My pulse races, heart thundering as I tap on hers. Then Remi appears on my screen. All of her. No swirly mask, no fog obscuring the details. The skirt and sexy legs, slender neck, and devastating eyes. High cheekbones set below them and rosebud lips I need to taste. She gives me it all, what I memorized and what I’ve been missing.

I sigh, well aware I am fucked beyond reason, and yet I’ve never wanted anything more.

She’s perfect, the ultimate beautiful thing. She feels like everything.

I send the picture Chase took, keeping my promise to her.

And then it all vanishes like it never happened. Remi Saint never responds.

26

REMI

Now…

After Foster disappears onto the bus, I spin on Xander, grabbing his hand and hauling him with me. I march all the way to the front of Glory and Nate’s bus for some semblance of privacy. We’ve been around them since he arrived, but I’m not waiting any longer to find out what he knows.

I release him and cross my arms. The sun has set, the temp dropping. Most of the light bouncing off of us belongs to the light poles scattered through the parking lot.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“Damn, Rem,” he says, a touch of rejection in his eyes. “You really know how to make a guy feel welcome. Have you held that in this whole time?”

I soften my expression as much as I can, my face grateful for somewhat of a reprieve from the tensed state since talking with Christian. “I’m sorry. I meant why did the label and Heath send you? You must know something. Tell me what the hell is going on, Xan. Christian was terrified to be alone with me. He apologized for inappropriate conduct and offered for me to talk to legal.”

He rakes a hand through his hair, hanging onto the back of his neck after. “Heath and I were worried.”

“I’m sorry, what?” My eyes bounce between his. “You had something to do with all this? Why? What the fuck, Xander?”

He nails me with an incredulous look. “Yeah, I had something to do with this. And what the fuck is, I haven’t seen you cagey once in the two years we’ve known each other, then the second Adams walked onto the bus the other day, you shut down.”

Unbelievable.

“So, you what?” I quiet my voice, but I want to yell at him. “Decided the band—Adams—was sexually harassing me and ran to Heath? I told you nothing was happening.” I shake my head, not hiding my annoyance in the least. “What am I supposed to do now, Xander? The band thinks I made accusations against them. They aren’t going to trust me anymore, and I don’t know how to fix it.”