Chapter Forty-Two
Everyone stood frozen on the dance floor.
At first we were confused, but it didn't take long to work out what was happening. My heart clenched.
Toby and Sean were facing off by the bar, and before I could even wonder what had happened, they had each other by the scruff of their necks, hands fisted in each other's shirts. Glasses shattered as Toby threw Sean against the bar.
"FIGHT!"
"Tess, don't!" Ellie tried to hold me back, but I broke away and pushed through the stunned crowd towards them.
"Toby, Sean, stop it!" I screamed, trying to get their attention. I slapped at their arms, trying to break their hold on each other, but it was of no use. Their eyes were locked on each other, murderous.
An arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back.
"Adam, let me go!"
Chris grabbed Toby, and Stan and Ringer worked to edge Sean away. They grunted and swore as Toby and Sean struggled away from them and towards each other.
"Stop it!" I screamed, tears threatening to spill over.
"Get him out of here," Chris yelled at Stan and Ringer, but Toby broke free and in a silent rage was the first to leave.
Adam let go of me. My heels clicked frantically on the concrete as I chased after Toby. Sean's hand reached out and grabbed my upper arm, preventing me.
"Tess, don't." His tone was fierce, his expression grave.
"What is wrong with you? Let go of me!"
"He knows! Alright, Tess? He knows."
My head swam. How? How did this happen? It all became perfectly clear when I saw, further down the bar, Carla sipping on her drink, all innocence and sweetness. I caught a sideways glance at a smug-looking Peter.
She turned to face me. "Oops." She shrugged. "I guess he didn't know."
I broke away from Sean. He didn't try to stop me.
I ran as far as I could before ditching my heels, and then pounded the pavement with such force it wasn't long before I could faintly see the long stride of Toby's silhouette up ahead.
"Toby, wait!"
He stopped, as if flinching at the sound of my voice. I ran up short, trying to catch my breath.
It was then I cringed against a new sound, a series of running steps behind me. Ellie, Adam, and the Onslow Boys coming up short, their breaths laboured.
I made sure I got in first.
But before I could speak, Toby spun around, his gaze searing into me as he walked towards me.
"Deny it," he said, "tell me nothing happened."
My mouth gaped open, and I stumbled to form words, which just made him angrier.
"It's not what you think." My voice quivered.
"Did he touch you?"
Oh God, please don't do this.
"It happened the night Angela was at your house. I saw her car in the driveway, what was I supposed to think?"
Hurt and disbelief flashed across Toby's face.
"You think that little of me?"
"It's not what you think, Toby." Sean's voice came in from behind me. "We're just friends."
I stepped closer, reaching out, but he flinched away.
"Don't."
I could feel myself falling apart in a blind panic. "Toby, please don't do this."
He refused to look at me. A long moment stretched between us, his jaw clenched in anger. Just as I was certain he was going to walk away, and I'd never see him again, Sean stepped forward.
"If you're going to take the high moral ground, Toby, then why don't you start by being honest with Tess?"
Honest? What?
Toby glared at Sean, a silent warning that made goosebumps form on my flesh.
"I swear to God, Sean," Toby bit out.
I looked from Toby to Sean and back again. "What's he talking about?"
"Go on, Toby, tell her. Tell her of the job offer you accepted in the West."
Sean turned to me. "Toby's moving. He's leaving Onslow." He turned back to Toby. "I bet you didn't tell her that."
"Toby?" I said. "Toby."
A raw emotion flickered briefly in Toby's eyes, but he shut it down. He looked at me, unflinching. "Yeah, well, there's nothing keeping me here now."
And just like that, he walked away.