His Reject

Chapter 16

Toby's POV:

"Mo-mommy pl-pleasee?" Begged Ozzy as he waved the package up at me. I shook my head for the millionth time in one minute. It was after school hours and we were currently in the checkout line at Walmart. Ozzy was begging for a new pack of Hot Wheels cars but he didn't need them. He had a bunch of toys at home.

It's been a couple of days since the confrontation with Matthew, and so far, there has been no signs of him. I was grateful when he didn't show up at school, but it did make me wonder if he had finished school early and graduated in January. It didn't matter, I was just hoping that Matthew had forgotten about his stupid plan to get me back and returned to Virginia. However, Jairo always scolded me on that thought.

'He's still our mate.' He'd remind me.

"Bu-but wh-whyy?" Ozzy's voice snapped me from my thoughts. Glancing down at him, I noticed that tears were catching at his eyes. I quickly looked away so that I wouldn't give in to them.

"Because, you have enough toys at ho-"

"It's okay, I'll buy it for him." Someone interrupted. I immediately tensed at the voice. Speak of the devil...

I didn't dare turn around to acknowledge his presence, and Ozzy seemed to catch on to my change in attitude because he stopped asking for the toys.

"No, that's okay." I told Matthew stiffly, making him sigh. The line seemed to move faster then, and finally, it was my turn. Ozzy held onto my finger as I quickly paid for my things and went to the exit. I could hear Matthew's footsteps behind me, but I continued to ignore him.

"Matthew's here." I mind linked Michael.

"Seriously? I knew I shouldn't have made you leave by yourself. Where are you exactly?" He linked back as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm in the parking lot of Walmart, and I'm not by myself. Ozzy's with me." I tried to joke. He didn't find it funny.

"This is not the time. I'm in a meeting, so I'm sending Connor for you. I swear to Goddess Toby, you're not leaving the house on your own anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes again at his dramatics. I still have school to attend so I couldn't necessarily stay home.

By now, I had left the parking lot and was currently sitting at the curb with Ozzy as I waited for Connor. Matthew was fidgeting a couple feet away from me, yet I still continued to ignore him.

"Mo-mommy, you kn-know that th-there's man wa-watch-watching us?" Asked Ozzy as he sat in my lap. I giggled lightly causing him to cock his head to the side at me.

"Yeah, I do. Just ignore him, pup." I said softly, yet loud enough for Matthew to hear, causing him to sigh again. I tensed as he took a couple steps closer to me and I prayed that Connor would get here soon. I tried to act like Matthew's presence didn't affect me, but we all knew that that wasn't true. He faltered in his steps and then completely stopped walking, probably smelling my fear of him when he took in a deep breath.

"Toby-" He began, but I cut him off.

"Only my friends and family call me Toby. It's Tobias for you." I told him stiffly.

"Oh. Um, yeah, sorry. Tobias,-" He tried again, just to be cut off by a car horn this time. The car pulled over, in front of Ozzy and I at the curb, and Connor quickly came out from the driver's side. I smiled at him as he bowed to me and took Ozzy from my arms so that he could place him in the car seat. I opened the passenger door and was about to enter the car when Matthew grabbed my arm.

It wasn't a painful hold at all, it was just for him to get my attention, but I still whimpered and flinched away. Sure, the tingles from my mate's touch were there, but they couldn't overpower the different images of abuse by his hands that rushed to me in that moment. It was like I was thrown back into the times when he'd hit, punch, and kick me repeatedly, and then just leave me there. I couldn't breathe, it was too much. I was panicking again.