Chapter 45
— Scout —
By the time I finished my session with Linney, tinkering laughter wove its way down to me from upstairs. I cocked my head at the landing and listened, squinting as I tried to eavesdrop enough to figure out who Remmy was talking to.
A burst of laughter came again, much louder than last time, then a shouted, “Oh my god, Stephanie! You didn’t ?” confirmed she was having a girly session with Steph and Bren.
Thank fuck. Remmy had hardly said anything about them since shit went down in Miami, so I left her to her call, deciding to drown myself in another coffee and make a call of my own. To a number I didn’t want to call but knew I had to. I’d reached a pivotal point in my adulthood where I had to face up to the shit I’d been ignoring and confront it. Reluctantly.
~
“How’d it go?” Remmy’s sweet voice asked from behind me as I stood hunched over the kitchen sink, arm locked wide on the counter, five minutes later.
After sucking in a deep breath, I plastered on a smile and turned to find Remmy hovering at the kitchen island.
“Good. Healing like it should.”
“Good.” She eyed me carefully, hazel depths delving and seeing the words I hadn’t voiced. “But?”
Shaking my head and leaning my ass against the counter, I opened my arms for Remmy. She tucked close and wrapped her arms around my torso.
“But nothing. It went great with Linney. She’s happy with my progress so far. Gave me a huge-ass lecture about jumping in the pool, though.”
Remmy’s laugh against my chest had me cracking a smile. “I like her even more now.”
I scoffed. “She says hi, by the way.” We paused, silent yet at ease in each other’s arms, until I added, “I also made a call to Toni. She’s going to make a house call tomorrow.”
“The counselor?” Remmy asked, pulling back enough to focus on me.
“Yeah.” It felt like admitting defeat. A huge one.
Until Remmy took my face in between her palms and smiled. “It’s a big step. One of the hardest… I’m proud of you, Ace.”
And goddammit if I didn’t grin like a schoolboy from her praise.
“I’m shitting myself, to be honest.”
She hummed while rhythmically smoothing her thumbs back and forth under my eyes. “The first time will be rough, but I promise it will get easier to the point you’ll look forward to meeting with her. I’ve found it helps… lighten the load.”
Despite the echoes of past trauma etched deep into Remmy’s expression, her gaze remained sincere and focused solely on me.
“I hope so. Some days are rough,” I admitted, voice low until I redirected the focus to her. “I overheard you talking to the girls. How are they?”
The worry lines on Remmy’s face instantly transformed into a beaming smile. “They’re good. In fact, I’m heading out to see them soon.”
My arm tightened protectively around her waist. “Is that… wise?”
“It’s happening. I’ve been cooped up for too long.” She sighed dramatically, and I chuckled.
“It’s been, like, a week.”
Her eyes flared as she enunciated, “Exactly! An entire week .”
“I thought you wanted to lay low?” Going out in public wasn’t exactly avoiding the media’s scrutiny. It was dancing along their razored teeth, tempting the goddamn wolves.
Remmy pulled away from my arms and did a dramatic twirl in my kitchen. “I want to be free again.”
“You’re always free, honey. I’m not holding you prisoner.” If it wasn’t for the worry biting in my chest, I would have smiled.
Her dark hair came to a flowing stop, draped over her shoulder. The dreamy smile on her face dropped, making me feel like a complete ass.
“I’ve never felt like a prisoner here, but I’m not usually one to hide away either. I’ve had to grow a thick skin over the years and this is no different—it’s just thickened a little more.”
I frowned at that. No one should have to grow thick skin just to live a normal life. Especially one with me.
“Oh, stop brooding,” she admonished with an eye roll.
“I wasn’t brooding,” I grumbled, tucking my good arm over the slung one and leaning back against the counter a little more.
“You were,” Remmy clipped. “Now, gimme a kiss—”
I got one whether I wanted it or not (I did), but the condescending little pat to my chest could have been skipped.
“—and I’ll see you later.”
“Do you need to be dropped somewhere?” I asked, tailing her through the living space to the door where she pushed her feet into her slides.
“I’ve already ordered an Uber.”
“I can drop—”
Remmy laughed quietly. “It’s honestly okay. Besides, you shouldn’t be driving, and my car is still at my place, so Uber it is.”
Gently snagging her wrist slowed time, allowing a breath in which she finally paused and faced me. Brows angling at the center, she held my eyes expectantly.
Be safe is what I wanted to murmur. To tell her to keep her fucking eyes peeled for assholes who wanted to get too close. To throat punch them if they so much as considered laying a fingertip on her. And the reason I didn’t? Because my girl could handle them with a single icy glare. The one I’d been on the receiving end of many a time.
I wouldn’t clip her wings. Wouldn’t forbid her from leaving the safety of my house due to my own fears. Instead, I tugged her close and kissed her again, then added, “Tell them I say hi.”
The way she smiled, lighting her entire face, had warmth blooming within my ribcage.
“I will.”
I plucked the spare key off the hook and held it out to her. “See you later, honey. Call if you need anything.”
Pocketing the key, Remmy then slid her large sunglasses up her nose. “Likewise—if you need anything.” She dipped her chin and flicked her glasses down enough for me to see her eyes. “And I mean anything .”
It had me balling my fist hard on the wall. “Best you get goin’ or you won’t be leaving the house anytime soon.”
With a wicked laugh that had me grinning like a goddamn fool, Remmy left in a flurry of swaying dark hair, clicking slides, and trailing a slipstream of mouthwatering perfume behind her. I stayed leaning against the door jamb, standing vigil over my girl until she slid into the Uber, and gave a little wave as it cruised from the curb.
As soon as she was out of sight, I pushed off the wood and locked the door behind me. I made my way upstairs with a new hunger burning in my veins. One that was nonexistent before I discovered Remmy’s secret. One that should shame me but instead sent thrills down my abdomen.
I had a new shameless addiction.
My own dirty little secret. And that’s the way it had to stay.