Page 18 of Rescuing Tobias

Isabella shifted a little, that restless energy he’d witnessed in her last night back again. Then he watched her gaze shift to the man standing behind Becca, watching both women with a soft expression.

Moving toward the man, Isabella hesitated for a second, then threw herself at him, fresh tears flooding her cheeks. “I'm always going to be a little mad at you for hurting my best friend, but I always knew how much she loved you, and I haven’t seen her look that at peace since before you guys broke up. As long as you promise to never hurt her again, I’ll be your biggest supporter.”

Connor chuckled as he drew Isabella closer. “Don’t intend on hurting her, Bella. Never again. I know how lucky I am that she gave me a second chance.”

“It was because of you that Prey was looking for me, wasn't it?” Isabella asked, pulling back to look up at the man.

“You're important to Becca, and you were a big part of my life back when we were in college, too. You took care of my moonlight for me when I wasn't there, for that, I owe you a debt I can never repay. No one was going to give up on you, Bella. Didn't matter how long it took, we would have kept looking for you.”

“Nothing short of finding a body would have stopped us,” Becca added, stepping up to the pair.

When Isabella turned to look at her best friend she must have caught sight of the baby bump, because her eyes went wide, and then she squealed in delight. “You're pregnant!” Spinning to face him, she rolled her eyes at him. “You knew, didn't you? That’s why you didn't want to tell me about Becca and Connor.”

“I might have heard in the rumor mill that Connor got his girl pregnant and proposed last Thanksgiving,” Tobias agreed. That wasn't his news to share, though, and he knew after what they’d both been through that Becca would want to tell her best friend herself.

“We have so much to catch up on,” Becca said, her gaze lingering on the red marks on Isabella’s neck.

“Here, pancakes are finished. Why don’t you two talk for a bit, and then you can head out?” he suggested, needing these last few minutes to prepare himself to say goodbye.

“Has Tobias been taking good care of you?” Becca asked as both women moved toward the couch. There was a note in her voice that seemed like she was asking about more than if he’d just offered her a place to stay for the night, but maybe that was his own guilt talking.

Sleeping with someone who had just been through what Isabella had could easily be seen as taking advantage. She’d assured him it was what she wanted, and she didn't seem to have regrets this morning, but he could still agree that he probably shouldn’t have done it.

Filling up four plates with pancakes, Tobias did his best not to react when he heard Connor come up behind him.

“You slept with her, didn't you?” Connor asked softly.

“How’d you know?”

“Written all over your face. Since she doesn’t look upset about it, I'm guessing it was her idea. Bella has always been ahandful, a firecracker as you call her. She’s a great person, sweet, determined, and full of life. You shouldn’t feel guilty. She knows her own mind, and it was obviously what she wanted. Are you two …?”

“We’re not together. We both agreed. One night.” There was no point in having buyer’s remorse about that now. He’d been the one to bring up that he had nothing to offer, and while true, and probably even true that one night was all Isabella wanted, he had been the one to put the brakes on before anything even happened.

“You going to keep in contact with her?” Connor asked as he picked up two of the plates, leaving Tobias to get the other two.

It would be a lie to say that he hadn't thought about it. They were going to be in different states, so it wasn't like he would be tempted to take things any further than keeping in touch. They could get to know one another more, maybe build a genuine friendship, and if down the line a new treatment became available and he was able to get his back fixed, then maybe she might be interested in being more than friends.

But as he scooped up the plates, realized he forgot the syrup, and turned to grab it, his back spasmed, and he clamped his teeth together to stop himself from crying out. It was a timely reminder that he was kidding himself if he thought anything was going to change. His back wasn't going to magically improve, there was no cure that was going to become available that would heal him and save him from the life of pain he’d become accustomed to.

Wishing that things were different wasn't going to change anything.

“Actually,” he said to Connor as they both headed for the couch. “I think it’s best if we make a clean break. I'm only going to be a constant reminder of the worst thing to ever happen to her.”

And she’d be a constant reminder to him of everything he’d once wanted and could now never have.

March 20th

3:08 A.M.

The roarof an engine drew her attention.

Isabella stopped her pacing around the clinic and instead headed for the door.

There shouldn’t be any vehicles driving through her village right now. The people who lived here were poor, they didn't own cars, not even old ones. Her agency had one, but it was out with John Jones, who had taken it to do the supply run.

Who else could it be?

Gunfire erupted outside, and she got her answer.

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