Tris sits in her office the following week between morning and afternoon practices. She tried her hardest to not think of Tobias every waking moment since they'd hung out, but she had been extremely unsuccessful in her attempts. She told him she had a great time, and wanted to do it again, but in her nervousness and stupidity, she hadn't asked to exchange numbers or set future plans with him. Other than seeing him at the complex, she had no idea how to get ahold of him, which frustrated her.

Maybe Tobias wasn't interesting in rekindling their friendship, and that was why he hadn't offered to make plans to give her his number. He could be completely uninterested in getting closer to her again, and she didn't blame him. She knew she had crushed him, missed out on some of his most important life moments. But he had seemed to enjoy their evening together, even briefly returning the hug she'd offered when they'd said goodbye.

That week, she found herself staying after each night, tumbling some frustration out of the floor, which was the only thing safe enough to do without a spotter. She longed for someone, anyone, to come in and sit back while she flew through the air on the bars, but didn't feel comfortable enough to ask anyone. So she stuck with her long flips and layouts on the floor, flinging her body around in different twists and turns.

On Thursday night she was out of breath and her muscles slightly burned from the repetitive passes before she stopped, walking off to the side of the gym towards her water bottle. She'd been so into her tumbling that she must not have heard the click of the gym door when it opened and closed, because she heard that familiar, deep voice from a few yards away.

"That's just as mesmerizing as the first time I saw it."

She turned quickly, melting into a smile at the sight of Tobias, and blushing at his comment. He wouldn't say things like that if he didn't want to be her friend, right?

"Well, it has been a while."

He shakes his head with a shy look on his face. "I watched you on TV."

It sends a pang to her heart, because she had watched Tobias on TV too. She'd been glued to the screen when his team won the Big Ten conference senior year, and when he'd received All-American accolades in the NCAA tournament, where they'd finished third.

She doesn't voice this because she doesn't feel she has the right to tell him she still cared about him and wanted to support him while she was miles away, doing things without him.

He keeps talking at her silence. "I was cleaning out the viewing box," he tells her. "I saw you tumbling and didn't want to just watch you… it felt kind of… creepy." He laughs at the confession, but she doesn't seem bothered by it.

"I'm glad you come down here," she admits. "We never really exchanged numbers, or made plans to see each other again."

Tobias scratches the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I didn't want to assume anything."

"Well, I would really like to get together again," she tells him as she bites her bottom lip hopefully. "If you want."

His face breaks into his natural smile, the one that reaches his eyes and brings out a smile in Tris, too. "Yeah, of course I do."

Her body relaxes at his response. "Saturday? I'm off at 2."

He casually pulls out his phone and walks closer to her. "Yeah, that sounds good. Put your number in, and I'll figure out some plans."

As she reaches for his phone, her hand brushes his, and she can't help but feel the tiny jolts of electricity in her fingertips as she gives him her phone number. "My phone is in the office, otherwise I'd ask for yours," she explains at her lack of reciprocity.

She melts at his flirtatious smile he responds with. "I'll make sure you get it."

Tris shifts nervously. "I'm just going to do a few more passes," she says gesturing to the floor. "I want to get done before the custodial staff comes in. I…. uh… I don't really tell anyone I do this."

Tobias nods, understanding her longing for privacy. "Secret's safe with me."

She walks back to the floor, and as he's about to turn to leave, she looks at him over her shoulder. "I'm really glad you came down here, Tobias." And then he sees her running across the floor, throwing her body into a tumbling pass that sends her flying across the blue floor.

When Tris got home that night, she ate a quiet dinner before drawing a bubble bath for herself, as hot as she could stand it. She pulled out the book she'd been reading, setting it on the edge of the deep, vintage, claw foot tub next to her glass of water. But after she eased herself down and cracked it open, she couldn't concentrate on any of the words because her mind kept drifting back to her college memories of Tobias. Eventually, she tossed the book on the floor and dipped her hands in the water, running them down her face and then over her hair.

During their sophomore year their friendship had blossomed, both of them staying in the student athlete apartments that year and through the summer. But junior year, she competed the first half of the season with an extremely light course load of only 12 credit hours, the minimum needed to compete. After a long, brutal talk with her coach, they decided she should sit out the second semester, both athletically and academically.

They were sitting in the kitchen of Tobias's apartment on a Saturday night, two weeks left in the semester that would consist of dead week and finals week, when she told him. Her training schedule had gotten more rigorous, as she'd competed in the American Cup, which qualified her for the Olympic Trials, which would be held in just two months. If she qualified, which she was expected too, she'd spend the last three months before the Olympics at team training camp in Texas before they'd be off to the Olympics in London in August.

He'd asked her previously if she'd be able to finish the semester before training camp started and she'd shrugged and changed the subject. Truly, she had wanted to finish the year and maybe take the fall semester off but she didn't see how it could be possible to keep up with everything, and she knew that this was probably her last shot at the Olympics and an all around gold medal. Most of the girls competing for an Olympic team slot were high school students, completing work through home school or distance learning, and her older competitors were usually training full time. She didn't know of a single one of them that was attending college.

She'd brought over a chicken salad for her, and a burger and fries for him. He offered her a fry, as he always did, but she shook her head and turned away. He was talking about his classes for the next semester when she couldn't hold it in anymore and blurted out, "I'm taking next semester off."

His face had fallen, and he'd given her a sad, knowing smile. "I figured you would."

"I just… this is my chance, you know? I don't want to look back and think that I could have trained harder, I could have been more focused." She was picking at her salad with her fork, pushing it around because she suddenly had a lurching feeling in her stomach. She hadn't felt sad about leaving school until she'd thought about leaving Tobias and what this would mean for their friendship. She knew he would be fine. He was popular and spent time with Zeke and the hockey guys, and he'd have a tougher course load coming up this next semester as an upperclassmen.

"Do you think you'll come back senior year?" He looked at her hopefully.

"Probably not in the fall… the Olympics start in August." She glanced over at him and noticed how he was trying to keep his face straight and emotionless. "Maybe the spring?"

He had nodded, and then turned back to small talk, until they settled on the couch Tobias flipped on the TV and turned to the most recent episode of Criminal Minds, which he had convinced Tris to start watching. She'd never regularly watched a TV show before because she had considered it too much of a distraction from training. She'd lasted halfway through the show before she'd found herself scooting closer to Tobias, then resting her head on his shoulder.

"Can we still do this?"

"What's this?" he had asked, swallowing his nerves.

"Watch this show together. You know…all the things we do together." She had whispered it softly, unsure herself of exactly what she was asking him.

"I'll be ready to do whatever you have time for, Tris. I hope we'll still be friends."

She had shot up off of his shoulder. "Of course we'll be friends, Tobias. I hope, always."

Tobias had smiled, relaxing his tense hands at her words. "I hope, too."

Remembering that day sent chills to her spine despite the steaming hot bath water. It had been so long since she'd let herself think about it, opting regularly to remember the many more positive memories they'd had. Looking back years later, she saw her friendship with Tobias as what it really would have been if they'd been two normal teenagers. They would have been allowed to let their friendship grow into a relationship, and she had no doubt she'd have fallen in love him if she hadn't already.

That was new territory for Tris. The dating world wasn't something she ever really felt she belonged in. As a teenager, it was off of the table. She'd never had a boyfriend because she'd never had the time, nor had any boy been able to pull her mind away from gymnastics for any lengthy period of time. Because she didn't attend a regular high school, her friend number and social circles were both low. After the Olympics, she'd been introduced to so many people, and even set up with a few by her friends. She'd been in a couple of brief relationships, but no one could seem to keep her attention. If she was honest, no one could ever make her feel as comfortable as Tobias had.

Tobias was the man who introduced her to TV shows, who made her try her first slice of pizza. He made her stretch out his hamstrings because she knew exactly how to do it properly, giving her more physical contact with a boy than she'd ever even thought about. He taught her the rules of hockey, after she watched him play. He scribbled notes in her notebook during class, another silly thing that she'd never done with anyone, not even a girlfriend. They studied for tests together in the library during mandatory study hours, quizzing each other with flash cards and study guides.

She knew that the first step in pursuing Tobias was to mend their friendship, proving to him she still cared about him and that he could trust her. How exactly she would do that, she still wasn't sure. But so far, she seemed to be going in the right direction.

Tobias leaned back in his desk at work Friday afternoon. His office was small, and tucked away in the corner, which meant it was out of eye sight of almost everyone in the office. No one could see how many times he reached to the left side of his large desk to hit the button on his phone, checking to see if he had a text from Tris. They'd agreed to get together the following day, but he was still hoping that having his number would give her a little motivation to chat with him in the meantime, the way they used to.

It wasn't as if their friendship had just disintegrated instantly the day she'd left college. He'd helped her pack up her belongings, lounging on her full sized bed while she tossed clothes and random belongings into boxes and duffle bags.

"How's your team taking it?" he had asked her, hoping there were no hard feelings.

She had shrugged. "They understand. A lot of them had this dream once, you know." Some of Tris's teammates had even competed at the last Olympic trials, but none of them had made the team except Christina, as an alternate. "Christina is bummed." The closest female friend she'd ever had, Christina, had been insanely excited when they moved from the gym they shared as teenagers to college together. Christina had seen college as a much different opportunity than Tris had. Christina thrived in the social scene, attending the student athlete socials and going to football games and hockey games and genuinely enjoying all the new aspects of college.

"I need a break," she'd told him suddenly. "Let's get out of here." Even though it was December, they'd bundled up for a walk down the block to the local coffee shop, where Tobias had ordered coffee and Tris had asked for her usual, a bottle of water. Tobias had rolled her eyes, and then eventually they'd sat on a comfortable blue loveseat on the back wall, hidden from the people that entered and exited the shop. They turned to face each other, Tobias resting his arm on the back of the couch so he could admire her from where she sat across from him. Tris had played nervously with the edge of the couch cushion, letting the soft plush fabric run under her fingernails.

"I feel really… I don't know, I guess motivated… about the upcoming year. Trials are soon and I can already feel the adrenaline pumping when I think about it." She paused, gulping air and looking back at the couch cushion beneath her fingers. "But I get kind of sad when I think about you."

He had tried his hardest to hold on the expression that was creeping up on his face, which even he couldn't read clearly. There was anguish at the fact that she was leaving, and without a doubt things would change between them. But if she was really telling him what he thought she could be saying, he's heart sped up. "I do, too," he had confessed quietly.

"I enjoy this, whatever it is." It was the first time either of them had alluded to them having anything more than friendship, which they were almost constantly defending to others. Zeke made jokes and comments to Tobias regularly, always asking him to go meet a group of girls or buddy up with him for a double date and having smart remarks when Tobias turned him down. It wasn't always because he was with Tris, but it was usually just because he had no interest in doing anything with a girl who couldn't be nearly as captivating as she was.

Rumors spread through campus like wildfire, mainly because Tobias was popular and girls were regularly throwing themselves at him, and Tris seemed like an unattainable goddess to most male students. When Tobias did tag along with Zeke to a party, he'd find a random girl grinding up on him almost every time he turned around, and drunk girls pulling him towards a variety of drinking games to be their partner. At first, he kind of thought it was flattering, but that wore off quickly.

Eventually, Tobias found himself regularly being referred to as "Tris Prior's boyfriend" when he passed groups of guys on campus. At social events, he'd hear people ask him where Tris was, and when he told her about the rumors, she'd shared with him similar stories. "All the girls are jealous of me," she squealed. "One girl actually said to me, 'You have the hottest boyfriend, ever!'"

He had almost blushed when he realized she didn't argue with whoever said it.

"I enjoy it too," he had agreed with her about their relationship, and silently noting that it may be more than friendship. Boldly, he had reached his hand over to hers, stopping her from absently playing with the couch cushion.

He had seen it as possibly his last moment to act on the feelings he buried inside of him. He eased his weight off of the arm he had on the back of the loveseat and used it to cradle her head while he moved gently towards her. Pausing for a moment, his eyes reached hers before he leaned forward, kissing her softly. She'd almost reciprocated when his lips were on hers, but he felt her hesitate, and she'd looked away from him. "Tobias, I just can't do this right now." It was an apology, but one he didn't need, because he didn't have any expectations.

"Tris, I'm not expecting anything more than this," he'd whispered, only inches from her face. He didn't think this would be the beginning of something else, as she was leaving. It was as much of a first kiss as it was a kiss goodbye.

She'd met his eyes, nodding so slightly he wasn't completely sure that he wasn't imagining it. He'd kissed her again, and this time she kissed him back, even allowing her hand to find its way into his hair.

It was brief, and it left Tobias craving more, but he admired the way her cheeks pinked and her lips held a smile she was trying to hide. His hand still sat on top of hers, but now his fingers were slightly threaded into hers, and they'd walked home from the coffee shop that way, trying to act as normal as possible.

But that had been the last time Tobias had seen Tris. Just a couple days later she moved out of her apartment and back to her coach's house in the suburbs, training at her old gym with an even more rigorous schedule and even less free time. It wasn't the last time they spoke. They'd watched Criminal Minds together while on the phone together, or texted if Tobias's roommates were home. They stayed caught up with each other's lives, and Tobias had watched the Olympic Trials on television while his roommates and the rest of the hockey team were out at a party.

After that was when things got more difficult. Tris had called him before she left for training camp, and after an exciting conversation she grew more somber. "I… uh… I can't have my phone at camp."

"What?" he'd asked, incredibly shocked.

"Well, I can. But only after practice. So like… 8-10." He could hear the sadness in her voice as they both came to realization of what that would mean for them, as Tobias could sometimes be tied up with hockey practice until 8, and games took up his entire evenings.

"Email?" He'd asked desperately.

She agreed quickly. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Then we can get back to each other whenever we have time."

He had been used to their friendship winding around Tris's hectic schedule, and his at times, too. But cutting off so much time for communication was difficult for him to imagine, and he could tell she had been dreading tell him.

"We'll figure it out," he'd promised, but he wasn't quite sure what he was referring to anymore, because sometimes when Tris got off the phone, she'd tell him she missed him, couldn't wait to see him again, and other sentiments that seemed to be leaning towards more than friendly.

He reciprocated them every time, and even begun telling her things as well. Neither of them knew where this was leading, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to remind her that he cared about her.

But training camp had been more difficult than both of them had expected, or at least Tobias. Tris was exhausted at the end of each day, and the national coaching staff put a lot of emphasis on team building, which meant there were a lot of activities they all did together. He started to receive shorter and more hastily typed emails, with spelling errors that he knew would drive her nuts if she noticed them, and sentences that were so jumbled they barely made sense. Then there was more time between the responses, and she told him one day that she just felt so much pressure, from every direction. From coaches and teammates and the Olympic committee and the entire freaking country that she just needed time to breathe. He had responded the best way he knew how, that he couldn't control anyone else but he didn't want her to feel any pressure from him, that he was proud of her no matter what happened from here on out, and that he'd still be here no matter what.

She'd gone to the Olympics, and Tobias had watched or DVR'd every minute she was on screen, from opening ceremonies to the minute she won her final medal of the games, which was the very last day of competition. He'd even watched some of them with Zeke and Christina, which was odd and comforting at the same time. She'd won the all around gold, and Tobias could never forget the surge of pride and happiness that went through his heart as tears spilled out from her eyes at the moment it was clear the medal was hers. Christina, next to him, was hysterically crying out of joy for her friend, which made his reaction feel a little more controlled. He'd received a simple text from her that evening, the first time she'd contacted him since the games had started. "I wish you were here."

It was after the Olympics that they seemed to grow further apart, and really, he couldn't blame Tris. He knew she was swept up into a variety of things, endorsements and speaking engagements and taking part in a tour across the country with her team members. Their texts and conversations got to be few and far between, and when he heard that she was possibly dating a male gymnast on tour with her, he made the difficult to decision to back off, letting her be happy with the person she was choosing to be with. She deserved that, and he didn't want to make her life complicated.

He snaps back to present day as he checks his phone for the millionth time, almost wanting to smack himself for doing it again. It isn't until Tori, his supervisor, walks in to ask him for an update on his current campaign that he realizes how little work he has accomplished today.

"I've hit a bit of a creative block," he tells her honestly. "I'm not just coming up with anything."

Tori, knowing this is unusual Tobias, eyed him carefully before seating herself in a chair across from his desk. "What's the reason, Eaton?" She pulled one foot up on the chair, bending her knee near her chest.

Tobias shook his head. "Nothing. There's just nothing coming to me."

"Yeah, right. I've seen you looking at your phone every time I've walked past." Why did Tori have to be so observant? "People like us don't get blocked for no reason." Although Tori was his supervisor, she preferred to run the artistic side of the marketing company more relaxed and a little chaotic, because she said that was how artists worked best. Tobias knew that in her free time, Tori sketched beautifully detailed pictures, and her long dark hair with pink streaks was not uniform for the company, but accepted because it showed her artsy side.

Tobias nervously ran a hand over his face. He did not want to spill his guts to Tori, but he was starting to think he may not have another out. She could re-assign the project if he didn't come up with something.

"I ran into an old friend," he said vaguely, not really wanting to elaborate.

"Friend? Or foe?" Tori questions, probably wondering why a friend could throw him so far off his game.

He sighs. "Friend. Definitely a friend." He tries to hide the smile that blossoms from thoughts of Tris.

Tori nods thoughtfully. "Why don't you come look over what I've been working on? I could use a fresh set of eyes on some other projects."

"Uh.. yeah. Ok." Tobias raises his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect her to ask him for help after seeing he'd accomplished nothing on his own for the day.

"And Tobias?" she said as he followed her out the room. "She'd be a fool not to be in love with you."

It's later that evening when his phone finally does buzz while Tris's name shows up next to the small green text message icon. He'd forced himself to stop checking it and all but demanded Zeke join him for dinner and a few beers, even inviting Shauna when Zeke said they'd already made plans. Shauna had easily agreed, having already developed a simple friendship that Tobias appreciated from his best friend's girlfriend.

He immediately grabbed his phone and read the text, staring at it without immediately replying.

Can I ask a huge favor?

Of course you can, he wanted to reply, but he held back. What if she was going to ask him to take a rain check, because she had an event? Or maybe a date? He didn't want to go down that road again, as much as he hope she wouldn't do that to him again.

"Just text her back," Zeke said finally, after Tobias's held his fingers tentatively over the keys on his screen.

"Who?" Shauna interjected, and apparently Zeke hadn't shared any information about Tobias and Tris's past with her. Tobias appreciated that, because he liked his privacy.

He sighed, typing a simple sentence before hitting the green send button.

What do you need?

Her reply is quick, and Tobias wonders if she sat staring at her phone, waiting for him to respond to her.

Could you meet me at the gym tomorrow instead of my house?

If you don't want to, it's no big deal. We can stick to whatever you have planned.

He smiles at her response, reminded of how selfless she could be at times. It had probably taken a lot of courage for her to even ask him for a favor.

Looking up, he sees Zeke rolling his eyes. "Going soft on me again?"

Tobias laughs at the joke, knowing that Zeke genuinely did like Tris, even if he didn't act like it. He couldn't remember a time that Zeke had said anything negative about her, but he knew Zeke had felt that Tris had led him on, and then dropped him when her lifestyle had picked up.

He types a response quickly.

No problem. I'll be there at 2.

Zeke waves at the waitress, gesturing that they'd have another round of beers for the three of them. "Tobias over here," he nudges his head in Tobias's direction as he speaks to Shauna, "has never had the time or patience for women."

"That's not true," Tobias interjects.

Zeke holds a hand up to stop him. "Except one woman, 8 years ago, and he's never really been the same since."

Tobias groans, hating the way Zeke tells women this story. He used to tell it on double dates or when they were out at the bars and Zeke was trying to pick up women. They'd see Tobias as this handsome man who'd had his heartbroken, and Zeke's favorite part was that they'd see him as the caring friend, helping Tobias through this tough time in his life. But what they didn't know was that Zeke had been playing Tobias's sob story for years, and it wasn't exactly the truth.

The only reason Tobias let it continue was that it was easy for him to let the women down that way. Sometimes he just wasn't in the mood, and a couple times he'd actually gone out with a woman they'd met that way, or Zeke would convince him to go on a double date. And a few times, few and far between, he'd told them he just wasn't ready for anything serious. It sounded like a line but still held some honesty, and the women didn't seem to mind as they pulled him into a cab to their apartments.

"Uhuh. No way!" Tobias shakes his head forcefully while his friend laughs across the table, "you are not giving her the sob story.'

"It's not a sob story, I just made it sound that way before. I'll give her the true version." Zeke raises his hands defensively to calm Tobias. He's still laughing at Tobias's reaction though, which isn't making him feel any better about the situation.

The waitress appears with their beers, and glances at Tobias, probably noting that he's tagging along with Zeke and Shauna, who are clearly a couple.

Instead of paying attention to her, Tobias glances at his phone.

Thanks. I'll owe you one!

"Can I get you anything else?" she says as she leans across the table towards him.

"Uh..no. I'm good. Thanks." He smiles grimly in her direction, but she doesn't seem to get the hint as she lingers at the table.

"Well, my shift is over now, so Heather will be taking care of you after this." She must be referring to another waitress taking over her tables. "But if you do decide you need anything…" she lets the sentence trail as she slides a beverage napkin on the table towards him.

Tobias doesn't even look towards her as he takes another drink of his beer. "Nah, I'm really alright." He picks his phone back up to emphasize that their conversation is over, typing back to Tris.

I'll remember that!

The waitress still shoots him a flirtatious smile as she backs up, leaving the table and once she's out of earshot, Zeke continues.

"See what I mean? 8 years of this shit!"

"I haven't said no every single time," Tobias retorts with a death glare. "There were some times I said yes."

"Oh yeah. You did, very briefly, say yes a couple times." He turns back to Shauna, ignoring Tobias's attitude. "Anyways, there was this girl in college. They were… friends, I guess you could say, but almost more than friends. I mean, we'd be at parties and girls would be throwing themselves at us 'cause we were hockey players-" Shauna clears her throat and rolls her eyes at this, making Tobias chuckle. "Right, sorry. Anyways, they were inseparable… when she had the time for him."

"Don't say it like that, Zeke. That makes it sound like I wasn't important to her." He doesn't want Shauna to get the wrong impression, especially because she'll eventually find out who Zeke is talking about.

"Ok, ok, man." He turns back to Shauna. "She just had a lot on her plate. She didn't have a lot of free time. Better?" he asks as he throws his head in Tobias's direction.

Tobias just grunts in agreement while taking a swig of his beer, so Zeke continues.

"But then she left… for good reason though. And they 'drifted apart', as he says. But I think she kind of ditched him, and he's never been the same since." Zeke pauses, thinking about how harsh that may have sounded. "He just says he's never felt a connection with someone the way he did with her."

From his side of the booth, Tobias avoids making eye contact with Shauna, embarrassed for her to hear some of his intimate feelings about Tris.

"But now you're reconnecting with her?" Shauna asks him directly, probably because she knows Zeke will interject the answer with his own opinions.

He nods, slightly turning his head towards her. "She moved back to the city."

"And you guys are hanging out?" She continues carefully, not wanting to step on his toes.

"Yeah, just once so far."

"Well… good luck," she says after pondering her response for a moment. "I hope it works out better this time."

"Thank you, Shauna, my friend," he says, to emphasize that he's aware of Zeke's lack of support. "I appreciate that."

"Where'd you take her last time?" Zeke asks as he brings his glass to his mouth.

Tobias smiles to himself, knowing how he's going to react to his answer. "Deming Park for Food Truck Friday."

He almost spits out his beer before choking it down. "You're trying to win a girl over, and you take her to a food truck for dinner?!"

Shauna smacks his arm. "I think it's cute," she says as she turns to Tobias. "It's a unique first-"

"It wasn't a date," he interjects. "We were just catching up. I didn't know… I still don't know what the terms are."

Zeke rolls his eyes. "Bullshit. It's the same thing it's always been with you two. Borderline dates, borderline relationship."

"Whatever."

"Where are you going tomorrow?"

Tobias pauses, spinning his glass a little on the table before answering, because this is one thing he's not really sure is a good idea. "I was thinking Lou Malnati's."

Shauna and Zeke both look at him like he's stupid, because everyone in Chicago has been there and there couldn't possibly be anything special about it.

"It… uh…" he feels odd sharing this detail that at one time seemed so special to the two of them, and still did to him. "The first time she ever had pizza… it was with me. And uh, it was Lou Malnati's."

"The first time she ever had pizza?! What is she, Amish?!" Shauna gasps out in surprise.

"No."

"You'll actually probably get this one," Zeke says, because a lot of Shauna's figure skaters are also on strict diets like the one Tris had been on.

There's silence between them briefly and when Tobias doesn't spill the details, Zeke does. "She was a gymnast."

"She is a gymnast," Tobias corrects.

"It's uh…" Zeke awkwardly rubs his eyes. "It's Tris Prior."

Shauna's jaw drops, and her eyes flit back and forth between Tobias, who's looking down at the table, and Zeke, who's giving her a half grin.

"So you were the mystery man, huh?" she says as she puts her elbow on the table, resting her chin in it. "No shit."