Page 73 of Noctis

“Yeah, that was pretty much how I felt, too.”

“How did you get back in?”

I stared at him, realizing my mistake too late. “What?”

“If he planned it, I’m just surprised he gave in that easily.”

“I didn’t say it was easy.” I thought fast. “I just… made a lot of legal threats, and eventually, he realized it wasn’t worth it. I pointed out that I had a lot of money to throw at the problem.”

“Tyler’s a shithead.”

“He is,” I agreed.

“I should never have been taken in by him,” Remy said. “I was stupid and weak, and…”

“Lonely?” I suggested when he seemed to struggle for a third adjective.

“Probably.” Remy ran a hand through his hair. “I’m really, really sorry, Rowan, and I appreciate it won’t be that simple for us to get back to where we were, but I intend to do everything in my power to make it up to you.” He reached across the table and grabbed my hand, his expression imploring. I half expected Caligo to come catapulting out of the ether and tear Remy away from me. Thankfully, he didn’t.

“And I promise you I’ve learned my lesson, and it will never happen again.”

Picturing him getting it on with Caligo behind my back almost had me laughing. First, because he’d have to get comfortable with a great deal of things extremely quickly, and second, because I simply couldn’t imagine Caligo looking at anyone else.

“I think,” I said slowly, “that if I’m completely honest, Tyler, and I had been on the ropes for quite some time. I stayed with him because we were living together and I just didn’t have the mental energy to make such a big change to my life. And he stayed with me because I was an easy meal ticket. That’s the reason I let you through the door today.”

“You sound like you’re genuinely over him.”

“I am. Call it a three-strikes-and-you’re-out attitude, and he delivered all three at the same time.”

“Do you think you might be able to forgive me one day?”

I studied his earnest expression. “One day…” It was as much as I could give him right then.

It was apparently enough, judging by Remy’s smile. “So,” he said, leaning forward. “If it wasn’t Tyler, and thank fuck for that, who was it?”

I frowned. “Huh?”

“The bed. And don’t give me any of that rough-night nonsense.”

“A one-night stand,” I lied. “Already kicked out long before you arrived.”

He nodded in a way that said he was impressed. “Look at you, really getting on board with that old adage about the easiest way to get over someone being to get under someone else.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Does that mean you went out partying?”

There was concern in Remy’s brown eyes.

“I did not.”

He frowned. “Then―”

“You’ve obviously forgotten about the existence of Grindr.”

He laughed. “I promise you, I haven’t. I just didn’t think you ever used it. Let me look at your profile. I want to see what photo you used and how you described yourself.”

Thankfully, my phone rang before I had to come up with a convincing reason not to share a Grindr profile that didn’t exist.