Page 170 of Double Fault

The knife that’s been lodged in my chest since Sabrina left turns a fraction, and I rub at my sternum to ease the pain. “I don’t want her to regret me.”

“Regret you?” He sits back, eyes wide. “Why would she do that?”

I finish my coffee and lean back slightly in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “She’s young. I don’t want her to change all her life plans because of me.”

With his lips pressed together, he sighs loudly. “I’m hearing a whole lot ofIandmein there. How do you know she feels like she’s giving anything up?”

“She would. Trust me.” Elbows on the table, I bow my head and rake my hands through my hair. “One day, she’d regret it. Regret me. And I have Maddie to think about.”

Elias scoffs. “Don’t drag your kid into this. That’s just shady.”

“You’re not a dad—not that you know of, at least. You wouldn’t get it. But for me, my kid always comes first.”

He presses a hand to his heart. “You seriously think I might have little Eliases running around? I wrap it up nice and tight, thank you very much.”

I sigh heavily. It’s like I’m babysitting a teenager.

“You love her, right?” he asks, though he doesn’t give me a chance to respond. “What’s so complicated about that? You don’t want to spend most of the year on different continents, do you?”

“No.” I ball my hands into fists. “But if we’re… if we’re together, dating, whatever, it’d be weird if she worked for me. I don’t think she’d appreciate being an employee of the guy she’s sleeping with. She needs her own thing. I don’t want…” I grindmy teeth, racking my brain for the best way to explain this. “I don’t want her to feel indebted or obligated to me. I don’t want her to resent me or feel dependent on me. I want her to have her own money and her own life. I’d hate it if she felt tied to me because she had no other choice.”

Elias’s face softens with pity. “I get what you’re saying, dude. I do. But I don’t think Sabrina’s like that. She could do something like Ebba does. Find a job that allows her to travel.”

“I don’t think Sabrina has any interest in being a social media influencer.”

Elias rolls eyes his eyes. “It’s a kick-ass career, but it’s not the only remote job out there, Baker. Think outside the box.”

“I don’t want to figure it out for her. Again, that’s just me backing her into a corner. If she wants to be here, do the traveling and all that shit, I want it to beherchoice.”

Elias fake gags. “God, you’re so fucking in love it’s sickening. Keep your weird love juju on that side of the table, please. I don’t want to get infected.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re dramatic?”

He perks up obnoxiously. “My sister tells me every day. Whimsy also has a weekly reminder in her calendar to humble me.”

“She has to pencil that in, huh?”

“I’m a busy guy.” He sets the menu down and twists around, peering into the cafe. “What does it take for a man on crutches to get an espresso around here?”

I lower my head to my hands. Shit. Next time, I’ll pick a coffee shop much farther from where we’re staying.

When a server walks by, I flag him down and point at Elias. “He’d like to order.”

While Elias rattles off his order, I stand and throw cash onto the table.

“Where are you going?” He throws his arms out wide in protest. “You can’t leave. We just got started. This is therapy with Elias. Why would you want to miss out on bonding time like this?”

“I have an actual therapist for that.”

“Shit, you do?” His brows arch so high they almost disappear into his hairline. “Good for you. I had one once, but then she fell in love with me, so I had to fire her.”

Is this guy for real?

“I’ll see you later,” I call as I turn on my heel and head back across the street to the hotel.

Back in the suite, I find Ebba and Maddie playing a card game.

“Tell me you’re not teaching my kid how to play poker.”

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