Chapter 78

Chapter 78
“Hey, love.” Toby’s voice echoed from the receiver as he came online, and I stepped into the phone frame, peeping into the screen to see him, but he was out of sight.

This has been our thing lately, whereby we video each other when we are dressing up to work. Coincidentally, Toby and I woke up at the same time, and since we would be busy throughout the day, this was a time we could talk while also multitasking.

Immediately I came out of the bathroom, I would message him, and he would call me while we watched each other get dressed.

“Hello, good morning.” I replied to my mate, a smile lighting up my face as he appeared on the screen.

“You look beautiful today.” He said, his eyes taking me up in my state of undress, and a faint blush appeared on my face.

“Thank you, you don’t look bad yourself.” I told him, eyeing him from head to toe. He was taking his goddamn time to get dressed; his hands were barely covering his man parts, and I knew he was purposely teasing me, but I was finding it hard to resist him.

What I would give if I could develop wings to fly and reach him.

“How was your night?” He asked me, throwing on a shirt on his body, and my eyes zoned into it. It was a teal polyester short sleeve, just the kind I would like, and I would make sure to steal it when I came. “Did you sleep well?”

I sighed, shaking my head. “I wish, but it was good. I only wished you were beside me when I woke up.” I grumbled, padding to the wardrobe to get my jeans.

It has been a week since Toby had left for his pack, and one would have thought I had gotten used to it; after all, we had spent most of our time apart. But this was worse.

“It will soon be over.” He muttered under his breath, but I picked it up.

“When?” I was tempted to ask him. Was it when I was old and gray-haired and past the age of menopause or until his dick didn’t work well anymore that it would be over?

“I hope so.” I murmured instead, focusing on his finger as he did his button.

We remained silent as we got dressed, and there was no need to exchange words because we understood each other, and I was just okay with living in such comfortable silence.

I ran the lip gloss on my lips, smacking it to spread it, and I was good to go. “I have to go now, Toby.” I told him, taking my phone from the window.

“Alright, I have to go too. I have a ton of work to do, and between Kane and the new baby, I have my work cut out for me.” Toby sighed, bringing the phone towards himself, and I let out an easy smile.

“Take care. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He said in a rich baritone that sent a thrill through my chest, making my heart feel as though it might burst from its confines. I pocketed my phone and stepped out of the room, gently shutting the door against me and making my way towards my office.

A new batch of weapons will be coming tonight, and I would need all hands on deck to make sure it is a smooth one and everything is accounted for.

Dylan was already mobilizing people that would be handling it, and it was already looking up. My only wish was that Toby could be delivered with it.

I picked up the paper in front of me, looking at all of the items that were going to be delivered, just to be sure we had everything that we needed, and I nodded my head in satisfaction.

I reached for the bottle of water in front of me, taking a large gulp from it before returning to my work.

That was how it was, with just a few breaks to take lunch and meet with my brothers, and it was back to the same routine. I am sure that if I continued this way, I was going to get a flat ass from all the sitting before the month ended.

The next day was no better; only I could see the phone flashing with an incoming call, but the name on the screen made me pause in disbelief. I should feel guilty that I had not bothered calling them or even thinking about them since they left, but all I felt was an overwhelming sense of relief.

So, I let the phone ring, choosing to ignore the call. It had to be a slip of the hand or drunk dialing because I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that they had chosen to call willingly.

I looked away from the phone and tried to continue my work, but the call came again, this time almost startling me, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I took a deep breath, asking the goddess to help me in case they decided to step on my toes, and I answered the call.

“Maddie!” My mother’s voice rang from the phone. The background was filled with the unmistakable hum of music and chatter, suggesting they were at a club or party. I blinked in surprise—never in my wildest dreams would I have pegged my parents as the partying type.

“It is our daughter, Maddie.” I heard her slur to the person beside her, who I would assume was my father. “It is our beautiful Maddie. I am so proud of her.”

My mouth fell open at what I had just heard, and I blink slowly, trying to determine if I had truly heard it right.

It was the first time she had ever said something like that, and it stirred up a whirlwind of emotions I couldn’t quite place. But before I could fully process it, the sound of rushing air came through the phone, the phone plucked from her hands, and her laughter rang out in the background, carefree and unhinged.

“Maddie.” My father’s voice drowned out whatever joy had been radiating from me, and a frown settled on my face. “Your mother had a little too much to drink, and she decided to call you.

“I hope she is okay.” I asked him.

“Yes.” There was an awkward silence between us that lasted seconds as none of us was willing to break it, but he finally succumbed.

“How had it been leading a pack?”

“So-so. I have been trying my best.”

“I know you will do well. My regards to your brothers.” And the line went dead.

I stared into space after the line went dead, replaying the conversation in my mind, trying to convince myself that I had actually heard those words. My gaze shifted to the phone in my hand. “Yeah,” I murmured to no one in particular. The number was correct—it was definitely my mother—and I was certain the other voice belonged to my father.

He thought I would do well.

I was riding on that euphoria as I dove back into my work with vigor, a faint smile on my lips. My mother was proud of me, and my father believed in me. That was enough to brighten my day.

I closed for the day, but the smile refused to leave my lips, not even throughout that week. I guess I may have missed my parents.

I was in my room the night after I closed from work, trying to rest, but something kept gnawing at my senses. What was more mind-boggling was the scent I was perceiving, and I froze in place, but my heart was racing as I tried to make sense of it all.

Before I could piece it together, a knock sounded at my door, and my body was moving on autopilot towards it as if propelled by an invisible force. I reached the door and yanked it open without hesitation, and my eyes widened as I took in the person that was in front of me.

“Toby?” I blinked, hoping to clear the haze that was clouding my vision. Slowly, I pinched the skin on my thighs, making sure this was real.

It would be cruel to have this taken away from me.

“Maddie.” Toby pulled me into his arms, and all the thoughts I had disappeared as I melted into him, letting him embrace me.

“Welcome back.” I whispered, hoping this time he was staying forever.