Those Cold Eyes ✓

Chapter 18

When the sound of someone knocking on the front door reached my ears, my heart seemed to skip a beat. The rational part of me tried to convince the fear coursing through my system that it was Tyra and Sebastian, but the possibility of meeting Tobias on the other side of that door fed the mindless panic until I heard Tyra's voice.

"Dylan, you home?" Her voice was faint but more comforting than any other voice could have been right then.

"Yeah," I called out and made my way toward the door, reaching out for walls, door posts and furniture to keep me steady.

I opened, and Tyra stood ready on the other side, looking like she was about to say something until the words fled. Sebastian peeked at me from behind her. His eyebrows twitched as our gazes met.

"What the hell happened?" Tyra asked after another few seconds of silence.

Instead of answering, I stepped back to let them inside. Tyra seemed ready to attack me with another question before entering the house, but Sebastian reached out with his hand and placed it on her shoulder. She turned around briefly, and I could see how they exchanged a look to speak without words.

None of us spoke until we were all seated in the living room. Tyra leaned forward while Sebastian fell back against the cushions.

"Can you please tell us what's wrong?" Tyra asked, trying with a gentler approach.

I took a deep breath, letting it settle me as much as possible. "Tobias, the guy you met, is a guy from my past."

Sebastian leaned forward. "The teacher taking over for Mr. Simpson this semester?"

"Yes," Tyra said.

They both waited for me to continue, one more anxious than the other. Tyra kept fidgeting, not able to sit still even for a second.

I told them as much as I dared, starting from where Tobias and I had first started stealing kisses in empty classrooms. I told them about secret dates, and how he gradually started to control me more and more. I left out the full extent of what he put me through, but from their concerned facial expressions, I could tell that they could read between the lines. Last of all, I told them that Tobias was the reason we moved across the state.

Sebastian rose from his seat and cuddled up at my side, lacing an arm around my back for comfort.

"Do you think he came here for you?" Seb asked.

"I'm sure of it."

Tyra didn't say a word, instead she was looking at a fixed point somewhere, her gaze empty while her thoughts worked.

Another knock sounded on the door, and both Sebastian and I tensed where we sat.

"Expecting someone?" Tyra asked, staring at the door as if she could see who was beyond if she just looked hard enough.

"No," I replied. "No one that would knock."

"I'll get it then," Tyra said, and I felt how Sebastian's hold on me tightened in worry.

"He's not violent," I said, trying to reassure them both. Perhaps it was selfish of me to accept Tyra's offer to open the door, but if it was Tobias, Tyra could handle him without my help. Instead, I sat there, grateful that I had friends looking out for me.

Tyra approached the door with confident steps and opened it as soon as she arrived without an ounce of hesitation.

"Zach?" Tyra's voice was raised in surprise, and I instantly shot up from the sofa to dash through the room.

I could hear murmurs exchanged between them by the door, but in my hurry to get there, I couldn't make out a single word.

Zach's eyes found mine, and Tyra swiveled around in mild shock at my sudden appearance.