Page 134 of That's Too Pucking Bad

Cupcakes. At seven in the morning. But his face is so damn sincere, I can’t even roll my eyes at him. “Yeah, sure. Come in.”

I step aside, and he walks in, kicking off his sneakers like he’s done it a million times before. Which he has. The sight of his socks, mismatched as always, pulls something weird in my chest. Nostalgia, maybe.

We head to the kitchen, and I gesture for him to sit. “My mom’s still asleep, so we should probably keep it down.”

He nods, setting the box and teas on the table. “Got it. How’s she doing?”

I shrug, sinking back into my chair. “She cried all night. She’s talking about getting a part-time job, but that’s not going to cut it, you know? I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Remy. That’s rough.” He opens the box, and the smell of vanilla and frosting wafts out. “Cupcake?”

I almost laugh. “You really think cupcakes are gonna fix this?”

“No, but they might help for five minutes.” He nudges the box toward me, and I grab one, more out of politeness than anything.

We sit in silence for a bit, me picking at the cupcake, him sipping his tea like old times. Finally, he looks up. “How’re you doing? It’s been a while.”

“How am I doing?” I scoff. “Take a wild guess.”

“Yeah, okay, stupid question.” He leans back, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I came here for a reason. And it’s not just to bring cupcakes.”

“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow, still not looking at him. “What’s the real reason, then?” I watch him closely, praying he’s not going to tell me that he misses me and wants me back. Sadly, I could never go back to him after being with Zane. There’s no comparison there.

Colin reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an envelope. It’s thick, almost bulging, and he slides it across the table toward me.

“What’s this?” I ask, not touching it.

He has a tense expression. “Just open it.”

I hesitate, but curiosity wins. I pick it up, rip the flap, and peek inside. Cash. A lot of it. My stomach twists, and I glance at him. “Colin, what the hell is this?”

“I—uh—” He rubs the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at me. “It’s yours. I mean, it should’ve been yours. I felt wrong keeping it.”

“You find out my mom loses her job, so you’re giving me a wad of cash? And you feel wrong for keeping it?” My voice sharpens. “I’m lost. What the hell are you talking about?”

He exhales hard, leaning forward, arms on the table. “Okay, so… you remember when we broke up?”

“Obviously.” My jaw tightens. “Get to the point.”

“Well, Zane… he paid me to do it.”

Suddenly, I’m dizzy. The silence as I stare at him starts to hurt. The kind that presses on your ears, making everything sound too loud. I blink at him, sure I misheard. “What?” I whisper.

He flinches. “Zane. He paid me to break up with you. Like, handed me a shitload of cash and told me to end things.”

My brain can’t process it. “You’re telling me Zane paid you to dump me?”

“Yeah.”

I push back from the table, standing so fast the chair screeches against the floor. “Are you fucking serious right now?” I start pacing, rubbing my face. This cannot be happening.

“Remy, I’m sorry. I was stupid, and I didn’t know what else to do. He offered me the money, and—” He shakes his head, voice breaking. “I need the money. I thought it’d be easier. For you. For both of us.”

“Easier?” My hands are shaking, and I shove them into my pockets. “You thought betraying me would be easier?”

“I couldn’t say no to two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars, Rem. I didn’t know how to say no!” he snaps, standing too. “Plus, it’s Zane. You know how he is. He doesn’t take no for an answer. I already used some of the money for my family, and well, you can have the rest.”

“Are you fucking serious, Colin! You are just as bad for going along with it!” I shoot back, voice rising despite myself. “You sold me out, Colin. After everything we’ve been through, you sold me out formoney.”

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