His Miracle

Trust.

"Do you need to know?" Tobias mutters in my direction.

My eyes narrow and I wish I could grab him before giving him a firm shake.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Of course I need to know! The police want me to answer their questions and I have no idea what to say. Let's not forget Jake is involved in this, and he's the father of my baby! Or did you forget about that?" I rant at him.

Tobias' dark eyes brew with emotion but he keeps his mouth shut and falls silent. Beside me, Jake laughs with amusement but his laughter is heavy and half-hearted. He releases a yawn before his eyes fall shut and he groans with discomfort.

"I'm really not cut out for the criminal lifestyle anymore."

The defeat in Jake's voice makes me feel like I've been punched in the gut. He worked so hard to free himself from Amil, just to fall into another dangerous situation. I mentally prepare myself to help him however I can, regardless of what happened last night. Jake is innocent and I'll do anything to prove it to the world. Tobias' gaze lingers on Jake before his lips settle into a thin line. He starts talking and I hold my breath as I take in every little piece of information.

"When I heard Jane was cheating on me, I was furious. I went out looking for her so I could confront her. I went to her parents house but she wasn't home. I ended up walking into a bar and I had a few drinks before I went looking for her again. I was drunk and I wasn't thinking straight. I was filled with so much rage and I needed a release."

Tobias hangs his head in shame and I fear I haven't yet heard the worst of his eventful night.

"How does this involve Jake?" I question him.

Beside me, Jake begins to slump against my body. I gently reach up and position his head on my shoulder so he can sleep. His arm lazily wraps around my waist from behind and within seconds, his body falls heavy and his breathing turns labored.

"Months ago, Jake made me promise I'd call him before I did something stupid. I called him but not for the right reason. I told him I was being chased by a gang and I needed baseball bats because they wanted a fight," Tobias winces at his own actions.

Anger flares through me. How could he betray and lie to Jake like that?

"Are you fucking serious? You lied to him knowing he was on the straight and narrow? What the hell is wrong with you, Tobias?!"

I yell at him before lowering my voice. I take a deep breath to calm down. I'm aware we're in a library and we don't need an audience or to alert anyone we're here.

"I screwed up, okay? I don't need you to tell me," Tobias says with a disappointed sigh.

He pulls his legs into his chest before burying his face in his hands. The anger flowing through me feels like red hot lava. How could he drag Jake into his mess with a lie? He used Jake's good nature for his own selfish needs. Jake may be younger than him, but Tobias acts like a child whenever his emotions are high. All it took was one night of bad news to send him head first into a dark pit. This time round, he dragged Jake down with him. Bad things happen to everybody... That doesn't mean we should allow it to consume us. The most powerful hold somebody can have over you is to control how you react to a situation. I thought Tobias had control over his emotions, but I was wrong. Logic first, emotions second... That's what I've always tried to teach him and Jake.

"What happened after you called Jake?" I ask bluntly while trying to stay on topic.

Right now, I could scream and yell at him for hours but it isn't going to help the situation.

"He met up with me and figured out I wasn't being chased by a gang. He convinced me to walk home. On the walk back, we passed Jane's house and I heard a scream coming from the back of a building. It was behind a restaurant. I knew I shouldn't check it out, but curiosity got the better of me. I walked toward the scream and Jake was right behind me. When I turned the corner, I saw a figure hunched over Dylan's body."