Rhys’s mouth twisted into what might have been a smile in other social circles, then he pulled open the door of the car and climbed into the back. When the door latched closed, Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed and he let out a breath, but didn’t meet Remington’s eyes.
“Is this a kidnapping?” Remington asked with a soft laugh, hoping it wasn’t.
“No.” Sebastian shrugged. “I don’t want to go with him, but it’s not like that.”
“You don’t seem like yourself.”
“I don’t even know what that means.” Sebastian finally looked up enough to hold Remington’s stare.
“You do,” he said. “This isn’t you.”
“I don’t even know who I am, Remington.”
“You’re not someone who drinks whiskey before lunch,” he said.
Sebastian arched a brow. “You sure?”
“Not lately,” he corrected.
“Well.” Another shrug.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.
“It’s embarrassing. I’d prefer to not. Unless I have to.”
“You don’t.”
“I might.” Sebastian laughed awkwardly and ran his fingers through his hair, scrunching his nose and glancing at the car like he could feel Rhys’s eyes on him. “But not yet. Shit. I don’t want to go.”
“You’re an adult,” Remington reminded, “You don’t have to.”
“I kind of do. It’s complicated right now. But…”
“It’s okay,” he interrupted. “You can tell me when you want.”
He said the words, but didn’t quite feel them in his chest. Remington wanted to know what had Sebastian so out of sorts, but he also didn’t want to push. That wasn’t what their relationship was. Or it was kind of what their relationship was, but not officially. They hadn’t discussed what they were to each other, and curbside in front of Sebastian’s arrogant and impatient brother was not the way he wanted to have the conversation.
“Sebastian…”
The car door opened and Rhys stood, folding his arms across the top of the door and glaring at them on the sidewalk. Remington was fairly certain he hated the man. He didn’t know Callahan well, but he did not know what kind of redeeming qualities Rhys could have ever held that had twisted Callahan up the way he’d been before meeting Jace.
“I need to go,” Sebastian said, giving him an apologetic smile.
Remington didn’t want him to go, not with things feeling as unsettled and unspoken as they did. But falling back into old habits was easy, and with the way Rhys appraised them both from the car, he felt judged and measured, just like in high school. Just like in college. Rhys was the embodiment of everything Remington disliked about himself and never wanted to be.
“You don’t,” he said, caressing the side of Sebastian’s jaw with his thumb.
Sebastian swallowed, the muscles of his throat bobbing as he did. “I wish that were true, but you can’t schedule this away for me. Unfortunately.”
Sebastian took a step back and touched the side of his face where Remington’s fingers had just been. He bit his lips between his teeth and gave Remington a look Remington interpreted as apology, then he slipped past Rhys into the car.
Remington watched him go, stare flicking up toward Rhys, who still watched him. They studied each other in silence. The practiced manner in which Rhys took him apart with a look alone had Remington mentally fortifying himself against a barrage of vitriolic words, but they never game. Rhys only blinked once and smirked, then climbed in the car after Sebastian and pulled the door closed. The car pulled away from the curb and the St. George brothers were gone.
Remington took a steadying breath, heading down the street to the cafe he’d agreed to meet Jace at. Staring at the parking space where Sebastian had last been, or calling him to try and get him to come back wouldn’t serve a purpose. All he could do was try to get on with his day. Even if it felt wrong.
Jace had already gotten a patio table and sipped at a glass of water. They’d picked the same cafe Remington had run into Sebastian at a handful of weeks prior. Before everything had gotten complicated, but also so easy. He slipped into the empty seat across from Jace and flagged down the waitress, ordering a glass of wine for himself.
“Is Sebastian rubbing off on you?” Jace teased. “I thought it was the other way around.”
