Page 173 of Forever Never
“Really?” Remi couldn’t quite hide the swift rush of pride.
“Shut up. You know it’s good. Gimmie. Send it A-SAP.”
“You realize that packages are delivered by horses here, right?”
“Dude, I don’t care if you send it to me by orphaned carrier pigeons. Get it here fast before everyone forgets who the hell you are.” He kicked back and draped his arm over the back of a sofa.Hersofa.
“Are you at my place again?”
“Your casa is my casa,” he said affably.
“No. My casa ismycasa.”
“Eh. My Wi-Fi went out at home today. I’m borrowing yours on my way to some happy hour thing for the Arts Council. When did you say you were coming back again?”
She hadn’t, and he knew it. “I still have some things to work out first.”
“Be tee dubs. I’m sending you two hundred prints.”
“Why?”
“Because we sold out of signed prints. Warm up that wrist, man.”
“I thought people were forgetting who I am? Don’t these people know I’m toxic?” She’d hidden her reaction as best she could from Brick. But the last round of bad press had stung. Like a thousand pissed-off hornets.
“Britney Spears still sold records after she shaved her head. But she also keptworking.”
“I am.”
“Good. Show me what’s on the easel,” he demanded.
“Not happening.” Her gaze flicked to the painting in question. She was dabbling with “No Surprises” again. Revisiting the accident in oils between other projects. She still cried when she listened to the song. But it was a cleaner kind of purging. A purification almost.
The doorbell echoed from the front of the house. “I gotta go, Raj. Someone’s here.”
“Put the painting on the Pony Express. I’ll send you the prints.”
“Deal. Bye.”
She stashed her phone in her pocket and jogged to the front door, where she found Kimber pacing on the porch.
“I told Kyle I want a divorce,” she announced. Her shoulders were ramrod straight, jaw set. One lonely tear slid down her cheek.
Wordlessly, Remi opened her arms, and her big sister walked into them.
* * *
“Doyou remember way back when you asked me to move in?” Remi said into her phone as she pulled the bedroom door closed behind her, shutting out the happy chatter of Hadley and Ian, whose hearts were about to be crushed.
“It sounds vaguely familiar,” Brick said dryly.
“How would you feel about having a few more house guests?”
She quickly filled him in on the situation.
“Remington, you know they’re welcome to stay as long as they want,” he said.
“You’re being awfully amicable. You didn’t even try to get any sexual favors out of me in return.”
