"Here, buddy. Keep walking." Caspian led me to the outside patio of the restaurant and I ran a hand through my hair. I didn't mean to let myself go off the rails like I did, but just seeing the smug look on Felix's face after the lies he told...I couldn't let him ruin my girl's credibility when I knew she wouldn't have lied to me like that. Sometimes she was questionable, but the things he said didn't add up. Her reaction to his words only confirmed what I had believed to be true. "Let's sit down."

I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and sent a glare at him. "What's your aim here?" I asked him. "You think I'm going to put in a good word for you with Xavier?"

"Although I deserve it, no." He dragged out one of the chairs at an empty table and sat down. His arm reached for something in his jacket and I remained alert. I didn't know him nor trust him. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and shook them before looking up at me. "Would you happen to have a lighter?"

I blew out a breath, watching as it came out as a white cloud in the cool air, and shoved my hand into my pocket. "You came out here to smoke?"

"It's been a stressful night." He sighed. "I came out here to save your relationship, but I figured this would take the edge off. For the both of us. You're kind of an asshole and smoking together makes people bond."

"I don't want to bond."

"Oh come on," he said. "Xavier, Queen, and your mother seem to be the only people in the world who can stand you. Wouldn't it be nice to have a name as sexy as mine added to that list?"

I scoffed, looking around to find cameras for the joke he had to have been playing on me. "Seriously? You punched me twice and expect me to want to be friends with you."

"First of all, I punched you to get your attention," he corrected me. "Second, we don't need to be friends, to be honest. I just want to smoke. We don't even have to talk."

I sighed, giving in to the request. If anyone needed to take the edge off, it was definitely me. My body was still shaking with rage and everything in me was trying to go back to Queen...even though she didn't want me around. That's how badly I screwed up. She couldn't even look at me...

I took a seat on the chair across from Caspian and passed him the silver lighter in my pocket. He lit a cigarette, placing it between his lips before passing me the pack. I did the same as he did, and we sat in silence as he promise-

"Does your girl let you smoke?"

"What happened to us not having to talk?"

"You don't have to speak, but I will be asking the questions passing through my mind." He laughed. "So does she?" I remained quiet, opting for his prior offer of silence and continued taking a drag of the cigarette. "My wife hates it. When she catches me...end of the world level arguments take place-"

"Good for you..."

"I only do it because of that reaction." He smiled. "Smoking wouldn't be the same if there wasn't the threat of her killing me lingering in the air."

"You're scared of your wife."

"Actually the opposite," he said, tilting his head, "I think she's sexy when she's mad...I don't mind all the screaming if I get to see her in her element. Also, the makeup is quite amazin-"

"Okay."

"I was wondering if you and Queen had something like that," he admitted. "You seem infuriating as is...so- I was hoping there would be nothing else besides...your entire personality, that potentially pissed her off about you."

"Fuck off."

"I'm just saying." He laughed, making me roll my eyes. When his laughter died down, he looked at me seriously and sighed. "That anger of yours is really going to cost you."

"What?"

"You think it's something you can control, and one day...it isn't- you hurt the one person in the world you swore to protect," he said.

"Are you talking about Queen? I wouldn't ever hurt her."

"You say that now, but things change," he said. "The honeymoon shit is cool, but one day, it'll leave and every argument will seem like a fight with yourself to remember why you're still there with them."

"I'm not understanding you."

He sighed, tossing the cigarette and sitting up. "Anger like that is anger that I've seen in myself. I didn't fight to settle scores...I fought to kill. Just like you. At first, I told myself that I was doing it all for Cleo- anyone that looked at her the wrong way would never get to see again and anyone who disrespected her would have to deal with me.

"I was certain that they were the problem and I never once blamed all this chaos on myself. I just told her I loved her too much. You could only imagine my shock when my anger began shifting towards her." He shook his head. "It always starts off with something small that makes you snap, but you forgive it...and so does she. You promise one another it'll never happen again and you got a little bit too angry, but it always happens again."

"You hurt Cleo?"

"I did, and I'll never forgive myself for it. Which is why I'm trying to steer you and Queen away from that same."

"But she's still with you..."

"Well, now she is," he said. "But she left me, mate. I had to spend four years without her and I'm telling you when you love someone, that feels like an eternity. Every single day was a struggle and I never once stopped thinking about her."

"Again...she's still with you..."

"I got off my sorry ass and stopped blaming the world for the things going on with me," he replied. "Took thousands of anger management classes until I had the tolerance of a fucking munk. It took me living without her to realize just how badly I needed her. And although you seem to suck, I see the way you look at her. You wouldn't survive without her."

"Excuse me?"

"That hurts your pride doesn't it." He winced as he squeezed his chest. "I remember someone in the past told me that about Cleo and I kicked their ass. They were right though, I just wasn't ready to hear it. Just as you're not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. You will not be able to function on your own now that you know what it's like to have her with you."

"There was a time in my life where she wasn't here, and I functioned just fine."

"But it didn't feel like this, did it?" He gave me a cocky smile.

No, it didn't.

"I'd be fine regardless."

"Sure, you would."

"How did Cleo forgive you?" I asked. "Even if you're not an abusive dick, you're annoying as shit and smug as fuck."

"And here I was thinking we were getting somewhere." He grinned. "It's one step forward and ten back with you, isn't it?" I shrugged. "She took me back because I earned a second chance. It took a lot of begging, proving to her that I had changed, and giving her space...but eventually I got there. I promise you that you will never go through anything harder than gaining back a woman's trust. So don't break it in the first place. It's almost impossible, but I'm just built different."

"Oh, shut up." I rolled my eyes again.

"After all I've told you, I'm wondering why your concern is not being placed on your friend when it comes to me."

"Xavier?"

"Mr. Young." He nodded slowly with a small smile tugging at his face. "Yes, him."

"I'm not concerned."

"Why?"

"Because you've known who he was to me since you've walked into this restaurant," I said. "If any harm, emotionally or physically were to come to him...I don't have to tell you what I'd do. Just know that there is no distance in the universe that I wouldn't travel, to kill you."

"Well, shit. God forbid I ever ask you a question out of curiosity again." He adjusted his tie. "

"Let's calm down on the threats." We both turned to see Cleo walking toward us with a smile and I sighed.

"It's not a threat, it's a promise."

"Well, we promise we only have good intentions for your friend," she said as she sat down on Caspian's lap.

"Good. I'm not interested in hearing him bitch about being some swingers' boy toy."

"Did he just-"

"Let it go, babe," Cleo whispered, placing a hand over his mouth.

"Is Queen okay?"

"She's fine, just a bit shaken up," she said. "You should go talk to her if you're calm."

"Calm as a cucumber," I muttered, getting ready to stand up.

"Cool," Caspian said.

"What?"

"It's 'cool as a cucumber'...not calm."

"Same difference, right?"

"Well-"

"Ignore him," Cleo told me. "Cool, calm...who gives a fuck? Just be calm."

"See?" I said to him. "Calm."

"Babe." He turned to her. "Why..." She gave him an annoyed look and he rolled his eyes, sitting back in his seat.

I stood up, preparing to walk away when I remembered that I'd have no idea where to even begin when I saw Queen. Was I supposed to apologize? If I was, what was I supposed to be sorry for? This was a moment where I would need a step by step instruction manual because de-escalation wasn't my specialty. Especially when I couldn't understand shit about how she'd be feeling.

"What do I say to her?" I sat back down.

Cleo smiled at me. "Apologize, and say what you feel."

"Which is what?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I feel?"

I washed my hands for what felt like an hour as I stared into the running water, my mind racing with thoughts about tonight. I was careful not to touch much in here since I knew what Xavier did in here less than an hour ago, yet I could never be certain...which made me want to cry.

After Cleo healed me, Xyla and Felix left without so much as a word to me and Jess and Nate left just as quietly. After I'd been hurt trying to help her, I expected Jess to at least check on me, but she was so absorbed in Nate. When it came to him, it was like she had tunnel vision. She didn't care about anything else.

I could admire her loyalty, but I just wished it was placed in the right places. Maybe with her friends that stayed up with her wiping away tears left by his absence...just a thought.

The door opened, and I looked in the mirror to see Syn walk in with his hands in his pocket. His messy hair was pushed back as if he ran his hand through it before walking in. He paused at the door, letting it shut behind him and I returned my focus back to the sink.

"Xavier told me you were in here."

"And you couldn't wait until I came out?" I glanced at him.

"Do you want me to? I can wait outside." He pointed at the door.

I shut off the sink and grabbed a napkin. "It's fine."

He nodded, taking slow steps toward me as I dried my hands. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright."

His eyes searched mine for a moment, and whatever he saw made him sigh as he placed himself directly in front of me. "I'm sorry," he said.

"For?"

"Everything," he whispered. "I ruined the last hour of your birthday and technically you won't be getting that again until next year. So I'm sorry for taking away your...once in a year opportunity."

I hated that he always made me want to smile in the moments I wanted to be angry at him. It was annoying. I had a whole speech ready, but the things flowing out of his mouth just make me want to hug him. "Okay," I whispered with a nod, holding back my smile.

"Just okay?" He asked. "I went against our agreement and exposed what Felix did to everyone. I broke the table with all the food we were eating, and I was so focused on Felix that I didn't notice you were hurt. That gets an 'okay'? I'm not okay with that."

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Yell at me."

"I'm too tired to yell," I said weakly. "I'm hurt, sad, and tired, Syn. I've realized that maybe I can't blame you for the things you do. I mean, it's not like you can help it. Let's just go home."

I walked past him, heading towards the door. "You're giving up on me, aren't you?"

"What?"

"The fight, Queen. The same fight in your eyes earlier when you held me accountable for kissing you in front of Sebastian...it's gone. You're giving up."

I rubbed my hands together and blew out a breath as I looked down at the floor. "I'm not giving up on you, Syn. It's just- there has been a lot happening today and I'm tired. First the money, then Sebastian, and now this...it's a lot."

He nodded slowly, looking away from me. "Cleo offered that you go home with her tonight. They have a guest room and if you need space...I understand."

"Okay." I swallowed a lump in my throat at the swell of tears trying to escape. I didn't feel like spending a night without him, but maybe the distance was for the best. It wasn't like I wanted to break up, that was the very last thing on my mind. I loved him more than I could explain, and I had no intentions of leaving. I just hoped he would understand that somehow.

"Just come back to me in the morning..." he said, "please."

"I will." I nodded, looking at his stressed state. The tears I meant to hold back began free-falling down my face at the tension in the room. I couldn't bear the fact that just hours ago, I was sharing my deepest secrets with him and now this was happening.

It hurt.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He whispered, lifting my face and wiping away my tears.

"I don't know, I just-," I sniffled, shaking my head. "I don't know, Syn. This feels final...and I can't- I don't want that..."

"Look at me," he ordered softly, cupping my cheeks into his hands. "You're just going to spend the night, and then I'll come to get you in the morning, Princess. We can talk about everything then. This isn't final, okay? Nothing between us will ever be final. I can promise you that."

I nodded in understanding and he pressed his lips against mine softly. After a moment, he pulled away and kissed my head before wrapping his arms around me. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"See you then," I whispered, gathering myself the best I could. His fingers glided to my chest where the necklace lay and he scoffed lightly as he examined it. "What?"

"Nothing, you just continue to surprise me," he said. What? "Goodnight, Queen."

What happened to 'Princess'?

He headed to the door, looking back at me one last time and I waved at him. "Night." The door shut behind him, and every breath I seemed to be holding came out with a fierceness. I held a hand over my chest to calm down, and a moment later, the door opened once again.

"Hey." Cleo peeked her head in. "Can I come in?"

"It's a public restroom." I smiled.

She walked inside, closing the door behind her and she came toward me. "Do you want a hug, babe? I don't know what happened, but Syn didn't look the best and you look like you're going to cry."

"I'm fine," I assured her with a sad smile.

"Awww." She pulled me into her arms, catching me off guard as I froze. After a few moments, I relaxed into the comfort of her arms, letting a few tears fall as she held me. "Don't cry." She pulled away and wiped my face with a napkin. "Since that hour was so shit...I think we should have our own celebration. You didn't even have a fucking cake. What do you say we go to my place and I'll bake you one? We can have a movie night and order pizza and talk about how shitty boys are."

"That sounds fun," I mumbled.

"Well then get let's fucking go!"

"Why did you scream?" I laughed softly.

"To get you pumped the fuck up!" She yelled again, making me smile as I shook my head. "See? You look happier already. Come on, I promise it'll be fun."