“I’m sure we will survive, won’t we?” Ryder asks, lifting Jax from the stool.
“Yes, but I will scream if you get it in my eyes. It stings so bad,” Jaxon says, cupping Ryder’s face and squeezing his cheeks together whilst giving him a very stern look.
“Understood,” Ryder says, his tone serious, but it’s clear he’s fighting back a smile.
I have to suppress a giggle as I watch my tiny son boss a full-grown alpha werewolf around without a single ounce of fear.
“Have fun,” I wave as Ryder carries Jax to the bathroom.
I hear the water running and Jaxon cheering as I finish the last of my coffee. I place my empty cup by the sink and look at the dirty dishes that Ryder abandoned in favour of bathing his son. It’s only fair I wash them.
I’ve only washed two cups when I hear the door open and close behind me.
I don’t have to turn around to know it’s him.
Remy.
I don’t know why just existing around him feels like a test I’m destined to fail. Every conversation turns sour, every glance prickles under my skin. He’s been sarcastic, rude, and just so infuriating. So when I hear his footsteps approaching, I brace myself.
“Hey,” he says quietly.
I glance up from the sink. He’s standing awkwardly near the kitchen island, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie.
“Didn’t expect to see you again this morning.” I say flatly, trying not to sound like I care either way.
“I just needed some air,” he says. “I was… walking with Parker.”
“Oh,” I say, not sure what to do with that.
There’s a beat of silence, and then he takes a step closer. “I just wanted to say something.”
I tense. Here it comes. Another jab. Another snide comment I’ll have to pretend doesn’t sting.
“I haven’t exactly been fair to you,” he says, his voice rough like it’s costing him something to admit it. “And I’m not… good at this, at talking.”
Silent seconds tick by and my stomach twists. I don’t trust this. Not for a second.
“Was that supposed to be an apology?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Are you trying to make peace with the fragile human girl so Callen will like you again?”
His expression falters. “That’s not what I…”
“No offense, Remy, but I’m not interested in playing mind games with a guy who looks at me like I’m an inconvenience one minute and then tries to play nice the next. If this is some twisted quilt trip about Callen, save it.”
His eyes flick away, jaw tightening. “That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it?” I demand “Because if you’re going to tell me to go and leave my son behind again, it’s never going to happen. There is nothing that would ever make me leave him”
He doesn’t speak, and that silence makes me angrier than anything he could’ve said.
I laugh bitterly. “Is it humans you dislike, or just women in general? Or maybe just the ones Callen cares about? Because if I didn’t have his attention, you wouldn’t even notice me, would you?”
His entire posture changes Shoulders stiffen Face closes off Like someone just slammed every door he’d started to crack open
“Right,” he says quietly. “That’s what you think of me
“…” I start, instantly regretting my words, but the damage is already done.
He steps back, nodding like something inside him just broke. “Forget it.”
“Remy…”
“No, it’s fine,” he says, his tone clipped. “You don’t need to worry, I won’t bother you again.”
He turns, and just like that, he’s gone out the door and back into the woods.
I stand there, heart pounding, throat burning. I feel like I’ve just kicked a wounded dog and told myself it deserved it. Is that a poor analogy? God, I’m so bad at this.
I don’t know what hurts more, his expression when I shut him down, or the sinking feeling that he meant. every word he tried to say, and I didn’t listen.
I stay frozen in place, staring at the door like it might swing open again and give me a chance to fix this.
I exhale and lean against the countertop. My heart’s still racing, adrenaline rushing through me, but now there’s no target. There’s no reason to keep my armor up, but I’m not sure if I know how to take it off yet.
What the hell just happened?
He came in… quiet. Soft, even. I don’t know Remy much at all, but he’s shown me nothing but hostility since I arrived, and as soon as he tried to make an effort, I threw it right back in his face.
I’m such a b***h.
I just tore into him like he’d earned it, like I was waiting for him to screw up. Except this time, he hadn’t.
I drop my head into my hands, my stomach twisting with regret. I know what I saw in his face when I said those things, though. I know the difference between someone getting defensive and someone shutting down completely.
He wasn’t fighting me. He was trying, and I made damn sure he won’t try again.
I rub my hands over my face, willing the memory of his expression to fade, but it doesn’t. It’s branded there now. That look… like I’d just confirmed every terrible thing he already believed about himself.
I didn’t mean to do that. That’s not the kind of person I am.
I just… panicked. That’s what it was. He caught me off guard, and I reacted the only way I know how, by throwing up every wall I’ve built for the past few years.
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