Page 177 of Challenge Me

When he breathed a laugh, I felt my cheeks flush. Deciding not to draw it out, I turned and walked directly to my office. I pulled up the cameras and watched as Amir stopped at the counter. He set something on it, then hesitated, his gaze seeming to linger in my direction. Then, he was gone.

Rushing to the front, I grabbed the envelope and tore it open.

“But you don’t care, huh?” Tommy said. The condescending tone was a bit much, so I ignored him.

I frowned when I pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. On it, he’d written ‘No Change’. On the other side, it said ‘However’.

However what?

I flipped it, but there was nothing else on it. The other paper inside the envelope confused me more than the money. It was a ticket to the next game, two days from now in Boston. That sure wasn’t happening, no matter how much I wanted to go. The fact of the matter was, my acceptance of his invitation would mean something. At least, he’d see it that way.

Did he think me that desperate?

Sliding the ticket over to Tommy, I smiled. “When’s the last time you went to a game?”

“Not since I was a kid.”

I set the bill in front of him. “Get a babysitter and have yourself a self-care day.”

A rare smile settled on his lips. “Maybe I will, but only because you forced my hand.”

“Clearly.”

As he tucked the ticket away, I felt a twinge of doubt. It was the right move, though. I refused to give either of us hope for something that couldn’t happen. My reasons for walking away hadn’t changed, and as much as I wanted to, I wouldn’t throw out my own boundaries. That was how I’d ended up in bad positions my entire life—by not advocating for myself when it mattered.

Remember your fire. Remember your will.

Pain is fiercest to those who stand still.

No god lifts a man who refuses to stand.

The world must be tamed in the palm of your hand.

I was putting myself first and remembering who the fuck I was meant to be. I refused to feel bad about it.

Chapter 50

Amir

Well, that backfired.

I knew that it was possible—likely, even—that Remi wouldn’t come to the game. What I wasn’t prepared for was that someone would be in his seat, making my heart beat faster for a second before I realized it wasn’t him.

That was fine. I could be creative, and if needed, relentless.

When I walked into the bar, Remi was behind the counter. He was wearing his headphones and a black flannel with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It was so like the way I’d seen him the first time that my steps faltered for a moment.

Tommy raised a brow when he saw me, but he didn’t say anything as I sat down in my place.

“Hey, what are you hav—” Remi stopped when his eyes landed on me. He slung the towel over his shoulder and cocked his head. “Did you lose your spawn again?”

“I’ll take a whiskey.”

His eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before he turned around. I smiled when he grabbed the one on the upper shelf. A little aggressively, he set a glass in front of me, then flipped the bottle until he’d poured two fingers.

“Thirty dollars,” he said.

I pulled out my wallet. The bill was waiting right in front, and when I set it down, his jaw ticked.