Page 54 of Blackmail

“Look,” I say, “I mean it. I don’t think we should see each other anymore. Too messy, you know?”

He’s entirely too still. Both of us are soaked as rain pours over us. I’m shivering, but Sebastian’s standing like a statue, with only that muscle in his jaw ticking.

“I don’t want to leave you. I don’t think you really want me to.”

“This is what I want.” It’s not. It’s not at all what I want. It’s what I need.

He nods again. “Then I’ll respect your wishes. Goodbye, Simon.”

He turns to go, and I’m left standing there, hating that getting exactly what I asked for feels so much like dying.

It’s for the best, though, it really is. As much as this hurts now, how much would it hurt later when he decided I wasn’t worth keeping around? Love and I don’t have a promising track record.

It isn’t until Sebastian pulls out of the parking lot that I finally force my soggy ass back into my car. Another text comes through on my phone.

Brennan: Hey man need an answer on the boyfriend gig—one week. Good money.

I don’t usually do boyfriend experiences. They’re more personal time than I can commit to. And have I mentioned I don’t want to?

Something tells me I won’t be a great boyfriend while I’m bleeding from a wound nobody else can see.

Simon: A week is a lot. Ask Michael. He’s good at those.

Brennan: Michael’s booked. Trust me, you want to say yes.

Fuuuuck. I do not have the energy for this. Just thinking about it makes my head feel like it weighs a thousand pounds.

Simon: I need to study for my exams, and I don’t have anyone to care for Penelope.

The trouble is, it’s not easy to say no to the man I owe everything to.

Brennan: Dude says he works during the day. You can study while he’s gone. I’m already babysitting your feisty little princess. Won’t hurt her to stay longer. Come on, man. This gig will cover a massive chunk of what you owe me.

My stomach twists. I look toward the entrance of the vet clinic’s parking lot. Sebastian is long gone, and my chest is still burning, even though I know telling him to leave was the right thing.

I reread the end of Brennan’s last message. This gig will cover a massive chunk of what you owe me.

Maybe spending a week with someone else is what I need. Perhaps it’ll help me get my mind off things.

Or it’ll be a massive fucking disaster.

Fine, I type back to Brennan. I’ll do it.

Chapter

Eighteen

SEBASTIAN

It’s three in the morning, the day Hecate is supposed to make landfall, when Lehman and I pull into the parking lot of an old warehouse on the east end of town.

“This place looks as if it needs to be torn down.”

“The team says it’s used for storage,” Lehman says. “And…other things.”

“I gather we’re here for the other things.” I study the dirty facade, the rusty roof, and the shattered windows. There’s not a single working light nearby, aside from my headlights. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

“Around back.” Lehman points.