She wanted raven wing colored hair like the boy had. It made her reply snarky when she answered him. “Why do you care?”
The boy looked at her, tilting his head to the side, his gaze considering her for a long moment before he reached down and picked up her book. He held it out to her, smiling a strangely friendly grin that made her nervous.
Was he part of Maryann’s group of friends sent to mess with her, she wondered? Maryann was her archenemy and she had sent others to come make fun of Rosalind before.
“I just thought it might be something interesting.” The boy still held out the book but Rosalind didn’t know if she should take it from him.
After a long hesitation she decided that if she wanted to finish reading it she’d have to. Besides it was a gift from her Dad and since they didn’t have much in the way of credits and this book had cost him a fortune, she would have to take it back. Snatching it and holding it against her chest, she watched the boy give it up without a fight and shrug as he moved to lean on the tree she’d been sitting under. Rosalind stepped back, moving farther away from him warily.
“You’re a prickly little thing, aren’t you,” he snickered, propping a foot on the tree.
“No, I just don’t like nosy boys!” Rosalind said, still clutching the book and glaring at the raven-haired boy.
“Ah, guess that puts me in my place, huh,” he said, laughing outright at that, and Rosalind found that she liked the sound. It was loud and a little deep.
“So, do you have a name? Or should I just call you Prickly?” he asked after a long pause, still watching her with an oddly indulgent expression on his face.
“Rosalind––if you must know but I don’t like to be bothered with stupid boys who are just trying to be nosy.” Rosalind huffed because she didn’t need another nickname. She already had one that Maryann had given her and she hated it.
“I’m Toby. Nice to meet you, Rozzy.” Her eyes narrowed on him in anger at his tone, which was teasing. Great, just great, Maryann had sent him but at least he had made up a new name instead of the one Maryann called her. She hated being called ‘Round Rosy’ in the snide and condescending tone that Maryann used when she called her the ugly nickname. She couldn’t help it if she was a little chunky. Besides her mother assured her that it was just baby fat.
“Tell Maryann to leave me alone. I don’t want to deal with her meanness. Now, I’m going inside.” She turned to storm away but the boy shot around her like a cheetah until he standing in front of her blocking her path with his arms outstretched. Glaring at Toby, she tightened her grip on the book. Her lips pursed and she wanted to scream at him to just go away and leave her alone.
“Wait, who’s Maryann?” he asked, staring at her intently and she could almost believe him if it wasn’t for the fact that Maryann had sent others to tease her before him. They always offered to be her friend and then when she told them things, they ran and told Maryann. Maryann then found a way to make Rosalind into another joke. It hurt that Maryann tried to make things harder for Rosalind. Things were hard enough already with her father being sick all the time and her mother working two jobs to keep them fed.
“You know who she is so stop pretending.”
“I really don’t know her. I just moved here and I don’t know anyone except you, Rozzy. I just want to be friends,” Toby insisted. Rosalind wanted to believe him but she’d been burned in the past. Steeling her spine she shook her head at the dirty, raven-haired boy who looked at her with a lopsided grin.
“No, I don’t want to be your friend. Maryann always sends people to be my friend and then she finds out stuff about me and tells everyone so they can make fun of me. So no thank you!” Rosalind made to walk around him again but he moved into her path again.
“What if I promise not to ever talk to Maryann? Would you be my friend then?”
Rosalind sighed. It looked like he wasn’t the type to give up easily so she’d have to accept that he was just going to be a pain if she didn’t agree to be his friend. She would just tell him that they were friends and not tell him things because she knew this was a trick. It was always a trick.
“Fine, we’re friends, but I’m not telling you stuff.”
“Deal,” Toby said, holding out his dirty hand to shake.
Ewww…boys were so gross sometimes. But she still took his hand and shook it before she carried her book inside and wondered what the heck she’d gotten herself into.
Fall 2129
Rosalind burst into Toby’s apartment, using her key to open the locked door without thought as she had done dozens of times before. This time it was different, she realized, coming to an abrupt halt at the view that greeted her. Her heart, which was already broken from the day she’d had, tore in two at the sight before her. Toby was on the couch with Casey Tompkins and they were kissing.
Toby was lying across her with his hand under her shirt and his lips pressed to Casey’s. Rosalind wanted to cry even harder than she had on the way over here because she needed him to hold her today, only she had never expected to find him like this. Toby jerked up, looking at her before tugging his hand from beneath Casey’s shirt, sitting up looking slightly guilty.
“I––I, umm. I’ll just leave you to this then,” Rosalind muttered, unsure what to do with her heart shattered and her brain still screaming a denial over what had happened only hours ago.
“Rozzy, what’s wrong?” Toby stood and moved towards her but she held up her hand to ward him off because she couldn’t handle dealing with this right now. At least not today, not when only an hour ago her father had died and she was already coming apart at the seams. Toby shouldn’t be feeling guilty over this; they were just best friends and he was two years older than her.
“Toby, just let her leave. We were busy and she shouldn’t just barge into your apartment like that,” Casey said, sitting up on the couch before she began glaring daggers at Roz. Her lips were swollen slightly and her red hair was mussed, sticking out oddly from her head, which was very unlike her normally immaculate appearance.
Toby didn’t look at her as he moved into Rosalind’s space, his hands cupping her elbows as he tried to pull her into his arms. Rosalind pulled back trying to leave because she wasn’t able to handle this tonight.
“Casey, just leave. Rozzy, tell me why you’re so upset now,” Toby said, refusing to release her despite her struggles. His eyes held hers, his look serious as he tried to figure out what was wrong with her. Rosalind glanced down staring at the small indention in his throat, trying not to burst into tears, her heart pounding in her ears.
“Unbelievable! You’re telling me to leave because of her?” Casey demanded, drawing Rosalind’s eyes to her and she watched Casey jerk up from the couch and begin straightening her clothing.
“Yes, now get the hell out.” Toby didn’t even look at her as he stared down at Rosalind. Rosalind glanced from Toby’s face, which was set with determination, to Casey who stood with her hands on her hips and fire pouring from her eyes. She wasn’t happy that Toby didn’t seem to care that she was upset with him, Rosalind realized. Rosalind felt a slight thrill slip through her because he didn’t care that Casey was mad, only to discard it moments later. Toby was her friend and no matter how much she may want him to think of her as more, he didn’t.
“How dare you speak to me that way over her!” Casey screeched, her hands gesturing towards Rosalind and her lips compressed into a tight line.
“Rozzy, go into my bedroom while I handle this.” Toby pushed her in the direction of his room with a grim expression on his face. Rosalind grimaced at his use of the nickname he’d given her when she was eight. She wanted to refuse but she saw the unyielding expression Toby wore and knew that he would just come after her if she left, so she nodded silently.
“Fine.” She sighed, turning to walk into his room.
“Roz,” Toby called after her as she neared the door to his room, making her glance over her shoulder at him. “Do not try to leave thro
ugh the window because if I have to chase you I won’t be happy.”
“I said fine,” Rosalind snapped before entering his room, leaning back against the door when she shut it, wondering why she had come here. She should have just gone home and called him, then she wouldn’t have seen him with Casey and this wouldn’t hurt so much. She felt like her world was crashing into a pit from which there would be no escape, ever.
Rosalind could hear their voices floating from the living room because Casey was screaming at Toby and Rosalind winced. She hadn’t meant to cause trouble for Toby by coming here. She really should have called him.
“I cannot believe that you’re kicking me out because she showed up here. You know that after this I won’t be back!” Casey’s voice was shrill and Rosalind had no issues understanding her despite the door between them.
“Look, we both know this isn’t a relationship, Casey. I don’t know what the hell has you so riled up. I never promised you anything and quite frankly I don’t give a shit if you don’t come here anymore. I do care however that you insulted Roz. I won’t stand for that bullshit nonsense that Maryann started with my Rozzy. Now get the fuck out of my house,” Toby told her.
Rosalind heard what sounded like something crashing to the floor and wanted to peek out of the bedroom to see what had happened but she resisted the temptation.
“You son of a bitch! That little brat has always been––” Casey began but was cut off by Toby.
“Casey, don’t make me toss you out of my fucking apartment. I’m not dealing with this bullshit vendetta that Maryann has with Rozzy. You don’t seem to get the difference between you and her so let me make it very clear to you. She walked right into my apartment. Don’t you find that strange since I locked the damned door when you got here, Casey?” Toby’s deep baritone asked snidely.
“What––wait, she has a key?” Casey’s voice had lowered but Rosalind could still make it out through the door she still leaned on.
“Yes, Casey, she has a key. Do you have a key Casey?” he asked her and she didn’t hear Casey’s reply, it was too low, but she knew that Casey didn’t have a key.
Toby liked his privacy but when he’d moved from his dad’s place a year ago, she’d been upset because she used to sneak into his room at night when she was upset or scared. Toby had given her a key and told her any time she needed him that she could sneak into his apartment and he would do what he always did for her.
Hold her.
It was why she was standing here leaning against the door listening to them fight in the other room. Toby had always been there for her from the moment she met him. She hadn’t wanted to like him, had even thought that Maryann had sent him, except the next time Maryann called her names, he’d gotten even for her. He’d poured juice on her favorite white dress, and tripped her when she was teasing Rosalind, and once he’d even pushed her because she had hit Rosalind.
Toby had always been her savior, which was why she was on autopilot today when she’d come here. She’d been upset and she had gone to the one person she knew would always be there for her, just like she always did. She just hadn’t expected to find him with anyone else. She sighed, her heart aching a bit in her chest.
Rosalind heard something else thump against the wall and she wondered again what was happening in the other room but she didn’t look. It was bad enough that she had barged in on him tonight; she didn’t need to be nosy on top of that mistake.
“You’re an utter bastard, Toby Hansen. I won’t be screwing you again!”
“Fine, I don’t really give a shit. After the way you spoke to Roz I can’t imagine this going any further anyway. I don’t know why you’re even still here.” Toby sounded cruel but she couldn’t help the little smile that touched her lips because she knew that despite his cruelty with Casey, he would never treat her that way.
There was more yelling that was muffled and then the door slammed hard and she heard him locking up. Rosalind moved to the bed, sitting down on the edge and looking up at Toby when he entered.
“I’m sorry,” Rosalind said through numb lips, her heart still aching in her chest, feeling like she should say more but unsure of what to say.
“Rozzy, you have nothing to be sorry about. You needed me and you came to me. That’s how it should be. Now what happened, why are you so upset?” he asked, kneeling down with his hands cupping her face as he watched her carefully, his touch gentle.
“Toby, don’t call me Rozzy, it makes me sound like I’m five.” Rosalind sighed, trying to get her thoughts in order because she knew that she would have to tell him about her dad. She felt tears stinging her eyes and she felt one slipping over her cheek.
Toby’s thumb rubbed the tear away and his eyes where heavy and dark as he watched her. He leaned forward, kissing the tears from her cheeks. “Fine, I’ll start calling you Roz. Now, talk,” he said gently, pulling back.
“It’s––dad, he––he’s de––” She couldn’t say it, she just couldn’t. It was as if saying that he was dead would make it real and she didn’t want it to be real. Her heart felt like it was going to shatter all over again as she let out a little hiccupping sigh of despair before she burst into tears, unable to hold back the pain anymore.
“Damn. Baby, I’m so sorry,” Toby said, realizing what she was trying to tell him. His arms wrapped around her tightly holding her against his chest as she sobbed her heart out, broken over the loss of her father. Toby lifted her into his arms and lay down beside her on the bed holding her while she wept.
Rosalind stirred the next morning to the bright sunlight streaming into the room from the window. She felt a hard male arm over her and for a minute she was confused, then the memories from the night before came back to her. She was at Toby’s and he had taken care of her after she’d come here. Shit, her mother was going to kill her because she hadn’t made it home last night.
“Roz, lay back down. You need to rest, you’ve only been asleep for a little over two hours,” Toby muttered, tugging her back down on the bed.
“I have to get home. Mom will be crazy because I didn’t come home,” Rosalind told him, still trying to get up.
“Rozzy, lay back down. I called her an hour ago. She knows where you’re at and she’s fine with it. She knows I’ll take care of you. She had your aunt and Marta with her so she’s fine too,” Toby whispered.
“I should still go home, she might need me,” she muttered, hoping to avoid talking about last night with him. He pulled her back when she tried to get up and she ended up lying on her back with his pant-covered leg thrown over hers. She stared up at him with apprehension.
“She’s fine and you need to get some more sleep and we need to talk about last night,” Toby said, his hand gently running over her face, his eyes soft in the early morning light as he gazed at her.
“I don’t want to talk about it. It’s fine, we’re just friends. Who you date is your business,” Rosalind forced herself to say, trying to hide the hurt she felt that he’d been with another woman when she’d arrived last night. He was eighteen to her sixteen and they had always been friends so it wasn’t like they were dating and he’d betrayed her or anything. Even if her heart said he had.
“Rozzy,” he began but she interrupted.
“Stop calling me Rozzy,” she commanded, wanting to hit him for making her feel like a child at that moment. She hated that he always made her feel childish when she was almost an adult herself.
“Fine, I don’t get why it’s an issue. I’ve always called you Rozzy and it never bothered you before.” He looked angry and confused by her insistence that he stop calling her that dumb nickname he’d given her when they were kids.
“I just don’t like feeling like a kid, okay. You can still call me Roz. I like it when you call me that, it sounds older and not so childish.”
He frowned staring down at her and he leaned forward kissing her nose. “Fine, but I’m not losing the my in front of that Roz. You are mine, that hasn’t changed.
Which is why we need to talk about last night. I know finding Casey here hurt you so don’t try to deny it,” he said when he pulled back, staring down at her beneath him, a knowing look on his face.
Rosalind closed her eyes. She wasn’t ready yet to have this conversation with him because it was going to break her already battered heart and she didn’t want to do this today. She was already too upset over her dad’s death. Even though they’d known it was coming for over a year, it still broke her heart that her father was really gone. Her chest squeezed and her eyes stung as tears threatened to overflow them despite the tightly closed lids.
“Not today, please,” Rosalind whispered.
“Yes, Rozzy––sorry, Roz. We’ll talk about it now.” She opened her eyes, looking up at him as he hovered over her, a serious expression on his face. “Babe, you won’t ever have to worry about that again, okay. I promise. I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to have anyone here is all. It’s not a big deal. I realize that you’ll eventually find someone to date and that we’re just good friends.”
He smiled gently, his hand running over her face, his thumbs brushing across her brows. “Roz, you know as well as I do that we’re more than friends. Hell, for over two years you’ve been sneaking into my room to sleep in my bed and I didn’t argue even once despite the fact that I’m not one to allow anyone to sleep beside me. But you belong there, Rozzy, and yes you hate that nickname, I know, but I love it because to me it’s who you are. My little Rozzy.” Toby smiled and kissed her forehead, then her eyelids and lastly her mouth. It was a light caress that surprised her. Toby had never kissed her lips, not even when they were younger.
“Are we more than friends?” she asked, unsure what was happening. Her heart began to pound in her ears as his lips brushed against hers again lightly caressing her.
“Yes, we are, babe. We’re much more than just that. We have been for a long time. I was just waiting for you to grow up and realize it. It’s been making me nuts waiting. Until last night I thought it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, but your reaction to finding me with Casey made me realize that you’ve been feeling it too. What you walked in on last night didn’t mean anything by the way. I was just killing time waiting on you. Casey doesn’t even have a shot at my heart.” He smiled at her indulgently, his hand still running over her cheek.
Melted Iron (Blue Bandits MC Book 3) Page 2