Page 89 of Challenge Me

“I’m doing what’s best for everyone. Clearly, you can’t escape these damned articles if I’m around, so you should get back to your normal life.”

“Normal life, huh?” I marched closer to him, and he assessed me carefully but didn’t budge. “I don’t have one of those anymore. Nothing is how it was supposed to be. My marriage ended, my daughter only lives with me every other week, and I have to be mindful of every little step I take. Does that sound normal to you?”

“You seem to be figuring it out.”

“That’s the thing. We’re all figuring it out, you included.”

“I’m throwing a wrench in it all. You know that.”

I shook my head hard. “If anything, I’m the one who’s done that. I upended Avery’s whole life, took a future from her that she planned with me.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“It doesn’t matter. I still did that. You don’t get to act like you’re doing some service to us by removing yourself when I’m the one who broke it.”

Something in his expression softened. “You deserve to live authentically.”

“But I’m not, am I? I’m living a lie right now. I’ve just changed its face.”

“Then stop freaking lying.”

“Apparently, I can’t. When I try, this goddamn world throws more at me. Article after article, all ripping me apart, over and over. And you’re not fucking helping.”

“I know. That’s why I’m leaving.”

“Do you think that’ll fix it? It’ll just be another story.”

“You chose this,” he pointed out, his voice escalating. “As long as you’re afraid of what everyone in the world thinks of your pretty little image, you’ll have no chance of rebuilding your life.”

“And how should I do that, huh? Let you leave? Send you away?”

“Sure, if I’m standing in your way.”

With a growl, I dug my fingers into my scalp. When he slung his backpack over his shoulder, I grabbed it and tossed it onto the bed.

His eyes flashed with a warning. “What are you waiting for, Amir? I’m the lie, right? Get rid of me and you can have it all, but first you have to look in the fucking mirror and admit that you are afraid, because like Mal, you can’t sort through it all, so that’s why you focus on feeling guilty for the divorce instead of learning how to exist after it. You want to fake your way through life and turn your back on anything the world looks down on. Hell, you almost walked away from me at the bar when there was no reason to.”

“I should have.”

“Yeah, probably, so why didn’t you?”

“Because . . .” I looked toward the window, unable to put it into words, or maybe unwilling to.

“Let me guess,” he said. “It was some sort of villainy on my part. I’ll make this easy for you.”

He reached across the bed to grab his bag, but I stepped in front of him. “Where are you going?”

“Removing myself before we actually start hating each other.”

“Can you stop turning this into something it’s not?”

“I already know where it’s going, so what’s the point?”

“God damnit, stop.”

“It was fun while it lasted.” His familiar smirk settled on his lips. “I needed the vacation, but Florida isn’t really my jam.”

My nose wrinkled as I looked at him. His demeanor was so easygoing that it was almost possible to believe he truly didn’t care. “Who the hell are you right now?”