Toby’s Apology
Toby softened his gaze at the sight of Sonia lying there. He gently pulled his hand out of hers so he
wouldn’t wake her, then lightly stroked her hair.
If she was here next to him, then Tom had clearly told her about the accident. She must have been
startled when she heard the news, Toby thought grimly, and an apologetic look flashed across his
features as he reached to tuck her hair behind her ear so that it wasn’t all in her face.
Then, he drew his hand back and lifted the covers. He slid out of bed and came over to her side,
thereafter bending down to scoop her into his arms.
Meanwhile, Sonia had not fallen into a deep slumber, and she started as soon as she felt someone
touching her. Her eyes flew open, and the first thing she saw was a familiar and handsomely chiseled
face.
At first, she thought she might be imagining things, so she blinked hard to snap out of it.
However, when she saw that the same face was still there, she knew that she was not delusional. It’s
really him, she thought as she broke into an elated grin. “Toby, you’re—”
She broke off when she suddenly felt that there was something off about the weightless sensation that
gripped her. Turning, she was astonished to find that at some point, Toby had swept her into his arms.
“You’re awake,” Toby pointed out softly as he gazed down at her. “Sorry for waking you.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I wasn’t really sleeping that well, anyway. What are you doing, though?
Put me down right now.” He was still injured, and he ought not to be straining himself by carrying her in
his arms.
However, he brushed her off and only put her down on the bed, in the same spot where he had laid. “If
you kept sleeping the way you did just now, you’re going to wake up tomorrow morning with a crick in
your neck and your back. I wanted to let you have the bed so you could sleep better, but it looks like I
woke you up instead.”
“Oh,” Sonia said with a smile, acknowledging his efforts. There was still residual warmth on the bed
where he lay just now, and she felt snug and comfortable as soon as her back touched the mattress.
Coupled with what he had said earlier, she couldn’t help the rush of warm sentiments that seized her.
“But you shouldn’t be too concerned about me. You’re still a patient, after all, and this bed is meant for
you, not me. Here, you can have it back,” Sonia said, reaching to lift the covers off her so she could get
out of bed.
Toby frowned and pinned the covers down, tucking her in firmly as he said authoritatively, “Do as you’re
told and just go to sleep already. Do not get down from the bed, understand?”
She gaped at him in mild amusement. “There’s no need to be so controlling.”
He caressed her face lovingly. “I’m not being controlling; I just can’t bear to see you uncomfortable, is
all.”
This made her heart swell, and the smile on her face grew even warmer.
“Okay, go to sleep. I can still see how groggy you are. You must be tired after I woke you up
accidentally earlier.” With that, he began to rearrange the covers.
She hummed in response before suddenly scooting further to the side, then patted the space next to
her on the bed.
He raised a brow. “What are you doing?”
“I know the bed isn’t very big, but I’m sure we could squeeze in together. Come over here and take a
nap with me,” she said, staring at him.
He wouldn’t let her get down from the bed, and she couldn’t very well make a patient slouch over the
side of the bed, so she decided that the only solution was for them to share the bed.
Toby’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Is that an invitation?”
She rolled her eyes at him in mock exasperation, then said, “Yes, it is. Now, can you please get into
bed with me, my dear Mr. Fuller?”
He was amused, but he kept up an oh-very-well expression as he let out a dry cough and muttered,
“Fine, then. Since you’ve offered, I see no reason to upset you by rejecting it.”
“Aren’t you reluctant?” she drawled sarcastically and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder as soon as
he burrowed beneath the covers.
Toby was lying on his side, and he wasted no time in drawing her into his embrace. His arms wound
around her tightly as he nibbled her ear and muttered, “How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?”
Sonia hadn’t thought that he would prey on her even while they lay in the hospital bed together. The
corner of her lips twitched in disbelief as she countered, “You’re the one who got into an accident and
sustained injuries, so why are you asking me if I’m hurt? I don’t think transitive property works that
way.”
He let out a low chuckle. “I see you don’t understand what I’m referring to. What I meant to ask was,
does it still hurt down there?” As he murmured this close to her ear, his hand began to trail past the dip
in her waist and toward a certain sensitive area.
As realization dawned upon her, her eyes widened, and her hand darted under the covers to seize his
wandering one. Blushing furiously, she demanded through gritted teeth, “What are you doing, Toby?”
He eyed her innocently. “I just wanted to help you check if it still hurts.”
“As if!” She batted his hand away and snapped, “Checking? Hah! You know as well as I do that you’d
be getting up to no good if I let you.”
“I would not!” he insisted, still feigning innocence.
At that moment, she pried off his arm from her waist and turned to her side so that her back was to him,
then decidedly ignored him.
It was then that Toby knew he had crossed the line. After all, women were all prideful creatures, and
most of them were easily flustered by such roguish teasing. Great, now she’s mad at me, he thought
ruefully.
With his gaze fixed on the back of her head, he let out a contrite dry cough and nudged himself
forward. When his chest was pressed against her back, he tried to reach around her and pull her back
into his embrace.
But his arm had only just begun to snake around her waist when she shoved her elbow backward,
knocking his arm away as she grumbled, “Don’t touch me.”
This did little to dissuade him from his efforts, and it only spurred him on. Summoning his strength, he
forcefully drew her close and wrapped his arm around her tight.
She froze at first, then started to struggle.
He lifted his head slightly and whispered huskily close to her ear, “Don’t move unless you want me to
break my arm again before it could mend. Also, I still have a mild concussion from the accident; if you
keep moving like this, I’ll take it as you want me to pass out for another day.”
Upon hearing this, she stopped struggling and fixed her eyes on the wall across from her. After a while,
she bit down on her lip and pointed out sourly, “You always seem to have the upper hand, Toby.”
He buried his face into the crook of her neck as he muttered humorously, “It’s less about me having the
upper hand and more about me knowing that you love me enough to be considerate. Naturally, I’d do
the same for you.” While saying this, he slowly prompted her to turn over to face him.
She did not object this time and merely allowed her body to flip as though his guiding hand was an axis
on which she spun. The next moment, they found themselves facing each other as they lay on their
sides.
He reached out and brushed his thumb over her cheek, then toyed with the long strands of her raven-
black hair as he said apologetically, “I’m sorry if I made you mad earlier, but I really did have the
intention of checking if you still hurt, you know, down there. I’m not a beast, and I certainly wouldn’t
dream of doing anything to you while you’ve barely recovered.”
Sonia’s eyes glistened when she heard this. Does this mean he wasn’t feigning innocence at all just
now? I misunderstood him, then? At the thought of this, she shot him an embarrassed look and averted
her gaze, mumbling, “It’s fine. I forgive you.”
He chuckled lightheartedly. “Thank you.”
A few seconds of silence later, she gazed into his eyes and said quietly, “I’m feeling much better down
there. It’s not as painful as it was during the day. I guess the ointment you got for me really worked.”
“That’s good to know,” Toby replied, then inched closer to give her a quick peck on the lips before he
added, “I’m sorry if I hurt you last night. I was only too excited to claim you as my own, and I didn’t
bother holding back when I should have. I promise I won’t be so rough with you next time.”
Sonia hummed and teased, “I hope you’ll keep your word.”
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