"Please don't...tell your Dad about what I told you in the car, okay?" Tobias said as we parked in front of the lake house.

"Wait, you mean he has no idea?" I was shocked. For all the time they spend with each other, I'd think they would've shared some specifics.

Tobias shrugged. "He knows some but not all. We sort of made an unspoken pact not to fully speak about it." Tobias looked back at the house and I could tell whatever he was about to say next was going to be hard for him. I grabbed his hand again and squeezed hard. That seemed to calm him down before.

"Him and Gwen actually found me one morning when I was in a pretty bad spot last summer. I was sleeping in my car to get away from my Dad and I was pretty banged up. They took care of me, fed me and nursed me back to health."

"Oh, Jesus." I breathed.

"I think I would've died that day had they not found me. I was giving up, Elijah. Your Dad was my guardian angel that day." Tobias broke. Tears streamed down his face and I couldn't help but lunge for him again.

"Tobias...this is...I had no idea it was that bad." I squeezed him so hard wrapping my arms around him tightly. No wonder he found such a safe place in my Dad. Everything just makes so much sense now and I just feel even worse for not understanding earlier. All the pain and drama I put him through.

"So please," He sniffed. "Don't tell your Dad any of this. I...I don't want him to know because I want him to be there for me because he wants to be, not out of pity but just because he cares about me. Because he likes who I am as a person." He wiped his nose on his arm.

I smiled, cupping his face. "Elijah, he loves who you are as a person." I brushed his hair back from his eyes.

We both looked back up at the house. Guilt returned to me quickly after realizing what I had done. I had broken up the only safety he had ever known.

"Come on. We're going to solve this right now." I said opening up the car door.

Tobias followed me closely behind as we made our way back inside the house. I was going to demand Dad's forgiveness if it's the last thing I did.

"We're home," I called out, slipping off my shoes.

I looked behind me and shook my head to see Tobias lining up my shoes and his by the door. He always did that and it was precious.

"Out here!" Dad shouted from the backyard.

"Let's go." I tilted my head to lead the way.

We crossed the house and entered the backyard only to be met by a huge surprise.

My eyes widened. "Gwen!" I yelled.

There she was sitting by the firepit beside Dad, roasting a marshmallow. The fire illuminated her face like the angel she was. She stuck her stick in the ground and ran up to us with the biggest smile on her face.

"I thought you two were going to beat me here. I was so wrong." She said squeezing us both. Tobias was as shocked as I was.

"What? How? When? Huh?" He stammered.

"I just had to come after you two came to get me. You were right. You both were so right." She said holding our hands. I thought back to what I said to her at the office.

I feel like it came out partly for her and the rest was because of how I felt about Tobias.

I smiled, thankful that my words did what they were supposed to do.

"Now come on, my boys apparently promised my man some smores tonight."

"We did?" Tobias asked, looking over at Dad.

Dad rubbed his palms on his thighs and got up to greet us too.

He looked at us both and wrapped his hands around the back of both of our necks, drawing us in for a hug.

"You're both my boys. You know that? You'll forever be my boys. Always have been always will be." He said looking at me but lingered on Tobias. "I may get angry or disappointed sometimes, but that doesn't mean you're a bad kid. You're a good kid. A really good kid. You both are." He kissed us both on the cheeks. "And I love you both. Don't ever forget that." He squeezed harder.

This is exactly what I wanted Tobias to hear. My heart felt so happy and so full.

Dad dropped his hands from my neck and rested both of his on Tobias's shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tobias. I think I've been so deep in my head about a lot of things that have nothing to do with you and I took it out on you which you didn't deserve. You deserve better than that from me. I let you down."

Tobias's mouth parted as his eyes darted over to me and then back to Dad. "You had all the right to be disappointed in me. You didn't let me down."

Dad dropped his hands and shrugged. "Maybe so, but it still was between you and Elijah to work out. I forget you two are fully grown men sometimes and can solve your own problems. It's hard not to see you as my little boys." He laughed softly.

Tobias nodded his head. "I understand. And I love you too." He smiled.

Dad took in a big breath and clapped his hands together.

"Now, which one of you is going to roast me a marshmallow? I like my smores with extra chocolate." He pointed out. "Alexa, play Too Experienced!" He yelled out. Suddenly the backyard filled with Dad's favourite song. Tobias and I both looked at each other and laughed before joining them around the firepit.

☀️☀️☀️

"Hold on tight!" Dad called out to us. He was whipping it in his sports boat around the lake. Wind in all of our hair, we held on as he hit every wave, resulting in us jumping up and down. Gwen was right beside him, holding on to the dashboard tightly as we sped through the channel.

"Jude, you're a madman!" Tobias laughed. Jude looked back at him and smiled before wooing and fist-bumping the air.

We actually just rented the boat for the day so I was shocked to see him going so fast. Actually, I'm shocked to see him renting the boat in the first place. This was definitely a first for all of us which was funny.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said, covering my mouth and looking over the edge.

Thankfully, Dad took this as a sign to slow down the boat and start cruising. Thank, god.

"Can you believe this is the first time we're doing this? I can't believe I waited so long!" He yelled back at us.

"It's pretty crazy." I lifted my eyebrows and looked at Tobias and Gwen who both laughed, understandingly.

"I'm going to take Gwen out tonight on the town. Just the two of us. You two okay to have dinner on your own tonight?" He called out over the sound of the engine.

I swallowed hard looking over at Tobias. We haven't been alone since the heated night in my car which was a couple of nights ago. We've been doing things as a family since so being faced with alone time again may be... interesting.

My stomach flipped just thinking about it.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Tobias answered for me.

"Yeah, we'll be good," I called out.

Tobias kicked my foot which made me realize what I said may have sounded weird. "What time will you be getting back tonight?" I asked to try and cover my ass.

"Hopefully late," Dad said looking over at Gwen and giving her a wink.

"Oh, gross." I pretended to barf.

"Grow up." Tobias laughed. "You can't handle a little kissing?" He pretended to smooch the air.

"Get away from me." I laughed as he closed the gap between us, pretending to smooch me as I squirmed away. Gwen and Dad were laughing away at us.

"You better get used to it." He said under his breath before peeling away and sitting back in his seat.

I sat up, clearing my throat. Looking over at him, he looked completely unphased. He looked out to the water behind his black sunglasses with the wind blowing in his beautiful golden hair. He stretched out his arms on the ledge of the boat to give us all an eye full of his beautiful, built body. Topless, as always, and completely delicious. I tried to look away but come on.

I seriously had this Hercules lookalike whispering sweet nothings to me.

Fuck, I must've died and went to heaven.

☀️

Authors Note: 

Yaaay, all is right in the world. Jude has apologized, Gwen is here to party and the boys are finally opening up to each otherrrr. 

UGH! This...this is what I live for HA. 

PS what's your song for the summer? I know, I know. We're in November now BUT this is a summer book. Let's get the summer vibes flowing.