I wish you’d told me. I could have kept you company.”

More anxiety rushes through me, and I chuckle, playing it off. “I’m fine. Being alone in a fancy hotel is my kind of relaxation. It’s just me and my book for the night.”

“What book are you reading now?”

I glance at it on my nightstand. “The Earl's mistress. It’s very tragic and forbidden.”

“Sounds like it,” he chuckles.

I lay back in bed, feeling slightly more relaxed now. “How about you?”

“I have about three chapters left of Space Destruction.”

I scrunch my face. “What’s that about? Sounds bad.”

“It…is. It’s a violent take on what could happen if aliens did come to earth and want to basically eradicate us after studying us for hundreds of years.”

“Jeez,” I laugh. “I don’t know how you read that stuff. I’d be freaking out having that kind of scenery play out in my head while reading.”

“You’re not as strong-willed as I am,” he jokes, making me laugh again.

I talked to Lance for another hour before hanging up for the night. I lay back in bed, feeling too tired to read now. I took my phone out and pulled up Tobias’s location, and I paused, taken aback when I saw he was at Labyrinth headquarters. I glanced at the clock, seeing it was past ten at night.

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