Page 68 of A Real Good Lie

The living room was empty and the bedroom door was closed. He knocked, learning in and pressing his cheek against the wood.

“Jace,” he called again, only to be met with silence.

He cracked the door open, seeing the bed unmade, the way they’d left it. Heat flared up his spine, and he pushed the door all the way open, finding the bedroom equally empty.

“Jace.” He scanned the room, checking the bathroom and finding it empty as well. That was fine. Jace was probably down at the bar having a drink and already talking to Sebastian, or maybe he’d gone out to take pictures. He seemed to do that when he got frustrated with Callahan.

Instinctively, Callahan went to the closet to check Jace’s bag for his camera, but when he opened the door, his heart fell to the floor.

Jace’s camera was gone, but so were the rest of his things.

Jace had left.

Chapter Twenty

Jace Decides What He Wants

“You’re home early.”

Remington looked at him with wide eyes as he shoved his suitcase through the front door of the apartment. Jace frowned at the bag, kicking it over and unzipping it quickly to make sure his camera had survived the flight. It had, thankfully. He set it on the kitchen counter next to his wallet, keys, and phone.

His phone, which hadn’t stopped buzzing with texts and calls from Callahan since he’d left the college, so he hadn’t turned it on once he got onto the plane because he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have answers, and the flight had been about halfway home when Jace started to curse himself for acting impulsively and fleeing the way he had.

“Yeah,” he answered, toeing off his shoes. “Are you busy?”

Remington sat on the couch, wearing nothing more than a pair of gray sweatpants. His feet were propped on the coffee table and he had a book open in his lap, a highlighter in his hand, and his laptop beside him.

“Never too busy for you.” Remington closed everything and moved it to the table in a neat stack, then Jace climbed onto the couch, tucking himself against Remington’s side. The warmth and smell of his best friend comforted him, and his eyes filled with tears that he didn’t need to hide. They quickly tracked down his face and he swiped at them angrily before they spattered against Remington’s ribs.

“He’s…” Jace didn’t know what to say, didn’t know where to start.

Remington sighed, tightening his arms around Jace’s body. “Did you and him…you know.”

Jace snorted, then choked on his own tears.“Did we what?” he asked. “I’m sure you know at least a dozen words for it.”

“More than that.” Remington relaxed and began to stroke his fingers down Jace’s bare arm.

“We did,” Jace answered, shivering. “A weak moment. My weakest.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“It was a mistake. I knew as soon as it happened.”

“Did you fuck and run?” Remington asked.

Jace untangled himself from Remington’s arms and dried his face with the backs of his hands. “That word sounds wrong coming out of your mouth.”

“Did you anally penetrate him?” Remington smirked.

“That’s worse.” Jace covered his face and dropped his head. “But yes.”

“Please don’t take what I’m about to say next the wrong way, but that’s kind of your deal. Why was it an issue now?”

“You know why,” he mumbled, annoyed at the way his cheeks heated when he thought about it.

“You like the guy?”

Jace nodded.