After grabbing a bowl and a spoon, I carried my box of Tony the Tiger’s finest to the table and sat beside him. “Any clue what set it off?”
“I’m guessing a rat.”
I crinkled my nose and stuck my tongue out. “Ew.”
“My thoughts exactly. If I don’t get that place cleaned up soon so I can get pest control guys out there and then, God willing, contractors who actually show up, I’m going to have to put a pin in the whole process for a while. I don’t have the time to be dividing it. I’m short staffed at the main bar as it is.” He slid the milk in my direction. “Why are you up so early?”
I prepared my bowl and then used my spoon to dunk the flakes under the milk. “I was supposed to go running with Aaron, but he bailed on me. So now I’m strongly considering just going back to bed. I’m freaking exhausted.”
His brows perked. “Were you up late?”
I blew out a ragged breath. I was kind of hoping to have this conversation with him and Aaron together, but I guessed one-on-one would be okay too.
“Yeah. I had a lot on my mind last night.”
“Like what?” He scooped a bite into his mouth.
“Bowen asked me to move in with him.”
He barked a laugh and shook his head. “What a dumbass. How’d he take it when you said no?”
“I, um, didn’t exactly tell him no.”
Mark’s head snapped up, his eyes wide. “Wait…what?”
“Don’t look at me like that. It feels right.”
His jaw flexed as he mashed his teeth together before he bit out, “How can you say that? You don’t even know him.”
“Easy. I love him.”
He wasn’t quick enough to hide the wince. Mark and the concept of love didn’t exactly go hand in hand.
I continued, “And let’s be real here. We’re all fully functioning adults. We should probably start thinking about getting our own places anyway. It’s not like we need to split the bills anymore.” Using my toe, I nudged his leg under the table. “When the second bar opens, you’ll be rolling in dough and able to afford the consummate bachelor pad with remote-control lighting and window coverings. With only a few claps of your hands, you could have a seduction lair built for entertaining.” I winked, hoping I was easing the blow of changing our friendship dynamic. “You won’t need two roommates.”
“I may not need them, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want them.” He shoved away from the table so hard and fast, his chair almost flipped over when he stood up. “Jesus fuck, Remi. You can’t be serious. You’ve been dating this guy for all of ten seconds and you’re choosing him over me?”
I twisted my lips. “It’s been longer than ten seconds.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve known you almost half my fucking life.”
I walked over to him, craning my head back to peer up at him. “I’m not choosing him over you. There is no choice, Mark. We are ride or die. Forever. That doesn’t change. I’ll just have a different mailing address.”
“It changes everything.” He stabbed a hand into the top of his hair. “You’re just going to run off with this guy and start a whole new life? Where the hell does that leave me? And Aaron? And, and…our family.”
Geez. And I’d thought Aaron would be the one to freak out.
I rested my hand on his chest. His heart pounded beneath my palm. “I’m still here.”
“But you won’t be.” His face darkened. “Are you fucking planning to marry him too? Pop out some babies? Just throw away your entire life for this asshole?”
I cocked my head to the side. His attitude triggered my own. It was one thing to be upset, but it was something completely different to act like a dick about it. I was happy. He was supposed to be congratulating me.
Sure, I could understand if he were bummed out by the sudden change, but calling the man I was in love with an asshole? Too far.
Taking a step away, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Maybe I will marry him and have babies. I have no idea. But what I do know is it’s not one ounce of your business what I do or don’t do. This is my life and these are my choices to make.” Again, I tried to cull my emotions, to lower his temperature a few degrees. But I was on a slow simmer myself. “I get it. This is coming out of left field as far as you’re concerned. But I love him, and calling him names won’t change a damn thing between him and I. On the other hand, it will change everything between you and me—real fast. Got it?”
Mark stared at me for a beat, and something I couldn’t quite read shifted through his features. Then it vanished right along with his abrupt anger. “Shit. I’m sorry.” His massive body sagged. “It was a long night and I just…wasn’t expecting this from you. You’ve always been so anti-commitment. And then this guy comes along and… Fuck, I don’t know.”
