Page 156 of Challenge Me

The veins on Remi’s hand popped out. My eyes locked on that little confirmation.

“That was my guess too,” Renshu agreed.

“Then why not say something?”

“Perhaps I’m hoping Remi will finally be forthcoming, but it seems he’s committed to keeping everyone in the dark until he’s absolutely forced to reveal his hand.”

“Remi owes you nothing,” Oli spat.

“Oli,” Remi murmured before he released his leg. “It’s fine.”

“Oh, cool. Then go ahead and spill the beans, bestie.” He waited expectantly. “No?”

“Jesus, I can’t wait for Dean to get here.”

With a sigh, Oli brought his feet up on the couch and wrapped his arms around his knees. “Sorry. She just . . .” He pursed his lips and looked toward the wall.

“She just what?” I asked. When nobody answered, I dropped into a crouch and hung my head. My shoulders shook with a laugh as everything came rushing back in.

“Amir,” Avery said, too pitying for my liking.

“No, no. Everything’s fine. Sure, my daughter was harassed into a panic attack today, my entire reputation and career are under threat again, and my boyfriend has already tried to run away for less at least twice now. But yeah, this one is clearly going to turn out fine.”

“Do you want the real story or the one she’ll tell?” Remi asked. His voice was loud and full of conviction, and when I looked at him, he stared right at me.

“I want everything.”

He dropped his gaze for a moment before returning to me. “I won’t give you everything.”

My teeth clenched, but I nodded, knowing there was no point doing anything else.

“I spent eleven months with my aunt before I got moved to a foster home,” he began. “It was my fault she got busted for drugs. I hated the sight of them and needed out, so I went the two birds route. She was a piece of shit, and I didn’t feel bad about ratting her out. My cousin, though, is what she holds against me.”

Oli rested his chin on his knees as he listened. Somehow, Remi was far more composed despite whatever it was that kept him from speaking about this up until now.

“What she’s going to tell you is that I lost it one day, that I ran into Evan when I was fifteen and beat the shit out of him. She’ll probably say it was unprovoked and deranged. She wants to be the victim. She always does.”

“Is that what you did?” Renshu asked.

Remi’s eyes never left mine. “Beat the shit out of him? Yes.”

I tried not to look away, but I had to. Just for a second. By the time I returned my gaze to him, he was staring at his hands.

“Why?” My voice was weaker than his, and I saw Avery glance at me.

“I won’t tell you why. Not because it doesn’t matter, because it does. But the truth is mine, and saying it out loud won’t change a damn thing about the kind of person she is.”

“What about him?”

Lines appeared around his mouth, the only sign that this bothered him. “I didn’t touch him until he smiled at me.”

Renshu scoffed. “Is that supposed to excuse it somehow?”

I watched Remi’s face, trying to see something there. Shifting to Oli, I did the same. Both wore such a similar expression that it chilled me to my core.

“How bad was this?” I asked cautiously.

This time, Oli answered. “Evan’s face was so screwed up, I thought he was dead. He would’ve been if—” He cut off abruptly, looking to Remi, who ran a hand through his hair.