Menacingly

Aria closed her laptop as she turned to face Toby as well. He extended his arm out to the right, flicking the light switch on giving a lovely display of his chest.

I had gotten use to him occasionally walking around without a shirt but at the moment the scenery almost made it hard to concentrate.

A small blush was most likely visible once I had managed to turn my head towards Aria who paid no attention to my trance.

"What are you doing down here at this time?" Toby asked averting his eyes back and fourth between the two of us. Unable to find my voice I let Aria answer.

"We were just looking into my chapters for a final time but we're done now." she admitted, pulling the laptop to her chest.

Someone could easily assume that there was something that we were hiding.

Suddenly a sound erupted from the living room and we all made our way towards the noise.

Just as we were about to round the cornet a door slammed and Toby halted to a stop, expending his arm out to block Aria and I from continuing.

"Stay here." Toby whispered as he slowly crept into the living room. I gave Aria a knowing look and in unison we followed close behind Toby.

The light turned on and the first thing that caught my eyes was the broken lamp on the floor. Toby sighed then made his way around it.

"Dont go any closer I'm going to get the broom-" Aria cut him off.
"I'm the maid I should clean it up." she insisted but Toby shook his head as he exited the room.

Aria huffed, her eyes dropping down to the mess in front of us then towards the door that led out to the back yard.

"Someone was in here." she murmured just as Toby entered the room. He raised a brow,"what makes you say that?" he asked.

"Am I the only one who heard the door slam shut?" she asked. I shook my head,"I heard it too."

"So did I but the door is locked and I'm the only one who has a key to lock and unlock that door from the outside." he replied, sweeping the pieces into a circle.

"Where is the key?" I asked. He turned his head to the dresser then walked over to it. He began rummaging through the drawer and I could hear him curse under his breath.

"The key is in there. . . right?" Aria asked. Toby kept rummaging through the drawer continuously cursing under his breath.

"Toby just tell us if the key is in there-" I was cut short by his shocking out burst.
"Does it look like the key is in here?" he asked turning to face me. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'm sorry I just. . . no the key is not in here."

"What's that?" Aria asked pointing towards the broken pieces. I squinted my eyes to get a better look and noticed a small folded piece of paper.

Walking ever to it, I knelt down wrapping my index and thumb around it before backing away from the pieces.

"It's a note." I mumbled, unraveling it. Both Aria and Toby came on either side of me to read it as well.

I thought you cared about your life but you can always prove it by giving me what I want.

"What does that mean?" Aria asked snatching the paper out of my hands.
I looked at Toby and huffed,"I think that. . . its better if they were aware of what is going on."

He stared at me a moment longer to see whether I was ready to go with this then nodded. "We should wait until the others are up as well, Caleb will find out more when or if he comes back." he told us.

"What do you mean if he comes back?" Aria and I asked in unison. Toby walked over to the broken pieces and began sweeping once again.

I grabbed the dust pan, squatting down so that he could sweep in the broken pieces.

"That's what he told me," he admitted. "When I talked to his something seemed a bit off but I didn't bother asking."

"Why not?" Aria asked.

"Both of you are very inquisitive," he mumbled. "Caleb doesn't cope well with others intervening with his problem which is why I hadn't talked to Hanna about it either."

He grabbed the dust pan from me then once again exited the room. "How do you think Hanna will feel about this?" Aria asked leaning against the couch.

"About what the note or Caleb?" I asked looking down at the ground.

"Both."

"Well first she should learn about the note while she's still able to concentrate then she'll know about what Caleb said call him and they'll go from there," I answered. "We should really get to bed soon I'm getting tired."

"Yeah I should just be glad Ezra hadn't woken up yet." she admitted. I cocked my head to the side,"I'm guessing that your sharing a room now?"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't say we're sharing a room its like what you and Toby have where you sleep together then you dont."

"I'm still working on that," Toby said leaning against the door frame. "Lets go before my parents wake up and give a lecture as to why we shouldn't be up at this time."

Soon enough I was climbing onto the giant king sized bed that I had grown very fond of, wrapping myself in the comfortable 1000 thread count Egyptian sheets.

I closed my eyes immediately but it wasn't because I was tired. If anything I was wide awake at the moment thinking about the note.

I flinched at the feeling of the back of a hand gliding against my cheek softly.

"There's nothing to be scared of I'll handle it." Toby whispered from behind me. I shook my head in disagreement.
"It's not everyday my life is practically on the line," I paused turning in his direction. "Not anymore."

"Whoever this person is I'll handle it I promise just take a deep breath and calm down." he told me. I complied taking a deep breath but gagged afterwards.

I sat up quickly, and Toby quickly followed my move. "Exactly my point, the stress is already getting to you." he frowned.

I cupped a hand over my mouth leaning forward concentrating on nothing but his hand that rubbed circles on my back.

"Toby?" I asked leaning my head onto his chest. My voice coming out vulnerably.

"Yes?" he asked softly. I looked up at him ignoring my shaky breathing.
"I know you love me and I love you too, too much to-" his lips cut me off, bringing me into a heart warming kiss as he slowly pulled us down until he were laying on the bed before pulling.

"Dont think like that- everything is fine- we're fine." he told me. Instead of responding to that I laid my head down onto his chest listening to his heart beat.

I closed my eyes tightly. "Are you sure?" I asked quietly. His arms tensed me, dragging me in even closer if that was possible at the moment.

"I promise."