Chapter 31: Chapter 31

I knock on the front door and patiently wait for someone to answer. The air is growing harsher, whipping around me as darkness invites itself into the sky. In an effort to stay warm, I bounce on the heels of my trainers and knock again. Moments pass and the door is opened, revealing Ivory. Our eyes connect and I smile at her, wondering when was the last time I'd seen her. It's definitely been a while.

"Hey," She says, shooting me a small smile. She's wearing a white tee with baby pink jogging bottoms underneath. Ivory pulls back the door, gesturing for me to come inside.

"Hey Ivory, is Tobias home? He text me a while back asking me to come round." I explain, glancing around. Ivory shakes her head, her auburn hair flying around her shoulders. I pause and look at her, remembering Tobias' words a few weeks ago on the beach.

Ivory has been distant lately.

She definitely looks different. I can't seem to pinpoint exactly what it is but something is . . . Off. I nibble on my bottom lip and Ivory begins walking ahead into the living room.

"He left a while ago to get some milk. He should be back soon if you want to wait for him?" She asks me over her shoulder. I nod my head and follow her into the living room before falling backwards onto the grey sofa. I release a soft sigh, snuggling further into the warm material. Ivory leans forward and grabs the remote before flicking through the channels. A silence falls upon us and I begin to grow anxious. Ivory and I never sit in awkward silence especially since I haven't seen her in forever. I decide to bite the bullet and start a conversation —

"So how are you and Ben? Are things getting serious?" I ask suggestively, waggling my eyebrows. Ivory pauses, glancing at me before looking back at the TV screen.

"The real question is how are you and my brother? I definitely did not expect you two to end up together." Ivory says, changing the subject. I raise a slight brow at her words but decide to go along with it anyway.

"It's a shock for me too but I really like him. It's going great, amazing even. I've never known anyone like him." I tell her truthfully, biting back a crazy love sick smile. I remember the true intentions of the conversation and shake my head for getting side tracked.

Tobias Melvin has a serious way of messing with my head despite not being in the same room as me . . .

"You completely changed the subject! Answer my question about you and Ben." I exclaim, giving her a teasing look. She rolls her eyes playfully, releasing a small laugh before answering.

"We're good. I spend most of my time with him so I guess it's going good." She shrugs, her attention displayed elsewhere.

"I never see you anymore, we should hang out sometime." I tell her. She turns to look at me, guilt flashing through her large eyes. A sheepish look covers her features.

"I know, I'm sorry. I haven't seen much of anyone lately. I miss you Trish," Ivory says, almost murmuring her words. Countless thoughts whirl through my head as I try to figure out what's going on with her. I push myself off the couch, walking over to her. She moves up and pats the seat next to her and I sit down, pulling her into me.

"I miss you too. I'm only a phone call away, you know that right?" I ask her and she murmurs an agreement, her head bobbing up and down. I squeeze her shoulders and a smile flickers across her face.

"What's going on with you Ivory? You can talk to me, you know you can." I tell her, pulling back slightly. Her shoulders immediately tense up and she inches away from me. I watch as the emotion from her eyes is drained away, replaced with a blank canvas. I simply stare at her, growing increasingly worried about one of my closest friends.

"Ivory?" I whisper, searching her eyes. She clears her throat, her body growing hostile and defensive. The sound of the front door closing causes me to jump slightly, pulling me away from the tense moment. I watch as the door swings open revealing Tobias holding a carton of milk and a tray of cupcakes. When his brown eyes land on me, they light up considerably and I smile.

"Hey beautiful, you're here." He genuinely smiles, walking in and leaning over me. His scent immediately hits me and I feel completely at home. The corners of my lips tug upwards into the widest of smiles as I feel his lips brush a light kiss over my hair.

"Sorry, I've got my hands full." He apologises, lifting the food items in the air. I laugh, standing up and taking the cupcakes from him. I glance down at them, releasing a noise of appreciation.

"I suddenly have the urge to face plant the entire box of cupcakes." I tell him, following him out to the kitchen. Before I leave, I glance back at Ivory but she's typing away furiously on her phone, her head bowed down. I already know the conversation is well and truly over. I sigh and continue to follow Tobias to the kitchen, admiring his broad shoulders and dark hair from behind.

"You could do but Jake will probably kill you. He ordered them specially for Emily and Ruby. Something about them having a bad day and needing cheering up." Tobias shrugs, taking them from me and sliding them onto the counter.

"Jake is adorable." I comment. Tobias turns to shoot me a look, dark eyes glaring at me. I hold my hands up in defence, holding back a giggle.

"Just like my boyfriend. He obviously learnt it from you." I add on. Tobias rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around my waist before pulling me into his chest.

"Nice save Sugar." He leans down, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. I feel him inhale, his body visibly relaxing.

"God, I've missed you." He mumbles, warm breath hitting my skin. Butterflies flutter inside my stomach and I smile, warmth spreading through my chest.

"You saw me yesterday." I tell him, placing a kiss on the sharpness of his jaw. He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear before pouting unhappily.

"That's a day too long, I want to see your face everyday. You make me happy Trish." Tobias says. I pull back slightly, studying his eyes. They appear completely truthful and genuine and I realise I love the new honest Tobias Melvin.

"What are you suggesting?" I ask him quietly, my eyes flickering between both of his. His gaze drops to my lips and he glances upwards, appearing to be thinking hard. Moments pass before he speaks again.

"I could suggest many things . . . " He smirks, giving me a teasing look. I slap his chest lightly, rolling my eyes. "Tobias! You know what I mean." I scold him, ignoring the flames lighting up my body from his words. He chuckles, his laughter a low rumble that does little to help my imagination.

"I think we should move in together." He shrugs, acting like it's completely casual to live with your girlfriend of a few weeks. My jaw falls open and I stand back, unsure of how to react.

"I've never been asked to live with someone before." I say slowly. Tobias grins, watching me as I internally battle with myself on my decision.

"Neither have I but why not? I've been thinking of moving out for a while. It's getting a little cramped here and best of all, I'd love to wake up to your adorable face everyday." Tobias says. I begin nibbling on my bottom lip, trying to picture a life living with Tobias Melvin. The thought of waking up to him and seeing him everyday causes excitement to bubble away inside me. We'd have complete privacy and it shows that Tobias is serious about me. I can already feel my cheeks beginning to heat up from his words and the anticipation . . .

"You really want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I ask him, my stomach a knotted mess of nerves. Tobias barely hesitates, reaching forward to intertwine his fingers with mine.

"Yes Trish. Yes I do.”