“You mean emotionally, or like, dick game too good and now you’re spiraling?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Both?”
Remi slams the hood down and wipes her hands on a rag. “MaksimfuckingBelov. Damn. I told you.”
“Yeah.” The word escapes as a whisper.
She stops. Narrows her eyes and slides in beside me.
“Oh, fuck! You’ve got it bad.”
“What?”
“You sound like you’re about to write his name in your diary with hearts around it. I’ve seen you stupid before—remember Cole?—but not like this.”
“God, don’t remind me I ever let that man touch me.” I shiver, pushing away all thoughts of that asshole. Until I only see Maksim, and my body shudders for a whole different reason. “I don’t know, Rem. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way.”
Her smirk fades. Remi has always been good at hearing the shit I don’t say.
“But…something is holding you back. Let me guess—your dad?”
I shrug. “Yes and no. I don’t need anyone’s approval. Not even his. But…”
“You care too much to just say fuck what everyone thinks.”
“Something like that. I don’t want this thing to blow up the entire family. My dad, Aunt Leni…Maksim.”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes. Dad again. Another missed call stacked on top of ten others. He knows I’m alive. I texted Mom something useless just to avoid a full-scale search, but it doesn’t stop the constant calls or the guilt crawling up my throat.
I shift, restless, cursing the crutches propped beside me.
“Hey,” Remi says, squeezing my shoulder. “Breathe. Leave the spiraling to me. At the end of the day, there’s nothing Uncle Derek wants more than your happiness. And because I’m wise beyond my years,” she adds with a smirk. “You know, certified genius and all, I know he cares for Maksim more than you think. He’s part of our family and practically blood, whether you two are fucking or not.”
“Remi!” I shriek, elbowing her in the ribs. “You make it sound like some taboo romance. We are not related.”
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s toeing that line a little bit, babe.” She pinches her fingers together. “Just a little.”
“Did you have a point you were getting to? Some philosophical advice?”
Remi chuckles, her smile softening. “Val, I bet Uncle Derek sees a lot of himself in Maksim. I know I do. And maybe it scares him a little. But deep down, he understands that you’re aCain, and you weren’t meant to end up with some soft-handed accountant…or a limp-dick Cole Bradshaw. Men who don’t know what the world is really about.”
I nod.
“And whether Maksim is just a good fuck—” She pauses. “Or endgame, there’s no one more worthy of a woman like you. And that’s saying a lot.”
I look at her, and my chest swells. My baby, my heart. I just wish she knew how extraordinary she truly is. That she could see herself the way we all do.
I sling my arms around her, nearly sending us both tumbling to the floor. “I love you. I needed that. And I can’t wait for you to find someone who will adore and worship you the way you deserve.”
She snorts and hops off her stool, as if putting distance between us makes my statement any less true.
“Fairytale shit…or a horror story, actually.”
“Remi…”
“What? I’ve kissed a ton of toads, Val. Do you see anyone around here? They don’t exactly stick around.”
“All I see are dodged bullets. The man who steals your heart will be the luckiest bastard alive.”
