Page 32 of Rescuing Tobias

Despite knowing what a terrible idea it would be to be part of their lives, he wanted to be. Wanted it more than he’d wanted anything for a long time now.

When she turned on her heel and spun toward the door, instinct had his hand reaching out to stop her. He couldn’t let her go like this, all angry, not understanding he was doing this to help her, not hurt her. Explaining to her would help, she’d get it, agree with him, but he couldn’t make the words come out. Couldn’t say that his father wished he hadn't been born, and because of that, Tobias had resented the hell out of his mother even as he knew she couldn’t help becoming ill.

Better his child just not have its father in its life than it wind up like him. Torn between loving and hating a parent.

So his hand dropped uselessly back to his side, and he stood there helplessly watching Isabella storm out of his life, knowing he wouldn't see her again, and wanting to stop it from happening only not knowing how.

The door slammed behind her, and he ran to it, fingers curled around the handle, desperate to yank it back open and plead with her to come back.

But he didn't.

Couldn’t.

Because he shouldn’t.

Isabella deserved better than him. Better than a man who would add nothing but responsibility to her life. She should be free to focus on raising their child. Their baby needed her more than he did.

“I’m sorry, firecracker,” he whispered to the empty room as he forced his fingers to uncurl one by one.

When he finally released his death grip on the doorknob, he turned, leaned back against the door, and slowly slid down it until he hit the floor. Pain flared up his spine as his backside made contact with the floorboards, a timely reminder of why he’d just sent away a woman he could see himself falling in love and building a life with.

Isabella would tell him he was being dramatic, worrying about what his injury may or may not do in the future. Claim that she could handle it if he wound up in a wheelchair, and he had no doubt that she could. But why should she have to?

She deserved to fly as high as she would with her big, beautiful wings, not being held back by him and his problems.

He’d done the right thing. Tobias was sure that he had. In fact, he was positive he’d done the only thing he could in these circumstances.

So why did it hurt so much?

Why did it feel like a mistake?

Why did it feel like he’d just torpedoed his own future?

Too late now. What was done was done. After the way he’d just behaved, there was no way Isabella was going to be willing to see him again, much less hear him out even if he wanted to explain why he’d had no choice but to send her away.

The best he could do for Isabella and his child was to watch over them from a distance. Tobias was about to embark on a journey to become a stalker extraordinaire. He’d follow her pregnancy every step of the way by putting his hacking skills to good use. He’d make sure she had the best doctors looking afterher. If one of them so much as had an unpaid parking ticket, he’d make sure he somehow got the person removed from her team and someone better to replace them.

He'd hack her bank account to deposit money if needed. He’d research every one of his child’s teachers so that he or she had only the best. He’d do what he could from a distance to ensure that neither of them ever wanted for a single thing.

Might even fall in love with them from a distance, too.

April 15th

11:42 P.M.

Had that really happened?

It felt more like a dream than reality.

Well, a nightmare.

Isabella absolutely had not expected Tobias to jump up and down with joy and excitement when she broke the news to him that the condom had failed and they were expecting a baby.

But she hadn't really been prepared for his reaction either.

Crazy though it sounded, she actually would have preferred if he lost it. Yelled and screamed, even blamed her for the pregnancy, even though they both knew no one was to blame.

At least then it would have felt real.

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