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Both things can be true.

Bitter looks furious. “Walk away.”

Trixie laughs. “Oh, now you want people walking away?”

“Trixie.”

“No.” She points at him. “You told me you didn’t want me.”

Several heads turn.

Boogie slowly puts his spoon down.

This is apparently better than breakfast.

Trixie does not care.

“You said you wanted uncomplicated. You walked into that workshop looking like someone carved your heart out with a butter knife, and you used me because you wanted to prove something.”

“I told you exactly what it was.”

“You told me you wanted casual. You did not tell me you had promised her exclusivity.”

The word hits the garage like dropped metal.

Hyde’s eyes cut to Bitter.

Nevermore looks almost impressed by how badly this is going.

Bitter says nothing.

Trixie looks at me. “He admitted it yesterday.”

“I know.”

“You asked him?”

“Yes.”

“And he promised?”

I nod. “No other women.”

Her mouth twists.

Then she turns back to Bitter.

“So stop standing there making her look stupid.”

Something inside me cracks because that is exactly what he is doing.

Not merely rejecting me.

Rewriting me.

Making it sound like I took sex and invented commitment around it. Like I misunderstood. Like I wanted too much. Like I should have known better.

Nevermore speaks quietly. “You ain’t convincing anybody but her.”