Chapter 35: Chapter 35
"Have you spoken to Ivory lately?" I ask Tobias casually as I'm plating up dinner. He shakes his head, placing knives and forks down onto the kitchen table.
"No, she's been spending most of her time with Ben." He responds, walking up to me. He wraps both arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"Why do you ask?" He murmurs. I begin chewing nervously on my lower lip, deciding whether it's a good idea to confide in Tobias.
Do I tell him about the call from Ben?
If Ivory is involved in a dangerous situation and something happened to her, I would never be able to forgive myself for not telling someone . . .
Would Tobias ever forgive me knowing that I knew and could have prevented it from happening?
I don't realise that I've zoned out completely, my hand holding the plate in mid air. Tobias takes it from me, his features crumpling up in confusion. He turns me around slowly, his eyes flickering between both of mine.
"What's going on Trish? Is there something I should know?" He asks me quietly, his voice low. I open my mouth to tell him that everything is fine but looking into those brown eyes that are filled with worry, I realise I can't do it.
I can't lie to him.
"Promise me you'll act rationally," I tell him, my stomach twisting with nerves. I've known Tobias for a while and he doesn't always make the best decisions when it comes to the safety of his family. It's always react now, think about the consequences later.
"I promise. Tell me what's going on." Tobias says firmly. He breathes in deeply and takes hold of one of my hands, giving it a small squeeze. I manage to give him a small smile but I know I won't be smiling for long.
"It's Ivory, I think she might be involved in something dangerous. . . With Ben."
*****
I glance down at my phone, wondering when Tobias will respond. As soon as I told him the news, he rang Jake and stormed out of the house. After two hours of complete radio silence from him, I decide to come to Emily house. We're both sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea, worried expressions on our faces. I try to break the tense atmosphere in the air but the truth it, we're both worried sick about Ivory.
"Do you think they're in debt?" I ask Emily, speaking my thoughts. She shakes her head, her leg bouncing up and down with worry.
"No, Ivory is smart with her money."
"What else could it be?" I question. Emily glances up at me before sighing heavily and running a hand through her dark hair.
"I have no idea. I thought this was a fresh start for us Trish. . . Drama always finds a way into this family." Emily murmurs, resting her head in her hands. I reach forward and place my hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"I'm sure it's nothing serious." I reply, feeling like I'm lying to myself and my best friend as soon as I speak the words. Silence falls upon us until I hear the front door bang loudly. We both jump up in unison, startled by the sudden noise.
"They're back." We both say, looking at each other. I stand up and Emily does the same, both of us rushing out of the room. I can hear disgruntled noises coming from the living room followed by low talking. Emily and I push open the door, our eyes widening as we come face to face with Jake, Tobias and Ben.
"You have a minute to tell me exactly what's going on or I'm going to break every single finger on your hand." Tobias says threateningly, both of his arms caging in a terrified looking Ben. Jake snaps his head over to us and once he notices Emily, his features soften. He walks over to her, placing an arm around her shoulder before kissing her temple.
"Hey Muffin," He murmurs, his voice barely audible. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, silently wishing the sight of me would also cause Tobias to calm down. Instead I watch wide eyed as his shoulders tense up, his entire body becoming rigid. I walk forward and place a hand on Tobias' shoulder, my eyes flickering over to Ben.
"Tobias, this isn't rational. You promised me, please." I tell him but his breathing is heavy, eyes trained directly on Ben in front of him.
"Get him away from me Trish!" Ben pleads with me, his eyes wide with fear. I take a step back because I know there's not much I can do.
"Tell him what he wants to know and he'll leave you alone. Right, Tobias?" I murmur. He doesn't once flinch, his eyes remaining fixed with a deathly stare on Ben. Eventually, he breaks the silence —
"Right."
"I don't know anything! I haven't done anything, I swear!" Ben pleads, his eyes flickering over to me in desperation.
"I answered the phone call you made to Ivory, I know what I heard. What is the package? Why is she involved in something dangerous?" I question him, narrowing my eyes at his oblivious reaction. His eyes widen at my words and he opens his mouth to speak but begins to stutter repeatedly. Tobias grabs him by the collar, slamming him into the wall before pushing him upwards and off his feet. Ben gives out a small cry, his body dangling against the wall.
"Answer her question!" Tobias hisses at him, his breathing heavy. I blink before taking a step back. I have to remind myself that Tobias' actions are due to his fear for his sister. The reason he's being so threatening and violent is because he's been hurt numerous times before . . . Now he doesn't want the same happening to Ivory.
"I can't tell you, they'll kill us." Ben reveals, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks. Tobias tenses up, his jaw locking with tension.
"Who'll kill you?"
"I can't tell you."
"What the fuck have you dragged my little sister into?" Tobias screams at Ben, dropping him to the floor. He lands with a heavy thump but before he can stand back up, Tobias grabs him and pulls his arm back before connecting it with Ben's face. I spin around, my hand shooting up to shield my eyes. The living room door bursts open and Ivory storms in, her eyes red and bloodshot.
"Drugs! I'm involved with drugs." She screams at Tobias. Everyone in the room freezes in complete shock and Ivory pulls Ben away from Tobias. He's cradling his cheek, blood dripping down his face and into his mouth. Tobias simply stands there, the colour completely draining from his face. He turns to look at Ivory, disappointment and fear filling his eyes.
"What does that mean?" He whispers, the atmosphere in the room growing almost unbearable.
"You didn't have to hurt him! Look at his face!" Ivory yells at Tobias, completely avoiding his question. I hear an annoyed low growl come from Tobias before he lunges forward, grabbing Ben and tossing him to the floor within seconds.
"Tobias!" Ivory screeches, trying to push past him to see to Ben who isn't moving. Tobias barely blinks in Ben's direction before he grabs hold of Ivory, throwing her down onto the couch. Her auburn hair flies into her face and she whimpers, reaching up to brush it away. Without saying another word, Tobias grabs a chair and slams it down onto the floor in front of her before sitting down on it. He rests his arms on his legs, shoulders hunched as he stares at her.
"Let me go, you asshole!" Ivory cries, her eyes flickering over to Ben. I take another step back, feeling like I'm standing in the way. I glance around, unsure of what to do with myself. A hand is placed on my shoulder and I turn around to find Jake giving me a reassuring look, his free arm held out for me. I don't hesitate before leaning into him.
"Are you okay? Do you want to leave?" Jake asks me quietly and I shake my head, unable to tear my eyes off Tobias. He remains in the same position, his eyes fixed on Ivory in a deathly stare. She wipes the tears off her cheeks, breathing in deeply to compose herself. Finally, Tobias speaks —
"You're going to sit there and tell me every god damn thing you're involved in."
"What if I refuse?" Ivory spits back at him, her eyes burning with a freshly lit flame. Tobias leans forward slowly, never once breaking eye contact with her.
"I'll kill your boyfriend." He responds slowly, his words spoken in complete monotone. A cold shiver runs down my back and I know his words are spoken with true intention. Ivory hears it too because she whimpers again, her confidence completely shattering to the ground.