Chapter 1

Kai lifted one eyebrow slightly, not in any hurry to let go of my hand, and I pushed my cooling coffee away, preparing to deploy my full analytical arsenal.

“First tell me this. Did she ask you to stay friends?”

“How did you guess?” So this guy was capable of sarcasm after all.

“Your face gave you away. And the ass calluses you’ve earned sitting here,” I said, not bothering to choose my words. Not that kind of night. “So, if a girl puts a relationship on pause not so she can be alone, but so she can test her feelings with another guy, and she still wants to keep you close, it means one thing and one thing only: you’re a reliable asset. You’re convenient. You’re proven. She knows you’re not going anywhere. You’re her insurance policy in case anything else fails. She’s not cutting you loose completely because you work for her in every way. She just wants something new and a shot of adrenaline, but she has no plans to lose you. She’s sure she can get you back whenever she wants.”

Kaylen said nothing, but I felt his fingers tense around mine.

“And do you know what happens next, Kai?” I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “When her little ‘break’ experiment falls apart—and it will, because she’ll compare every new guy to you—she’ll come running back. She’ll return, cry prettily, throw her arms around your neck, and say that your breakup was a mistake and now she’s figured it all out. She’ll remember how incredible you are and how much she loves you… And she’ll honestly expect you to piss yourself with joy and take her back.”

“And what am I supposed to do with that?” Kaylen asked quietly, his voice a rough exhale.

“Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“Cross her off. Permanently,” I said, and at last freed my hand from his fingers. I leaned back against the sagging but still cozy booth. “Take it from a math major: once you introduce a third variable into the equation, the system collapses. Don’t be someone’s backup plan. She’ll come back, Kai. And if you want to do something about it, you need to be out of reach by then.”