“I assumed, since you never made me pay rent.”
His best friend gave him an easy and reassuring smile. It was enough to unwind some of the anger and tension in Remington’s shoulders. He forced himself to breathe, mirroring Jace’s posture and leaning away from the table.
“A lot of money,” he clarified. “My parents could make the St. George family look like a charity case.”
“I should have pretended to be a long lost Dockery brother when I met Rhys. Would have made things easier.”
“Rhys strikes me as the type to lash out whether he is feeling more or lesser than,” Remington said.
“His face, though.” Jace grinned.
“Growing up was horrible,” he continued, and Jace’s expression turned somber. “Rhys just…he really took me back.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words, Remington.”
“Tell me Sebastian isn’t like him,” he said quietly, needing the reassurance.
HelikedSebastian, but having feelings for someone who had the potential to be anything like Rhys St. George was enough to turn him off completely. It would be better to take the time apart to start to sever the ties than to let the feelings fester and develop…only to find out later.
“Sebastian is…Sebastian.”
“Be more specific,” he pleaded.
“He’s not like Rhys, but he’s also not like Callahan,” Jace said. “He’s in the middle. Middle adjacent.”
“Good word,” Remington murmured.
“He’s lost,” Jace continued, “but worse than that, he’s stuck.”
“He needs direction,” Remington said, knowing at least that was true. Sebastian had told him the same himself. In fact, Sebastian had thrived with direction, and Remington…well, he’d very thoroughly enjoyed giving it. He wanted to give more.
He wanted…
There was so much he wanted.
“They’re all stubborn men, Remington. Direction isn’t a push. It’s a suggestion. You can’t push them.”
“I don’t push,” he said.
“I know you don’t normally push. But this is different than what you’ve done before, right?” Jace gave him an expectant look. “This means more.”
“Mmmn.”
“I know you’re not asking, but my suggestion to you is patience.”
“He’s not like Rhys?” Remington asked, choking back long repressed childhood memories.
“Not by a long shot.”
Remington bit the tip of his tongue between his teeth and forced a nod in Jace’s direction. The waitress brought him another glass of wine, and he drank it all.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sebastian is Second
“I can get a hotel,” Sebastian grumbled when the town car pulled into the U shape of his parents’ driveway.
“And I could stay at my condo,” Rhys countered, “but we’re here for now.”
