The Way I Loved You | Tobias Eaton

twenty

I squinted my eyes at the harsh black lines that span across Tobias' back, my fingers itching out to trace each one of them but I held back.

It's my second night staying over in his room. If any of my fellow initiates had noticed my absence, none of them mentioned anything about it... However, Joey has been throwing glares at me and while I felt bad, I wasn't obligated to soothe his bruised ego. Besides, I wasn't even completely sure what this was about. There wasn't any other explanation for his unprovoked hostility against Tobias or me.

Distracted, I didn't even realise how long I'd been staring until Toby cleared his throat, smirking at me as he pulled a shirt over his head that shielded his inked skin from my view- which was a weeping shame if you ask me.

As he raises his hands to pull fix his shirt, my gaze snagged on another tattoo piece that I see poking out from the hem of his left sleeve that I hadn't noticed before.

Without thinking, I reached forward to shove up his sleeves so that I could get a better look at it.

Tobias snatches my wrist before I can and I pout. With the tattoo being on his inner bicep, I could hardly see any of it with his shirt in the way.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asks teasingly, pulling me closer to him.

"I want to see your tattoo," I tell him honestly.

The smirk on his face widens as he reaches up to cup my cheek, "You just want me to take off my shirt, don't you?"

Heat rises to my cheeks and I sputter, but just before I can get any complete words out, Tobias brings his lips down on mine, kissing me like his life depended on it.

"I made coffee and some breakfast," He tells me when our lips part, "Eat up before training starts, okay? I have to head down to the Pit early to make sure all the equipment's set up."

Still winded from our kiss, I nod in response and Toby swoops down to press another kiss to my forehead, muttering a soft 'I love you' against my skin.

He looks over his shoulder and winks at me as he leaves the room, sending butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

Dragging myself out of bed, I washed up in Tobias' en suite bathroom- how nice that he gets his own bathroom and the rest of us initiates have to share one- and made my way to the little kitchenette in the corner.

As promised, a cup of coffee, prepared just the way I liked it sat on the counter, accompanied by a plate piled high with scrambled eggs and toast.

Nothing could've stopped the smile that stretched across my face when my eyes landed on the pink sticky note that was stuck onto the handle of my mug.

Written in Tobias's familiar handwriting was a quote from a poem he'd read to me once when we were younger that read; "I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world".

By the end of it, I was smiling so widely that my cheeks hurt as I dug into the breakfast he had so thoughtfully prepared for me before getting ready to head down to the Pit.

There was a little pep in my step as I strolled down the hallways. Well...that was until I bumped into an old friend.

Joey shot me a withering glare as he stepped into the hallway alongside me.

His features were set in a severe frown as he looked down at me as if I were a piece of gum stuck on the sole of his shoe. It still boggles my mind how quickly his demeanour had changed.

Ignoring him, I made my way down the hallway as his new friends- Peter and his crew- joins him.

I'm close to the Pit when I hear snickers come from behind me followed by someone saying, "God, she's such a slut."

Annoyed whirl around to glare at them. My glare doesn't do anything to stop their blatant gossiping though. Instead, Joey meets my eyes over Molly's shoulder and smirks at me.

Rage boils in my veins, and I'm about to say something when a heavy arm drapes around my shoulder and starts leading me away.

"Walk away, little lovebird. It's not worth it." I look up to see a splitting image of Zeke in the form of his little brother, Uriah.

"Lovebird?" I raised a brow at him.

"Yeah, that's what I'm calling you and Four from now on...but maybe not to his face. You know, he's kind of scary," He tells me and I snort.

Sparing a glance back at Joey and his new friends, Uriah asks, "So, what was that about?"

"I'm not sure," I frowned, "Joey was fine until he saw me with To-" I paused, quickly correcting myself, "Four."

An odd look crosses Uriah's face but he simply shrugs. "So, he's a jealous asshole then?"

I shrugged, mostly because I couldn't argue with Uriah's logic.

As he and I entered the Pit, I felt Tobias's eyes on me in an instant. He seems to be pleased to find that Uriah is with me and offers him one of those nods that guys seem to always do in greeting.

Seemingly only able to interact with Tobias in the company of his brother and friends, Uriah fumbles over himself a little before waving to Tobias in return.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing at the awkward exchange.

When I finally meet Tobias's eyes from across the room, he winks at me. And just like that, the butterflies in my stomach started to take flight.

A blush warms my cheeks as Uriah leans over and says, "He's less scary when you're around."

His comment makes me smile. But as soon as the smile starts to grace my face, it fades when my eyes land on the burly, young leader who I know Tobias doesn't have the best relationship with, walking in with Joey by his side.

And judging by the smirk on the little traitor's face, I already knew that this wasn't going to end well.