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“Your niece?”
“F-five?” Quint wrestled with the urge to tell Leo everything, right here, right now. He didn’t care that breakingthe rulecould be catastrophic to their relationship in future incarnations. Was this how Leo had felt first meeting Quint on Vondiv’d? Emotions hitting him from every cell in his body, only to have to bury them, to not be seen to react at the insanity of seeing a lover who chose to forget?
Knowing Leo had felt this only made Quint want to grab him in close even more.
Leo scribbled his signature, still looking perplexed. “Oh, wait, that’s my cashcard signature. I’d better make up a new one. Shit, sorry, I’m not used to this. I’ve never actually signed anything before. Hmm.”
He was a singer now? He had to be in order to be shaking hands with Will. Back on Vondiv’d, he always did like to be the centre of attention in the village with his building work. A career in showbiz would certainly make sense. Maybe. Quint smiled politely as Leo ripped the page out of the notebook and started again. After a few seconds, he’d made up his new ‘autograph’ signature and handed it over.
“There you go,” he said proudly.
“Thanks,” said Quint, still searching Leo’s face for any glimmer of recognition. There was still hope that maybe he wanted to wait until they were alone to say anything. “He’ll love it.”
“Who?” said Leo.
“My niece,”
“Oh, I thought so, it’s just that you said‘he’ll’love it?”
“I don’t think I did. Did I?” Quint looked at Kris and Will, who shrugged.
“O…kay,” said Leo. “Well, I’ll be off, then. I think I’ll go for a walk in Regent’s Park. seeing as it’s a nice day, then see some sights and that. Is that near here?” He looked towards the reception doors.
“Not really, but we can get you an Uber, if you like?” suggested Will. He seemed desperate to usher Leo out of the building. But then Will was a Player, and he had the look of one who wanted to stop another Player screwing up overthe rule.
“Do you know what?” said Leo. “I’m in the mood for a bit of exploring. I might jump on a bus and take a walk instead. Thanks, though.”
“No problem.” Will shook his hand again. “Look, I’m so sorry, I don’t want to appear rude, but Quint and I, we’re slightly late for a meeting.” He signalled over to Quint to go with him.
“Oh, no trouble. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.” Leo winked at him.
Will gestured politely for Kris to see Leo out, then he turned to Quint as Quint watched every move Leo made. “I think you’d better come with me.”
Will grabbed him by the cuff, but Quint snatched his wrist free from Will’s grip as they made it up to his office.
“I can’t let him go,” said Quint as the door closed behind them.
“He didn’t know you.” Will turned back on him. “You don’t even know whether it’s him. Either way—you can’t just go around spouting off like that to every Reboot you think is your soulmate, especially not in public. You knowthe rule.”
“Rule? Fuckthe rule. That was him, Reboot or not. He even used the same words that he spoke to me when we... It was him, Will. Why didn’t he remember me? He said he’d find me. It doesn’t make sense. It was him though, Ifelthis essence.”
“You could just be projecting.” Will came and rubbed at his arm. “As for what he said?” Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
Quint evened out his breathing, or tried to at least. Thatfeltlike his Leo and he couldn’t explain why. “Why did he choose to forget me, Will?”
Will caged him against the wall, one hand by his head, the other level to his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter why, Quint. You have to accept that hehasforgotten… if that’s Leo. There’sa rulefor a damn good reason. Not to mention one hell of a consequence for breaking that rule. Maybe you have to accept that this lifetime isn’t the one where you two are going to fall into sync.”
Quint sucked in a breath. Will couldn’t haven’t done more damage if he’d punched him. “He would have given me some kind of sign if he was going to reboot. He wouldn’t have let me go through the portal first without telling me, he just wouldn’t. I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do,” snapped Will. “You understand because you made that choice. Either that, or at some point in your previous lives, he must have brokenthe rule—maybe even to someone else. Maybe to someone he thought was you? Whatever the case, you need to accept the possibility that if that’s your Leo, then he’s chosen to reboot.”
“Ican’t.” Quint shoved Will away before making his way back to the reception area, but the reception stood empty.
“Don’t do this, Quint,” shouted Will.
Quint was already out of the building, one place firmly at the front of his mind.
ChapterFifteen
