Page 113 of Trust Me

Chapter 31

Dean

I woke up to the scent of cinnamon. It made memories flood back of when my grandpa was still alive and would come over to watch us on Saturdays while my mom worked. Since we were so young, it was hard for my dad to do it on his own in his condition.

Looking at the other side of the bed, I found it empty.

Damn ninja.

I heard the shower turn on, and even though my mind was trying to make me think about something obscene, I pulled on a pair of sweats. With a yawn, I headed into the kitchen. I came to a stop when I saw someone there, holding a laptop in one hand while he flipped a pancake.

“Oh, good,” Remi said without looking up. “You’re awake. I thought you’d sleep all day.”

Glancing at the clock on the stove, I snorted. “It’s only nine.”

“What a waste of the day. Guess that’s what happens when you’re out all night.”

“Well, I wasn’t out all night. And I don’t see you scolding Oli.”

“He’s been up.”

“That’s because he can’t sleep if anyone else is awake.”

Remi hummed thoughtfully. “I see you’re learning things. What a relief. I thought I’d have to come to your rescue every time you had little relationship hiccups.”

There was a flutter in my stomach, both nerves and a hint of defensiveness. I pushed it back, not really wanting to fight the way I’d begun to feel about Oli. It was pointless anyway.

Remi’s eyes were on me, and they were narrowed. I tried to pass him to get to the coffee pot, but he stepped into my path.

With a sigh, I shook my head. “He spilled the beans, huh?”

“Do I have to tell you that if you hurt him I’ll kick your ass?”

I raised one brow and eyed the bruises on his face. “You sure you could?”

His expression hardened. “Listen—”

“You don’t have to worry,” I interrupted.

“I always have to worry about Oli.”

“Then I guess we’ll just share the responsibility from here on out, got it?”

His eyes stayed narrowed for another second before he dipped his chin and stepped to the side.

As I poured myself a cup of coffee, I thought about how much had changed since I walked into this apartment for the first time. Remi trusted me more, at least. But did Oli trust me? After his show of insecurity last night, I was a little worried, but I decided I’d just have to make sure he knew he could let his guard down.

“This is a solid spreadsheet,” Remi said as he scrolled on the laptop.

Moving to his side, I wrinkled my nose. “How do you have that?”

“Oli was working on it earlier.”

“He was?” The thought of it made me smile.

Remi nodded. “I don’t know how you did it. God knows I’ve tried to get him on something like this. Told him to download all these apps, but he always gave up after a day.”

“Maybe the apps sucked.”