He’s scorching me from the inside out, and I can’t cool down. I can’t slow down. I can’t use my head when it comes to Foster, and my other parts can’t be trusted.

The bathroom door bangs open, and I jump up, sending the water sloshing around in the tub as I surface.

Ebony hair and an annoyed bestie face rush in.

“Boundaries,” I tell Sage.

But it hardly slows her down.

She rolls her eyes so dramatically her head goes with them. Then she shuts herself in the bathroom with me.

“Please. I’ve seen you through all the cup sizes.” She drops onto the rug, back against the porcelain. “Plus, you can see my tits anytime. What’s mine is yours.”

I laugh and flick water at her profile. “My tits are not your tits.”

She hangs her head back to see me, her long black hair falling onto the tub’s ledge. “Selfish, bitch. Be more of an only child, I dare you.”

The world would be dark without Sage Teller lighting it on fire. She’s fierce, albeit slightly unhinged, and no matter how far I might slip inside myself, she’s either there to drag me out or waiting for me to find the way on my own.

“Is this a you missed me visit, or are we shooting someone up?” I ask.

She twists around and folds her arms on the tub. “I missed you. I always miss you ever since you fucking left me, but I am dealing.” She sets her chin on her arm. “And maybe Miles didn’t answer my text earlier, and I’m contemplating flying to California, and I need a talk down.”

I push her hair away from her face. “There it is.”

She wrinkles her nose at me. I grab my phone and find my texts with Miles, then I hand it to her after calling his number. Sage greedily grabs for it and turns on the speaker. The first call goes unanswered, so we go for a second. She’s glaring at me because I’m the reason Miles isn’t answering when he answers.

“Rem, is Sage okay?” he asks. As his greeting.

“She’s perfect. The most calm and collected woman alive, like always.” I give her a dry smile, right as he says, “I told you about my meeting, gorgeous. The one I just ran out of because Remi would never call me twice in a row without an emergency.”

She bites her lips together, innocently looking at the ceiling. “I might have forgotten,” she says.

I nudge her face away until she rotates fully. I get out as she moves to perch on the counter by the sink, tossing me a towel on her way, and I wrap in it before grabbing another.

“Are you mad at me?” she asks, pouting at me since he’s not here.

I pout back in solidarity, toweling my hair.