|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 20:26:20 GMT -5
Tobias pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t even tell Martina I was leaving ‘til after the fact, so.” He ran his hands roughly through his hair. There were defiantly more strands of grey around his temples now, even his sideburns seemed completely silver now. “I don’t not consider you. Trust me,” he added with as much sincerity he could muster.
He reached out for the hand that flipped him the bird. “Please don’t stay away from me. I’m trying to get healthy, I am! And I know…I know that means communicating.” Just how he did that exactly, Tobias wasn’t sure. The situation was sensitive at best. The upmost discretion had to be used and because of it, communication with anyone, including family, had been next to nothing.
With a heavy sigh, Tobias dropped his hand back to his sigh. “Okay…look. You deserve an apology and an explanation. The first I can give you in full. I will even kiss your feet every day until you forgive me. The other, what I can give you is that my father was sick and needed me.” He cleared his throat, and then added. “My actual father, that’s why Anna-Marie was still here,” Tobias ended awkwardly and he looked down at his boots.
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Aug 6, 2011 21:07:43 GMT -5
Caroline was absolutely silent for the entirety of what Tobias had to say, her dark eyes glittering with mixed anger and hurt. Sure, the former was mitigated slightly by the fact that a family illness had called him away rather, say, than a case of itchy feet. However, it didn't erase the worry and distress he had caused. A phone call, a letter... nothing had come and she had almost thought the worst. And he'd thought to tell Martina. Suuuuuure, one notice took so much longer than another.
When Tobias's apartment had been emptied and rented to somebody else, Caroline lost all hope that her coworker would return. She'd asked the super if he was sending the things to somebody and he merely laughed. "Mine now," he'd said.
She took a step closer to him. "No, Tobias. I can't do this again." Her eyes filled with tears and she hit him in the chest with the side of a fist. "You asshole, I thought you were dead. Martina told me nothing, Emilio saw nothing, and you sent nothing. You dropped off the face of the earth." Her voice was tight and her grip on her bag made her knuckles turn white. "Months passed and nothing. MONTHS!" Her voice had been magnified by her power, which was going haywire now that she'd been set off. "I moved on! I changed! Things were simpler when I accepted that you'd never come back. And now you're here, making things complicated again."
She turned away from him and wiped angrily at the tears streaming down her cheeks. She struggled to regain control and merely said, "I hope your father is better." Then she began heading back in the general direction of the apartments.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 21:39:33 GMT -5
The sheer power that had gathered in her voice had caused Tobias to fall to his knees and clamp his palms roughly over his hyper sensitive ears. The pain was insurmountable, and he gritted his teeth against the ringing. A vein pulsed in his neck and by the time he could collect himself, Caroline was already walking away.
He tore after her, unaware of his yellowing eyes. “Hey! Don’t do this to me! Caroline,” he growled skidding to a halt in front of her. Tobias breathed in heavily to cool the fire in his veins. Even now, despite her own rage, she was beautiful. He couldn’t get rid of her as easily. “Don’t block me out of your life. I know I’ve done wrong by you…” Tobias took a few steps back from her. It probably wasn’t best to crowd her and ask for forgiveness at the same time.
Running his hands through his hair again, Tobias let out an audible huff. “Mary mother of God…I don’t know how to do this.” Maybe she was right, maybe they needed distances. He knew it was true because every time he wanted to be with her they clashed like oil and water. Tobias sniffed the air. Rain clouds were rolling in slowly from the east but there was no assurance the storm would reach inland or stay out at sea. “Can I at least walk home with you? I mean we’re practically neighbors.”
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Aug 6, 2011 21:59:44 GMT -5
Caroline noticed the change in his eye color and knew (from her experience with Nikolai) that it usually meant that working Tobias up was probably not a great idea. Her jaw tightened. She'd said her piece. It would do no good to reiterate what had already been said. Vaguely, she wondered if Tobias had renewed his lease. Which apartment would he be staying in now? She hoped that it was far away from hers.
When he asked to walk home with her, she assumed he had made the arrangements. And, since it would be silly to take separate routes, she nodded. She wiped her face on her sleeve again, trying to stop crying. This was ridiculous. Tobias wasn't dead. Clearly. Why was she carrying on like this?!
Silence fell between them like a heavy curtain as they walked through the town to the apartments.
|
|