Page 16 of Free

He takes a deep breath.

“Adam Newcomb is the owner of 247 Payment Systems. They were at the tail end of a merger with Lancaster United. My father's deal. Not mine. Pops had a dinner planned at my folks place to celebrate the final paperwork and to welcome them to the business. It wasn’t a takeover. We bought them, but they were still holding the majority shares. Adam is black. His skin tone is very black. One of those types who blend into the night.”

“Pretty,” Julia whispers.

Remi’s smile is soft and huge.

“That’s one of the first things I thought,” he tells her, staring at the top of her head. He drags his lips over her hair. “That you would love to paint him.”

He clears his throat.

“I was already drunk when I got there, then just kept on drinking.”

Julia makes a sound of distress in the back of her throat.

“Anyway. Michèle, whom I had assumed was a woman, turned out to be a white man.”

My entire being nods in understanding.

“Ah. That’ll do it.”

“Yeah,” Remi snorts.

“As you can imagine, I wasn’t happy. Especially when my Pops confirmed he knew about Michèle from the outset. I made a scene, and Adam, in defense of himself and his husband, said something along the lines of ‘we hate most in others we hate in ourselves.’”

Andddd, there goes my heart because isn’t that the damn truth. He might have tried to make peace with the fact that he was attracted to me. That he loved me. But he did it against his own wishes.

He looks me straight in the eyes, and elephants start to stampede in my stomach. I feel like he’s staring right through me.

“So, in front of half of the executive board, I stood up and screamed that I didn’t hate it. I loved it. I love you. I love Julia, and I love what we have together, but more than that, you, Justin…it’s easy to love Julia. But you…” he seems to give up, and God fucking dammit, I’m crying again. I stare up at the awning above us and try to get my tears under control.

He waits until he has my attention back before he continues.

“I screamed something sappy and pathetic right out of a cheesy nineties movie about how you, Justin, completed me or some such bullshit, and then I knocked my father on his ass.”

By this point in time, Julia has given up all pretense of cuddling and is watching Remi with a trembling chin and watery eyes.

“You punched him?” Julia whispers with awe.

“No. But I shoved him so hard he ended up flat on his back. That was the first night I ended up at Madam Maxine’s.”

THAT gets Julia’s attention.

“Excuse me?”

Remi hurries to reassure her.

“I paid for the membership. But I just watched.”

He stares at me, really searching, and we have a conversation without ever speaking a word.

Should I tell her?

It’s up to you, love. I’ll take your secrets to the grave.

I need to tell her.

I’m here for you.