Page 116 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

I nodded, leaning forward slightly. “Yeah. Fresh start. We could go somewhere no one knows us. No reminders of anything.”

He frowned, his fingers tapping against the metal table again. “What about the shop? Your business?”

“I’ve got people who can handle it,” I said with a shrug. “It’s not like I’m tied to the place forever. I should have stepped back a long time ago.”

Seth studied me for a moment, as if trying to figure out if I was serious. “What about Portia?”

The question caught me off guard. I didn’t want to talk about her—not with him, not with anyone. “What about her?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Just thought you two were…” He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging like an unfinished thought.

“There’s no me and Portia.”

Seth raised an eyebrow. “Sure looked like there was something.”

“Drop it,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended.

“Alright, alright. Just saying.”

“So,” Seth said finally. “Where would we go? If we left?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Somewhere quiet. Maybe out west. Montana, maybe. Or Wyoming.”

“Big sky country,” he said with a faint smile. “Sounds… different.”

“It would be,” I agreed. “No one to judge us out there. No one to remind us of what happened here.”

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to leave the state,” he said.

“I’m sure there are exceptions,” I replied.

“You’re really serious about this?”

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s something I’ve been tossing around. You interested or what?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”

The guard stepped forward, signaling time was up. Seth’s eyes flickered to mine, and for the first time in years, there was no resentment. No deflection. Just quiet understanding.

“Take care of yourself, alright?” Seth muttered as the guard clicked the cuff back into place.

I nodded. “You too.”

I watched him shuffle out. The door clanged shut behind him. The heaviness in my chest didn’t ease. For the first time in a long time, I actually believed Seth might come out of this a different man. A better man.

But me?

I stood, shoving my hands in my pockets. I walked out into the too bright afternoon. My helmet was still sitting in the chair where I left it. The guard grunted something I couldn’t hear. I grabbed it and walked outside. The parking lot asphalt radiated heat.

My bike waited where I’d left it. I put on my helmet and looked around. Seth didn’t say it, but I knew what he was thinking. He thought I was running away. Maybe I was. I just couldn’t see myself staying in this town without her. Or with her.

I sat on the seat and pulled on my riding gloves. I gripped the handlebars and started the bike. The bike surged forward. I hit the highway, looking forward to the ride. It almost always cured what ailed me.

The ride didn’t clear my head like it usually did. Instead, it just gave me too much time to think about the one thing I didn’t want to face. Portia.

I slowed as I hit Main Street, the hum of the engine dropping to a low growl. The town looked the same as it always did—unchanged, predictable, safe in its sameness. But something about it felt off now.

I pulled into the alley behind my shop and killed the engine. I sat there for a moment, helmet still on, staring at the back door. The shop had always been a place that gave me comfort. It wasn’t feeling like that now.

Finally, I pulled off my helmet and walked inside. It was all so familiar, but it felt hollow now. Like the place had lost its soul. Or maybe I had.