The tint in her cheeks is visible from out here, but her lips press together, fighting off a smile when I wink. I snag Colton by the front of his sweatshirt and haul him to the door; his face confused the entire time.

And I walk out with a smile I haven’t smiled since wandering Prague. Well aware of how fast it snowballs from here.

Remi never relinquished all of my heart. No matter how much I denied it. It’ll take no time at all for her to reclaim the rest. Either by stealing it again or me offering it while at her feet.

34

REMI

Our Uber drives off, leaving us in a small parking lot outside of Your Next Axe.

The building looks distressed, thanks to the paint technique. Strategically placed sheets of metal appear rusted along the edges and slapped on the front. Even the sign itself hangs slightly askew.

Valeria sighs beside me, not quite as sold. “I specifically remember saying spa day, Remi. Spa. Day.”

I adjust the camera bag’s strap on my shoulder and shrug. “We got our nails done. And this is like a dude spa, right?”

“Sure. We’ll go with that,” she says. “Come on, let’s go watch our guys share a brain cell.”

She smiles and brings me with her toward the door. A normal one, which mismatches with the rest of the building, so it oddly fits in perfectly.

I went from a fan of Val to attached over the course of lunch. She grew up in Austin and danced for a ballet company. A stress fracture put her out of commission last year, so now she runs an online boutique and makes jewelry. She effortlessly matches Chase’s energy with sarcasm and doesn’t take shit, but she always has an underlying kindness and genuineness shining through.

She already knew about me and Foster when we met up. A certain version anyway. Chase apparently couldn’t even wait until Colton and I left their curb to tell her. Which I find incredibly cute.

He said we knew each other years ago, lost touch, and now Foster has a leash on his dick. I have a feeling she watered it down—other than the last part. It would make sense that Chase told her I disappeared on Foster without a word, and as his best friend, I’m sure Chase held opinions.

Foster assured me he wouldn’t mention the real reason, but letting him is on the list for maybe one day.

A guitar twang surrounds us once we walk inside. The space opens into a large room with the axe throwing at the back, a small arcade on one side, and a full bar on the other. Wooden stairs right in the middle lead up to another floor. A sign posted beside them has RAGE AND SHINE burned into it along with an arrow pointing up.