“Are you sure you want me to do this man?” a skeptical

Tobias Bell asked his best mate of 20 years as they sit in his

parked car outside their shared lawyer firm.

      “I really don’t wanna screw this up Clay.”

“I do, you know I’d do it if I could, but this is important to me and I know you’ll treat this case as your own, I won’t be stable enough to-you know, it’s already hard for me.” Clayton Myers shakily responds. He wouldn’t know what to do without his bestfriend, ever since middle school when they first met, Tobias had never let him down. He looked at him as the older brother he never had; although they were the same age of 32. He knew Toby would hesitate to accept this offer but he trusted him with his life.

“If you’re 100 percent about this and are certain there is absolutely no way around this, I’m down. I am the best lawyer in town might I add.” A cheeky Tobias joked.
“Yea sure, except I’m the one who’s always getting requested. I’m certain, you ready to do this mate?”
“LET’S GO DIVORCE YOUR WIFE MAN! WOOOOOOO!” Tobias yells at the top of his lungs as Clayton revs the engine to his sports car and drive off.
Later that day
Now unwound, the duo is lounging around Claytons home he bought 5 years ago when he first married Alexandria. Everything was perfect then. No secrets, no lies, no skepticism. Just them. The 4 bedroom house was way too large for just the pair, Alexandria always said, "but it'll be the perfect size for our family." Clayton never wanted kids and she knew that, just always pushed it to the side; she'd always been conniving, Alex was convinced he'd change his mind someday. Although he never did, it was humanly impossible actually. He'd gotten that taken care of years ago.
"Alright Clay man, while you were zoned out there, I think I got pretty much everything written up. The only problem is....how are we getting it to her? I can tell you now I'm not gonna be the bearer of bad news, she already hates me. I'd be a dead man walking." Tobias abruptly interrupts Claytons' thoughts with a joke to lighten the dull mood.
"Ha, yea she's hated you from the jump. But since I'm the one making the decision, the least I can do is come to her as a man right?"
"You can go to her as a man but I can guarantee you will not be leaving as one. And yes, you will be the one leaving. Woman’s' logic or something like that, us men just go with it." Tobias teases.
"Please, how would you know? You and your wife are “the perfect couple.” Match made in heaven."
"Well apparently things aren't always what they seem huh? What's that saying again? "Don’t judge a book by its cover."" Clayton stares at Toby skeptically as he laughs it off. What could possibly be going on with Clay and his wife that he didn’t know about? They knew everything about each other and he'd never heard him joke like that.
"You and Tessa alright Toby? I may be going through some things, but you know I'm here. Right?"
"Of course, I'm just kidding arou-" Clay was interrupted by the front door slamming open and a very angry wife making her way over to Toby.
"Well, would you look at the time? Apparently my watch is telling me I need to get the hell out. See ya man." Toby nervously hurried out before he got caught in a lovers spat.
"You do realize it's only 2 pm right?" Clayton laughs and shakes his head at his friends’ terrible excuse to leave.
"Whatever goodbye, I think my wife is calling." He scurries past Alexandria as she gives the pair a vicious glare before slamming the door behind him.
            *                           *                         *                           *                              *
It's been about a week since Clay broke the news to Alexandria and to say she didn’t take it well would be an understatement.
"She told me something that uh- kinda makes me question our entire marriage. I knew something wasn’t right with her Toby, we hadn't been the same in a while, and I loved her. But this? I would've never guessed it." Clayton, Tobias and Tessa were all sitting around Toby's kitchen island in their pajamas, drinking coffee at 3 am.
"Spit it out Clay! What did she do mate?" Toby impatiently urges.
It takes Clay a minute to compose himself but he finally pushes it from between his lips.
Tessa looks at him as if he'd grown another head while Tobias is dead silent. "She's pregnant, so what?? Shouldn't that be a reason you two should see if you could work things o-. Okay you guys are looking at me like I'm crazy. What's the real problem? Clay?" Tessa looks at both friends looking at each other, and can't help but notice that one looks more worried than the other.
Clayton went on to explain to Tessa how it was impossible for him to have kids due to his procedure. Toby accompanied him some odd years ago and vowed to never tell anyone. Especially Alexandria.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Toby mumbles, pacing to the corridor bathroom. Tessa rolls her eyes and goes after him but stops to look over her shoulder, "Talk to your wife Clay."
      *                                  *                                      *                                           *

It's been over 3 months and the divorce was yet to be finalized and Alexandria was making Clay's life a living hell. He'd been kicked out of his home he'd paid bought and now she's claiming to want everything he's worked for. He's sitting in a local café with Toby directly in front of him. Papers on top of papers were sprawled all over the table, both men looking exhausted and drained to no end. Toby had been working overtime; day and night to win his best friend’s case but they were slowly losing it.
"She literally has THE best lawyer in the state Clay, I mean I’m good but I'm not him." Tobias finalizes defeatedly. "I'm trying man."
"Don’t do that, don’t sell yourself short mate. You and Tessa have been overly supportive of me through this whole thing. You're letting me sleep on your couch for Gods' sake! You're doing your best." Clayton encourages but still raises a brow in question.
"I couldn’t help but notice something Toby and correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like there's something you're not telling me. These last few months you’ve been tenser than me about the situation. Don’t take this as me being accusatory, but I know you have meetings with Alex’s' lawyer and there are things you can't tell me bu-" He's cut off by Toby's fist slamming on the table.
"What the hell are you trying to say? I’m hiding something from you? Hiding what? You've been with me every step of the way and you know it. I'm exhausted, I have to deal with you one minute, Tessa the next, and not to mention your damn wife!" Toby exclaims.
"What do you mean my wife? There was an agreement that there would be no contact at all with my wife. We agreed to go through lawyers only Toby. You know how conniving she can be." Clayton visibly gets angrier with each word he emphasizes to his friend. Tobias continuously shakes his head, rubbing his hand down his face in an exhausting manner. Agitation now shown clearly on his face.
"I'm heading home, this case is really getting to our heads and I just need sleep, so do you." Tobias abruptly gets up and gathers his things as he starts to make his way out the door but not before Clay grabs his shoulder and jerks him around.
"I know Toby! We've been friends 20 years. I've known. And I'm willing to let things go if-" On instinct Tobias' fist flies. After one last glance, he storms out but not before catching the look of betrayal on his friends face.

Clayton is awoken from his slumber to his phone blaring on the nightstand of the hotel he'd rented for the night. Tessa.
"CLAY! You need to get to the hospital now! Toby's was shot and they don't........" The rest of Tessa's were mumbled as he dropped the phone to the floor in disbelief and wastes no time to get there as fast as he could.

Tobias lays in the stuffy hospital room barely conscious, fighting to live another day as mayhem goes on down the hall in the waiting room. Clayton arrived to the hospital within 10 minutes of the phone call a little after 4 am. The waiting room was occupied with him, Tessa and Tobias' parents. Everyone was in complete awe at the events that'd taken place. Someone had shot Toby. And he was definitely the intended target, or so the cops say. Silence filled the room as they all tried to find the missing piece to the puzzle. Who would want to kill Toby so suddenly?