Ashes of Us

Chapter Twelve: Shattered Moment

Tobi’s smirk hadn’t fully settled when my phone rang.

I sighed when I saw the caller ID—Mum.

Not now.

Not when I was already feeling too much.

I hesitated, but I knew better than to ignore it.

"Give me a second," I murmured, standing and moving to the edge of the boat before answering.

"Sophie, where are you?!" My mother’s sharp voice cut through the night air.

I tensed. Not this. Not now.

"I—"

"Do you know what your father has done again?!"

My breath hitched. The familiar dread crept in, wrapping around my chest like a vice.

"He hasn’t sent a dime for your school fees!" Her voice rose, each word a whip crack. "I told you, Sophie! I told you that man is useless! I have my own problems—I can’t carry this alone! You need to call him and demand your money! I won’t break my back while he pretends you don’t exist!"

I exhaled shakily, gripping the railing. "Mum, please—"

"Don’t ‘Mum, please’ me! You think I’m your father, tolerating nonsense? Call him, Sophie! If they drop you from school, it’s not on me!"

The call cut.

Silence.

I just stood there, staring at the screen, my heart pounding.

The weight of it—the suffocating reminder of home—settled heavily on my chest.

Of why I never wanted to be there.

I clenched my jaw, blinking hard, fighting the sting behind my eyes.

I wouldn’t cry.

Not here.

Not now.

"Shuga?"

Tobi’s voice pulled me back.

I turned.

He was still lounging on the seat, but his eyes were sharper now, watching me.

I forced a smile. "Sorry, that was my mum."

He didn’t say anything.

Just studied me, like he could see everything.

Like he already knew.

I inhaled deeply, shoving the emotions down. Burying them deep.

"It’s nothing," I lied. "Just family drama."

Tobi’s gaze didn’t waver. "That’s a heavy 'nothing,' Shuga."

I swallowed. "I don’t want to talk about it."

Silence.

Then—he nodded.

He didn’t push.

Didn’t ask questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

Instead, he leaned back again, smirk returning, but this time—it was softer.

"Alright," he said, his voice smooth. "Then let’s talk about something else."

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

And just like that—the mood shifted again.

But the weight of that call still sat heavy in my chest.

And deep down, I knew it wasn’t over.

Chapter Thirteen: Lost in the Abyss

I sat back down, but the ease from earlier was gone.

Tobi was watching me, silent but observant.

The boat continued gliding over the water, the night air thick with tension—not the kind we’d shared before. This was different. Darker.

He reached for the champagne bottle beside him, pouring himself another glass. He lifted it slightly in my direction. "Drink?"

I hesitated before nodding. I needed something to dull the ache spreading in my chest.

I took a sip, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat, trying to push the unease out of my mind.

Tobi leaned back, his gaze never leaving me. "Your father?"

I stiffened.

He wasn’t asking. He already knew.

I stared at the dark waves ahead. "He doesn’t care about me."

Tobi hummed, swirling his drink. "That’s rough, Shuga."

I let out a bitter laugh. "That’s life."

I wasn’t sure why I was telling him this. Maybe it was the way he looked at me—like he saw me. Like he understood. Or maybe I was just tired.

Tobi set his glass down, shifting forward. His fingers brushed against my knee, barely there, but it sent heat up my skin.

"You know what I think?" His voice was lower now, slower. "I think you’re used to being disappointed."

I swallowed hard. Because he was right. And he knew it.

I turned to him, our faces close in the dim light. His eyes weren’t mocking—weren’t teasing. They were serious. Dangerously so.

"I don’t like seeing you like this, Shuga."

My breath caught as his hand slid up, grazing my thigh, fingers pressing into my skin.

I should stop him. I should pull away.

But I didn’t.

Because in this moment, I didn’t want to feel anything else.

I didn’t want to think about home, about school, about anything outside this boat. Only him.

Tobi leaned in, his breath warm against my lips. "You want a distraction?"

Yes.

I didn’t say it.

I didn’t have to.

Tobi’s mouth claimed mine in a slow, deep kiss that sent a shudder down my spine. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t forceful. It was consuming.

His hands gripped my hips, pulling me onto his lap, my knees pressing against the cushions.

I gasped against his lips, my fingers tangling in his shirt, needing more, needing something to fill the hollowness inside me.

Tobi groaned, his grip tightening as his lips trailed down my jaw, down my neck, his teeth grazing just enough to make me shiver.

The boat rocked gently, the world narrowing to just us—just heat and hands and desperate, aching need.

And for the first time tonight—

I stopped thinking.

Minutes passed, lost in fevered kisses, in the press of his body against mine. But reality eventually crept in, wrapping around me like an unshakable chain.

A familiar emptiness clawed at my chest, warning me that this moment—this escape—wouldn’t last.

I pulled back, breathless.

"I should go." My voice was barely above a whisper.

Tobi’s gaze darkened slightly, his hands still resting on my waist. "So soon?"

I forced a small smile. "Yeah… I have to get back to school."

For a second, he didn’t say anything. His thumb traced slow circles on my skin, like he was debating something. Then, with a quiet exhale, he nodded.

"Alright."

The air between us was thick as he signaled to the captain. The boat turned back toward the dock, the distant city lights growing closer.

I sat beside him, my heartbeat still uneven, the warmth of his touch lingering on my skin.

But as the boat slowed to a stop and reality loomed over me again—

I suddenly wished I could stay lost at sea.

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