The next morning, Theo heads to work, leaving me with Tobias. I told them I don’t need a babysitter, but they ignore me. I can tell they don’t trust me. I have no intentions of running again after what happened the last time. While I sit on the couch, Tobias comes over handing me a hot cup of coffee.
“What’s the plan today then?” I ask, hoping he will have some idea of what we can do that doesn’t revolve around the TV. This place is boring sometimes, especially with its lack of internet and there aren’t many books left on the shelf I haven’t read, and I have no intentions of reading the dictionaries or geography books that remain on the shelf.
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?” He asks, rubbing my leg.
“Well, that’s why I asked you; if I knew I would be doing it. What do you and Theo usually do out here?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Nothing. Work, have sex, that’s about it.”
“And I thought my life was boring.” I roll my eyes.
Maybe living in my car wasn’t so bad after all. At least I could walk down to the beach or to the park or something. There’s nothing to do here unless I wander around the bush which I won’t be doing.
“Hey, we aren’t boring; we did stuff just things you can’t do.” Tobias defends himself and Theo.
“Like what?” I instantly regret asking. I can feel what he means through the bond.
“Bianca,” he says.
Bianca? Who the fuck is this Bianca and why is she out here? “Who’s Bianca?” I ask.
He stares at me, blinking a couple of times. “What did you just say?”
“Only the name you just told me, so who is she? Who’s Bianca?”
“Imogen, I didn’t say her name out loud.” I’m mystified, I swear I heard him say the name Bianca. But if he didn’t say this woman’s name, why does it sound like he knows who I’m talking about?
“Who’s Bianca?” I ask again, hoping this time for an answer.
“No one you need to worry about, Imogen.” Tobias tries to wave me off.
“So, you did say it and you know who I am talking about?”
“I didn’t say it, you must have picked it up through the bond. I thought it, didn’t say it, Imogen,” he mumbles before walking out of the room.
Who is this woman for him to have such a strong reaction to her name? I get up and follow him up the stairs. Just as I get to the top step, he shuts the door, locking me out. I bang on it. “What the fuck Tobias, who is she?”
“Leave it be, she isn’t an issue now go away.”
I feel nausea build up in my stomach. Why is he acting like this? Does he love her? Who is she to him, to them? And why does he instantly think of her when I asked what they got up to?
I’m not the only one, and that realization makes my blood run cold. I’m not naïve, I know they probably have been with other women before me. But why so defensive over this woman? I feel tears build up and I have to swallow down the lump that forms in my throat.
I turn around, suddenly wanting to get away from him. I know without a doubt this woman means something, and more than he is willing to tell me. I walk down the stairs while I have a million questions running through my head. If I don’t find out who she is, I know it will eat away at me.
Opening the front door, I walk out toward the garden. There’s no point in leaving, they will track me down. Sitting next to my mother’s plant, I cry, I can’t hold it in any longer. Everything is moving too fast, my life moves out of my control and now they are keeping secrets from me. I don’t know how long I’m out there for, when suddenly, Theo sits beside me. I wipe my eyes, embarrassed to be seen crying. He places his hand on my shoulder before pulling me to him and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I feel him kiss my head.
“Why are you here?” I ask.
“Tobias.” He simply states.
I shake my head and stand up. “I want to go back to the apartment; I won’t put up with you keeping secrets.”
“Secrets?” He asks, his eyes brows furrowing like he doesn’t understand. “Who’s keeping secrets?”
“You and Tobias.” Theo looks up toward the top floor of the house. Standing at the window is Tobias, watching us and listening in.
I roll my eyes; he hasn’t got the balls to tell me so instead sends for Theo, the damn coward.
“Take me back to the city,” I say sternly.
“Imogen, you know we can’t do that.” I shove past him, walking back towards the house, deciding to head to the shed I detoured the house. I can feel him following me, but I can also feel his confusion. Well, I’m not explaining shit he can speak to his other mate. I open the garage door, only to find both cars not here. I slam the roller door down. How am I going to leave with no car?
“I want to leave, let me leave.”
“Imogen you’re being unreasonable, what happened?”
“I was talking to Tobias and he got angry because I mentioned her name. That’s it, now if he won’t tell me who she is I want to leave.”
“Mentioned who’s name?”
“Bianca.” I watch his reaction.
Theo takes a step back, so he knows who I’m talking about as well. “Where did you hear that name, Imogen?”
“I thought Tobias said it, but he thinks he only thought it, which makes no sense because I can’t read people’s minds like you can.”
While we are arguing I hear a car pull up, I walk to the front of the house, praying for it to be anyone but their parents, someone who could give me a lift in town.
I feel Theo grab my arm, stopping me, pulling me back. “No, you’re not leaving,”
“Get your fucking hands off me, Theo, I’m leaving unless I get fucking answers.”