Page 168 of Before Now

“Tell me everywhere you’ve been since yesterday,” I say.

She beams. “Not enough places. I have a list I’m saving for us—Piss Sculpture included. I still don’t know what message you sent for them to write last time.”

“Hmm.” I tip my head, considering if I want her to know. “You’ll have to seduce that one out of me.”

I’m falling in love with this girl. That’s what the men whipped their dicks around to spell out.

The sky is starting to turn pink as the sun lowers, but she doesn’t seem to notice. The cobblestone beneath my feet and Remi on my screen could fool me into thinking I’m walking back to a flat I’m sharing with Chase years ago. I bought one, but I want to surprise her with it in person. I’m obsessed with the way her mouth pops open and her eyes widen before shooting to me.

It makes me feel like I’m center stage when the crowd starts singing our lyrics.

“I miss you,” I tell her as I veer toward the cement steps ahead. “I always miss you, Remi.”

I walk through the sliding doors and tuck my hat in my back pocket, then hook my sunglasses on my shirt.

“Well,” she says, with all the attitude that gets my dick hard, “if you’d sign autographs faster, you could already be here with me. So, your fault, clearly.”

Of Men and Wolves had a signing yesterday scheduled after Remi and I planned our trip. Then we met up to agree on tour dates so Christian could manager-away. We’re starting in Europe this time. And we won’t be sleeping on buses at any point.

That decision was unanimous—even with our manager and the security guard following me to the elevator.

There are too many of us for that now anyway. I’m not leaving Remi behind, and Felix and Dev felt the same.

“Careful, Rem. When your mouth goes bratty, I want to fuck it.”

As the elevator doors close, I catch a head shake from Colt and a hushed chuckle.

She narrows her cute glare at me. “Kind of hard to do when you’re not here.”

I lick my lips to hide a smile before returning to the task at hand. “I want to be there,” I tell her.

My pulse kicks up, a hell of a lot of fluttery shit going on inside me when the doors open again.

I flip the camera, step off, and take out my earbud. Colton taps me on the shoulder before he peels off, disappearing around the corner down the hallway.

“I want to experience beauty in the mundane with you,” I say, stepping out of the elevator nook and into the hallway—going the opposite way from Colt. “I want to wake up to your gorgeous face every day.” White rose petals decorate the floor as I walk, votive candles lining each side and most definitely a fire hazard. “I want to be the man you deserve because you deserve fucking everything.”

“Where are you?” she asks as she studies the screen. I don’t answer.

“You slowly became my world, Remi Sinner. Twice. You were in my head, taking over piece by piece until I couldn’t fight it and fully surrendered.” Red petals join the white ones at my feet. “Twice.”

Remi’s mouth turns up as my girl works out the scene I’ve set up for her.

“I wandered because nothing fit quite right. For a long time, the only place I felt like I belonged was on a stage. Then I looked off it and saw you. Those pieces clicked back into place, and I was fighting like hell again.”

“You were such a dick,” she whispers.

I smile, approaching where the votive path curves to end at a door.

“Because I was scared of being consumed by you again. Because you were always the only thing that made sense through it all, Rem.” Slowing to a stop, I say, “We both survived the pain, and at the end of it, all those worst ideas culminated in the best mistake of my life.” I pan the camera until it faces the door. “Us.”

She lets out a soft sound I feel in my chest, already moving.

“Open the door, Remi.”

She tosses her phone. I pocket mine, and a second later the door rips open.

“Hi,” I say.

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