toby molly drama 🎭😅

I tried to look him in the eyes as I spoke.  "I'm sorry... it was so stupid... I won't do anything like this again... please don't hate me..."  I wiped my watery eyes then put my hands together as if praying.  

Everyone was silent for a minute, the only sounds that could be heard were my sniffles.  I didn't know what to say or do, or where we would go from here.  Normally Toby and I led everything while the others were the stars of the show.  But tonight it was all backward...

"Please say something..."  

"What do you want me to say?  I'm still processing that someone of your intellect could do something so… foolish."

"I... just wanted to help..."

"Help?  You think it's helpful for someone with zero medical training to decide what pills a 17 year old girl should take?  And what if she has a bad reaction?  My career is down the drain, and I know you, the guilt would eat you alive."

"That wouldn't happen.  It wasn't anything heavy like xanax..."

His cutting glare made my tummy twist into knots again.  "I don't give a shit what pill you forged my signature on.  You aren't trained to give out medication, period."

I hung my head.  "I thought I was just helping..."

"Your typical pattern of enabling.  You let people overstep your boundaries and think they won't continue doing it, but it happens again and again and you wonder why.  This is why.  You break laws to keep them happy.  Where are they when you take the fall?"

"Bro, what the fuck, back off," Violet said.

His head whipped towards Violet and he pointed an angry finger in her direction.  "You stay out of this."  His voice was so forceful that Violet flinched a little.  She was about to argue back, but I cut her off.

"It's okay, he's right.  I fucked up."

Toby turned back to me.  "Don't bother trying to make me pity you.  It won't work.  This is my fucking career."

"I'm really sorry..." I repeated.

"I don't want to hear it!"

Another lull in conversation as everyone watched curiously.  When I saw Violet squirming in her seat, itching to instigate something, I decided to break the silence.  "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."  

The tension felt heavy on my shoulders.  Vic rubbed my back, glancing back and forth between Toby and me as if wondering when to intervene.

Toby's silent fury made me so nervous that I couldn't help it...  "I really am sorry though..."

"I doubt it.  You're just apologizing because you think you're on the verge of losing me."

His words punched my gut and breathing became harder.

"But if you really cared so much, you wouldn't have broken into my office to steal a prescription.  Are you trying to sabotage me?"

"Hey that's unfair, it's just one fuckin' thing, bro.   Stop bein' a dick."

"No one is talking to you," he snapped.  I curled up, vision blurry and ready to hide.  Why did Gabe make me tell him?  "As if the two of you didn't already almost fuck up my career when I was in med school?"

"That wasn't our fault and you know it.  No one told you to take care of us.  It was consensual."

"You both refused to follow the boundaries I set."

"Let's stay on topic," Gabe said in a firm voice.  I glanced up at him, pleading eyes begging him not to lose his shit on Toby.  There was enough conflict already... I didn't want to be the initiator of ripping my family apart.

There was a bit of silence until Vic said with a chuckle, "Nobody remembers what the topic actually is."

It didn't work to release any pressure.  Felt like something would explode in any moment...

"I'm disappointed and angry.  I don't even think I care to give you any consequences for this."

I looked back up at him, tears streaming down my face.  "Ever?"

"Is that all that matters to you?  Getting punished?  Having your guilt relieved?  Maybe instead of running from it, you should to sit with the feeling that you fucked up.  Let that help you prevent future fuck ups."

"Bro, I think she gets the point and you can shut up now."  Violet looked ready to tackle him, held in place only by Gabe's glare.  Or maybe she also knew that I wouldn't want her to fight for me too much.

Toby ignored her, still staring at me hard.  "You don't actually care about me.  You just use people to take care of you instead of growing up and taking care of yourself."

Violet jumped out of her chair towards Toby, running her mouth like always.  I struggled to catch my breath, overwhelmed with self-hatred and panic.  The feelings screamed that I deserved a punishment, whether self-inflicted or not, I didn't care.  The room felt like it was spinning, everything so blurry that I almost didn't notice Izaak step between Toby (who I hadn't even seen stand up) and Violet.

"That's enough for now," Izaak said calmly to Toby, then sort of escorted him out.

That's when I finally exhaled.