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I did my best to sound blasé. “Really, it’s all so silly. I mean, I’m leaving in a few days, anyway.” Approximately zero percent of that ended up blasé. I sounded rather whiny, in truth, and tried to recover my dignity. “I just can’t imagine why she cares so much.”
“In my experience, most mothers do. About nearly everything.”
“It’s none of her business who my vacation pussy decides to gorge herself on.” That earned me a laugh. “I shouldn’t have called her—that’s all there is to it.”
“We didn’t have many options if we didn’t want the whole town to know.”
I leaned back to look at him, one brow arching. “You’re awfully concerned about people finding out about us, Remy.”
“It’s not that. I just...if you were staying, it’d be different. But it’d be this whole ass thing, you know? And if I’m honest, I think it’d be harder. You know, when you leave.”
My heart broke a little at the sadness in his voice.
“Anyway,” he continued, “we’ll be too busy the next couple of days to think about it overmuch, and we’ve got our bases covered thanks to Hank. Bachelor/Bachelorette party tomorrow night at The Horseshoe, then the rehearsal dinner, then the big event. Tonight, you’re going to Cass’s to help her pack, and this afternoon you’ve gotta talk to your mom.”
I groaned again, this time flipping the duvet down and reaching for my phone. Cass was busy all morning with family, thank goodness—I didn’t have to explain why I’d been in bed all day, however anxious I was to tell her. Though I understood Remy’s logic, I despised keeping it from her and loathed the fact that he didn’t want her to know. He didn’t want anyone to know.
It was fine. It made perfect sense. Really, it had nothing to do with him being ashamed of me. Probably.
“I don’t even know what I’ll say.” I sat up and swung my legs around, putting my feet on the floor. “Will she just shout at me and make me feel stupid? Am I supposed to argue? Stay quiet? What’s the purpose?”
He propped himself up in bed and tucked his hand behind his head. The sheets pooled at his waist in the most inviting way. It took all my will not to slither back into bed with him. Instead, I busied myself with getting dressed.
“She probably just needs to get it off her chest, whatever it is. But don’t take any shit from her. Whatever she says about you, it’s not true.”
“What about what she says about you?”
One corner of his lips rose. “Oh, I’m sure it’s on the nose. She’s not happy her daughter’s sleeping with a scoundrel, and I guess I couldn’t blame her. Tell me if she calls me that, would you? I’ve always wanted to be one.”
“I think you were born one,” I assured him. “Anyway, the whole thing is silly. I can’t wait to be done with her, and then with Cass. And then I’ll be back here with you. Will you be late?”
“Nah. I’ll be here when you get home—I can get out of pretty much anything if I set my mind to it.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Once dressed, I made my way toward the bathroom, pausing to kiss the top of his head as I passed. His hand curled around my biceps as he pressed a kiss to it, his fingertips hanging on to trail down to mine as I walked away.
The space in my ribcage ached, warm and painful.
I couldn’t stay in Roseville, could I?
What excuse could I possibly give? How would I tell Cass?
Would she truly be upset—long lastingly upset—or was she just being Cass about it?
I sighed at my reflection as I did my best to tame my hair. It was ridiculous, really. I barely knew Remy. Staying would be ludicrous. There were a thousand reasons not to.
But I could think of at least a hundred to stay.
Saying I didn’t know him felt like a lie, and he knew me. I’d never had someone care for me like he did without shackling me. And though perhaps I didn’t know everything about him, there was something intangible between us. Something magical, riotous, utterly perfect.
Which was why I was loath to leave him.
He doesn’t even want you to, ninny. He refuses to tell a soul, and why do you think that is?
Surely he planned this to be a holiday affair. Based on everything you’ve heard about him, it’s exactly what you should have expected. It’s exactly what Cass told you he was like.
The thought left me preternaturally sad.
