“I can’t decide if that’s selfless, or insulting.”
“What? That I’m going back to Atlanta.”
“Yeah. Do you have the right to take that choice from her?”
“I don’t know, Remi. I know I’m twenty-five. I know she’s sixteen. I didn’t know she was my mate until the last time I was home. It threw me for a loop. She’s never given any indication that I’m more than Kaiser, part of the Pride. I’m thinking if I’m not here for a while, she probably won’t figure it out, and she can at the very least go out and figure out what Keegan wants without feeling like I’m looking over her shoulder expecting anything from her.”
Remi just watched him quietly.
“What?” Kaiser asked.
“Nothing. Just letting you talk it out.”
Kaiser got up and paced back and forth on the porch a time or two, before he came to a stop right beside Remi. “I don’t have any idea if what I’m thinking about is the right thing to do. But I know if I stay here, it’ll turn into a big mess. And I feel like giving her options is the best choice regardless. Like you’re doing with Cristie.”
“Then that’s what you have to do,” Remi said.
“Yeah, it is.”
“You can’t just disappear, though.”
“Why not?”
“It looks worse than saying you have to get back to training.”
“Oh, yeah. Okay.” Kaiser looked off into the distance, then looked at Remi. “You see?!” he almost shouted. “I can’t even think straight. The hell am I going to do?”
“The best you can for now. It shows how much you really do care to want to give her a chance to live her life any way she chooses, hoping she’ll come to you eventually.”
“Maybe. Think I’ll still be sane?” Kaiser asked.
Remi laughed. “As sane as the rest of us.”
Kaiser nodded. “I guess I’ll go tell some that will really miss me that I’m leaving, and then I’ll head out tomorrow morning.”
“Be safe, Kaiser. And if I might offer a word of advice?”
“Please,” Kaiser said.
“Watch what you put out into the media. If she does know, and she sees you playing kissy kissy with somebody else, I’d think she might have a problem with it. I’m not telling you what to do with your personal life, just don’t advertise it.”
“You’re right. It’s been a while since I wanted more than somebody to talk to from time to time anyway, and they still paint any woman I’m photographed with as my next flavor of the week.”
“Hurts to be so loved, doesn’t it?” Remi said sarcastically.
Kaiser laughed. “Yeah, left myself open for that one.”
“Well, like I’ve said repeatedly about my situation with Cristie… I created this monster, now I have to live with it until I can fix it. Do yourself a favor and try not to create a monster between you and Keegan, because at some point you’ll be coming home for some occasion or another, and you have no idea at what point her senses will mature and she’ll figure out who you are to her. You don’t need some pent up anger of years of watching you screwing around with a different woman in front of every camera that follows you.”
“You’re right about that.” Kaiser sat down again. “Man, I don’t want to go back to Atlanta right now.”
“That bad?” Remi asked.
“It’s lonely.”
“Roman said everybody wants something from you.”
“The price of fame, right?” Kaiser asked.
