Page 43 of The Mastermind

In time, she’d realize I was doing this for her. She was the last person I wanted to hurt, but the more time I spent with her, the more I didn’t want to leave,couldn’tleave. It was too dangerous for me.

I had an empire to run, a video game to build, and major family issues to monitor. Audri would be lost among all of those things. She would feel neglected, and she deserved to be on a pedestal.

Keeping her away is the best decision.

Then why did my chest hurt like hell?

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

AUDRI

As I drove homefrom the party, I replayed the event in my head.

It’s a matter of choice, Audri.

At first, his cold delivery sliced through me, but what did I expect from a calculated man on the top ten of the Forbes Billionaire List? How else did he get there without being cold and calculated?

Though we didn’t speak for the rest of the evening, I caught him glancing my way too many times. At one point, Royce joked that Remi was a sore loser, ignoring me after the sumo match. I told him there was no clear winner and nothing was wrong between us.

In addition to being stubborn, there was one thing Remi didn’t know about me. I paid attention to details. His eyes had glanced away from mine when he told me he wasn’t afraid of me but chose not to play the “game” with me.

Why couldn’t he look me in the eye and tell me? I never knew Remi to be afraid of anything. Was it possible I unsettled him? That I made him uncomfortable enough to retreat to his comfort zone?

Coward.

He said he didn’t want me to get burned, but he didn’t know the edges of my emotions had already caught fire because of him. I didn’t even realize it until now. Until I felt this distressing loss squeezing my heart.

If he believed he could push me away that easily, he didn’t know me at all. The straight line needed a reminderIwas the one who had “curved” him.

I shook my head that the line segment reference had snuck into my thoughts. Was I becoming a boring person or what?

CHAPTERNINETEEN

REMINGTON

For the next few days,irritation grew into talons, clawing at me from every angle. I tried to ward them off, but they pricked and prodded while I attended virtual meetings with overseas vendors, met Howard to go over new acquisitions, reviewed documents to sign,worked out and dueled at the gym, boxed, and ate dinners alone. Throughout all these events, Audri’s face hung like a bright chandelier in my peripheral vision.

I thought things would return to normal after that unforgettable sumo match, but she remained on the side, reminding me of what I’d let go. Her image followed me into the shower, where I groaned her name several times.

Even though we couldn’t have an intimate relationship, we could still be friends. There was nothing wrong with meeting a friend for coffee or lunch, or texting a friend to see how she was doing, right?

Would she suspect anything if I sent her a text message now? Would she reply? Was she still angry at me? Better angry than indifferent. Anger proved she had feelings for me. Indifference showed she . . . didn’t care, which would pierce like a serrated knife into my heart.

This whole thing with Audri confused me more than my multimillion-dollar acquisition. With my business, I knew exactly what steps to take to achieve the result I wanted. With Audri, I honestly didn’t know, and I didn’t like not knowing. Jumping with blindfolds on was too risky. The unknown placed me on an uncharted island where I had no experience, and no map to show me where to go. I feared I’d take one unforeseeable step and fall into the quicksand.

Was that it? Was that why I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of this . . . Audri quicksand?

Are you afraid of me?Her question echoed in my head.Damn, right. I’m terrified of you. I’m frightened of how you make you feel.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to force away the frustration. It didn’t work. Going into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, then braced my hands on the sink and stared at myself in the mirror. Water dripped from my forehead, nose, and chin. An unrecognizable man stared back at me, and for an instant, I saw the boy in him. The one who had noticed a girl making odd jewelry.

I walk up from the basement, wanting to get a drink for Grayson and me. It’s going to be a long Friday night of playing video games. The best evening ever.

Grabbing two bottles of orange juice and the bag of potato chips Grayson said was on the snack counter, I see Audri sitting on the living room floor, with weird stuff scattered all over the place. She’s wearing a T-shirt that reads “Best Friends MEOW and Forever” and a pair of brown shorts.

Curious, I approach and place the juice boxes and the bag of chips on the coffee table.

“Whatcha doing?”

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