Chapter TWO:
Tobias
"Tobias", admonishes Selena, swatting my shoulder to get my attention. People know we're siblings from the way we bicker. Selena is around 3 years younger than me, but her 5 foot 7 inch tall and willowy frame almost makes her seem just a year younger or my age.
"Yeah?"
"Where is your head at today?"
"I'm fine, Leni", I dismiss her. "What were you saying?"
"Oh yes, before you decided to take a mental vacation," she retorted, her eyes flashing.., "you're zoning out again, aren't you?"
"Yes", I admit absentmindedly.
"You idiot", she hurls the insult at me before she hurls the small pebble she picked up from the ground.
"Hey!"
"What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me!" I yell. My voice reverberating through the park we're strolling through.
It's not like me to yell.
Selena's eyes grow wide and her bottom lip quivers, a telltale sign she's truly hurt.
"Hey, I'm sorry Leni. I don't know why I did that, it's just-"
"Just what, Toby?" Selena's voice softened, laced with a hint of concern.
"I-", I will myself to talk, but no words form. I just stand there, witnessing Selena going from hurt to seething.
"Why won't you say anything? Admit it, Toby, you've been disassociated from your life and yourself since Dad left." I flinch at our father's mention.
"I know, vulnerability leads to weakness. But I'm your sister Tobias. I cannot stand to see you battle your demons and grow weak but still not give yourself time to recover."
Her eyes grow soft but reflect resistance as she says,
"Please, for your sanity and mine, talk to me. Not as a formality, but for yourself. For if you don't," her eyes harden as she says with a lethal tone, "there won't be a Tobias anymore."
Maybe she's right.
Maybe I do need some support right now.
I'm counting on the fact that some readers saw what I did there? 😁
Joke's aside, how did everyone like this chapter? Comment and Vote! 💕
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Silent Strangers
RomanceTobias and Grace never asked for the lives they were forced into-heirs to powerful families, bound by tradition and duty. For Tobias, love was never supposed to be part of the equation, but his heart betrayed him when he fell for Grace, the very wom...
