I want to scream. To cry. But something inside me, self-preservation maybe, kicks in. I can’t fall apart. Not again.
I nod slowly. Then speak, somehow calm.
“Remi… I shouldn’t have sprung this on you like this. I got carried away by the excitement. The timing was… awful.”
He rubs his eyes, silent.
“I’ll be here until the end of the summer. They’ve asked me to extend my stay regardless of what I decide. It’s non-negotiable.”
We both pause. He looks like he wants to speak, but doesn’t.
“I was going to ask you to come visit me. Soon. But… maybe we both need time to figure things out.”
A tear slips down my cheek. I wipe it away quickly.
I won’t cry. Not in front of him. I’ve done that before. After Seb. After everything.
I rebuilt myself once. I won’t let him undo me.
This isn’t over. Not yet. I will find out what’s really going on.
And I’ll get him back.
I end the call while we’re still looking at each other.
And I know one thing with certainty.
I’m not giving up.
CHAPTER 12
SEBASTIAN
After that disastrous night at the club, Remi’s grown even more distant. Just when I thought we were beginning to bridge the gap between us, I realize now, I was wrong. Completely.
I keep wondering if I’ve ruined everything again with my reckless behaviour. And the truth is, having someone like me, chaotic, unpredictable, under your roof, can’t be easy for someone like him. Remi thrives on order, on structure. He’s methodical, always in control. I’m… not.
He looks exhausted lately. There are dark shadows under his eyes that weren’t there before, like they’ve been etched into his skin. And I can’t help but think, am I the reason for that?
Is my presence starting to wear him down?
And yet, every morning, there’s breakfast waiting for me.
Set out with quiet care, like it’s no trouble at all.
Those small gestures undo me.
I don’t remember much from that drunken, humiliating night. But I remember the way he held me on the way home.
The warmth of his chest pressed to my back.
His arms around me, firm, steady.
The subtle scent of his skin.
His fingers combing gently through my hair.
It replays in my mind over and over, no matter how hard I try to push it away.
