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Instead of turning the other way, he moves closer.
“Please,” I beg.
It doesn’t deter his advance, only makes him grow bolder. He cradles my jaw and stares at my mouth like it holds the key to life’s greatest mysteries.
“Go.” I choke on the word.
A man with something to prove, he doesn’t budge.
“You say you care about me, and I believe you. I care about you too.”
Lips parted, he leans in.
I press back, turning my head away. “As a friend.”
Remi’s trembling body stiffens, and his gaze flickers to the side. He won’t face it. Stubborn. When he looks back at me, the devastation coating his eyes slays me. Fuck, he’s beautiful.
Without thinking, my fingers curl around his chin and draw him toward me. This is probably the last time I’ll have him this close and personal, so I give him a little and take something for me. With the soft pad of my index finger, I trace the hollow of his cheek then move to his plush lips. His mouth opens as his breathing becomes faster. By the trembling of his fingers, I can tell the rope restraining his impulse is fraying. It’s time to end this flirtation, or whatever it is.
“I’m putting Isabel first. I need you to, also. If you can’t…” I sniff. I’ll need to do the right thing and cut him loose. The thought is soul-crushing. “Don’t make me say it.”
Indecision and frustration tick in Remi’s grinding jaw. He wants to resurrect this dead horse, but I’ll only beat it down again. I’m resolute in my decisions, and I won’t back down—even for him.
Strong shoulders sag the moment he resigns. He gives me a sad nod and turns away, twisting the back of his hair as if he’s stuck in an awkward situation.
I need to diffuse this weirdness between us, so I move off the counter and embrace him, laying my face against his chest. Strong arms immediately envelop me. So warm, so safe.
A voice haunts my mind. “There you are. Shhh, I’ve got you.” It’s the voice from my dream the other night. It was his.
When his lips rest on my head, I squeeze back tears. This is hard, but it’s worth it. I need him in our lives, and sex will ruin everything. I’ve learned my lessons, and I won’t make the same mistake again.
“See you Monday?” I peer up at him, my voice weak and unsure.
With red-rimmed eyes and a wavering smile, Remi gently squeezes the back of my neck. His other arm is wrapped around the small of my back, anchoring me to him as if we’re in a cyclone and he’s afraid I’ll be ripped away with a gust of wind.
“Yeah.”
Chapter 10
Show Me Your Boobs
Mae
I’ve always been a resourceful girl. With a little elbow grease, if there was something I wanted to accomplish, I’ve always come through slaying any milestone in my life.
But Jay was right about Remington, so now I’ll have to launch plan B, which is ironically called “A-game”.
Sighing, I twist my hair into the most obnoxious rollers I can find. I slather an egg-avocado-oatmeal mask on my cheeks. It looks like Isabel threw up on my face and I covered it in absorbent sawdust—the kind the janitors used to clean up vomit in grade school. Finishing off my new style is the black-seed mustard oil that I dot around my neck, making sure that I smell as repulsive as I look.
“There. That should do it,” I say to my reflection, almost gagging. The stuff on my face really looks horrid.
Wearing raggedy pants and a smirk, I walk down the steps to greet Remington in the kitchen.
“Good morning.”
He flips something on the stove before turning. His words die on his lips, and he blinks several times before he manages a greeting. “Hey there, Queeny. Tryin’ something new?” Remi’s eyes don’t linger on me like they usually do.
I should be happy about that, yet it doesn’t make me feel as satisfied as I thought it would.
