Page 39 of The Truth of Our Past

“It’s just one friend helping another out. Someday you can pay it forward and we’ll be all good.” Phrasing it this way will help him accept it.

“I knew if I put my mind to it, I’d find myself in your bed,” Em says to cover his embarrassment.

“Sure, I’ll tuck you in with a pat on the forehead.” I mime smacking him upside the head.

Von surprises us both when he strides in, a man on a mission.

I turn to Em. “I thought you locked the door to keep the vagrants out.”

Em reels back, thinking my insult to Von is aimed at him. “No one ever comes in.”

“Can we talk?” Von sounds robotic.

“I’m busy.” Not hating the fact he’s here—I’m curious.

Pathetic.

A guy shows me compassion and acts as if he likes me and I get all sappy.

“I’ll wait.” Von shoves his hands in his pockets.

I shrug and grab a business card off the counter. Clicking the pen, I say to Em, “Here’s the code to the apartment upstairs. It’s 84679. Don’t tell anyone. Only me, Cole, and Shane have it, so if anything happens, we’ll know who to blame,” I joke with a wink.

“But that guy heard.” Em points to Von.

“That guy?” I let my eyes scan Von from head to toe. “He only knows fifteen words in English.”

Em nods, believing me, and I really shouldn’t fuck with him. He’s stressing over his living situation, but maybe this is my way of getting back at him for thinking Von would be his coffee slave.

Von is driving me insane.

“Hey,” I yell at Von, “I’m taking him upstairs to bed.” I mime picking Em up and walking upstairs. “I’ll be back.” Pointing to the clock on the wall, I raise my voice. “Do you understand?”

Von’s expression is part furious and part I’ve lost my mind. I purposely said that I’m taking Em to bed to get a rise out of him. One point for me.

Von sighs and answers me in Swedish.

“He doesn’t know English, for real?” Em’s eyes ping-pong between Von and me.

“Come on.” I clap him on the shoulder. Later, I’ll tell him I was being a dick to Von and didn’t mean for him to believe me.

The petty part of me takes an extra-long time to show Em every closet, cabinet, and corner of the loft. There’s no reason to tour Shane’s office or Cole’s painting studio, but I show him to prolong the time Von has to wait for me. Petty-ass bitch. Party of one.

I’m not proud of myself, but I thought Von was different. He genuinely seemed to care when I spilled my guts. Until that article sent him over the edge. I get that he was upset and freaking out.Iwas upset for him. And for Lars.

It’s probably for the best that he made his feelings clear. There’s no reason to drag out sex when any relationship I’m in is doomed.

Von’s pacing when I get back to the shop, and I irrationally think he’s jealous.

“So you wanted to talk?” I cross the space to sit on the couch in the consultation area across from the main counter.

Von follows, sitting next to me. I decide to stay silent because he specifically said he wants to talk. Which requires him to use language. I bite back a comment to get Google Translate ready in case he can’t manage English.

“I am not happy how we left things.” Von’s voice breaks and his intense blue eyes are cloudy.

I wait for him to say more because if he wants something from me, he’s going to have to ask.

“I was a completearsle, and you did not deserve that.”

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