Page 132 of Challenge Me

“I don’t know.”

He took a deep breath before he pulled back and met my eyes. “You just want to be loved, don’t you, Rem?”

I choked out a laugh. “Congrats. You get an A on this assignment.”

“Wanna play a round of pool with me?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”

Chapter 36

Amir

When I got to the house, it was dark. I worried that Remi could be spiraling, hiding himself away, maybe in a depressive slump or something. If I had an ex like Cole who went on an interview and said that shit about me, I’d probably do the same.

Remi hadn’t responded to my texts or answered my calls. My stomach was a damn wreck after how long I’d spent going over every possible scenario. The plane ride had been the worst.

Now that I was here, I felt a little better. The car was in the driveway, so he must’ve been somewhere.

I flipped on every light as I checked the house. The back door was locked, but I still did a lap to make sure. I tore the comforter off the bed, only to find it empty, and when I checked the bathroom, I was met with a black sheet over the mirror.

With a hand on my chest, I forced myself to draw in breath.

It was fine. Everything was fine.

Except Mondays were the one day he closed the bar, so there was no reason for him to be there. Besides, the car was here. Maybe he’d taken a walk . . .

I grabbed my keys and went right back out the door. He wasn’t about to pull a Roman on me. Not on my watch.

I reached Remi’s so fast that it was a miracle I hadn’t been pulled over. Leaving the car running out front, I marched up to the door and didn’t bother to knock. He’d given me a key, which meant I was allowed to barge right in when he was being problematic.

Once inside, I froze. He was there, seated in a chair with his feet on the table while some anime played on the TV. Oli was with him, and they were sharing a massive bowl of popcorn. Both of them turned to look at me at the same time. Oli’s eyes widened while Remi’s stayed the same, completely emotionless.

“Your phone had better be broken,” I said.

Oli got to his feet and dusted off his hands. “That’s my cue.” He ignored Remi when he tried to say something, and as he passed me, he leaned closer. “Good luck, friend. Hope you brought your boxing gloves.”

“Any advice?”

“Nah.”

With that, he left. Apparently, I only got one piece of wisdom from him. As I looked at Remi, who had turned back to the TV, I felt truly alone.

“Talk to me.”

He ignored me, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. I moved to stand in front of the table and leveled my gaze on him, but he remained silent.

What the hell was in his eyes?

“Talk to me,” I repeated.

He grabbed another handful of popcorn, so I snatched the bowl and tossed it to the side. When the metal hit the floor, he clenched his jaw.

“We’re not doing it this way,” I said. “You hear me?”

He gestured at the TV. “I was enjoying a nice Inuyasha run with my best friend. If that’s an issue, you should address your insecurities. Might I suggest therapy?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, because therapy worked so well for you.”