An Innocent, a Seduction, a Secret

He’d never been less fine.

She moved back and sat in her own seat. Sebastio took another sip of whisky. He could sense the question reverberating in her head. He could feel the weight of it.

Without her even asking, he said, ‘It was my fault. The crash.’

‘What happened?’

‘We were on our way home from a match. Maya was in the back of the car. We were happy—we’d won. I took my attention off the road for a split-second and that was all it took. A drunk driver was on the wrong side of the road, coming straight for us. By the time I noticed, it was too late to swerve or do anything. It was a head-on collision. And yet I walked away with barely a scratch.

‘Victor was paralysed from the waist down. He’d been one of the world’s best rugby full-backs and had just signed a contract with one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Maya was half-French—they were due to go to Paris, to live there for a few years.’

Sebastio’s voice was toneless, but Edie could hear the underlying emotion. She bitterly regretted showing him the article now. She’d only been trying to distract him from asking her about her hair. When he’d gone so pale she’d acted on instinct to get him something for shock...

‘Maya was thrown from the car. She and her baby died almost instantly.’

The bleakness in Sebastio’s voice scored at Edie’s heart. ‘I can’t imagine what that must have been like...to experience such a tragedy.’

Except she could.

She’d watched people she’d become close to die while she’d survived. So she did know how Sebastio felt on some level.

He said, ‘They had everything going for them. They’d only been married a year and they were about to have a baby, a whole new life in France...’

‘But it wasn’t your fault. The other driver had been drinking—’

Sebastio’s focus snapped back to her. ‘If I hadn’t been distracted I would have seen him coming... I could have swerved, or done something... Victor was right to blame me.’

At that moment an air steward appeared and informed them they’d be landing shortly. Edie secured her belt and glanced at Sebastio, who was looking out of his window broodingly.

She wanted to say more but she bit her lip. The weight of Sebastio’s guilt hung heavy in the space between them. No wonder it was so acute if his own friend had blamed him. The worst of it was how badly she wanted to be able to do something to assuage his pain. Reassure him it hadn’t been his fault. But he seemed determined to blame himself.

She forced herself to look away, out of her own window. Sebastio’s pain wasn’t her responsibility. She couldn’t afford to let herself get any more invested.

But as the plane touched down with a screech of tyres she knew it was futile. She was already invested. Beyond all hope.

* * *

By the time they were driving through the city in a chauffeur-driven Jeep Edie was already transfixed by the majesty and beauty of Buenos Aires.

She looked at Sebastio as she buzzed her window down. ‘Do you mind?’

He shrugged and smiled and she was relieved to see that intense brooding expression replaced by something

else. He might have had a tragic experience here, and a not-so-happy childhood, but it was clear he loved this city. He looked relaxed in a way she’d never seen before, his dark good looks complemented by the vibrant surroundings.

Edie’s eyes couldn’t take it all in fast enough as they drove down wide boulevards and she looked up at the soaring elegant buildings. They were entering an area with wide leafy streets and even more elegant buildings now. Edie didn’t know much about archictecture, but some of the houses reminded her of pictures she’d seen of Paris.

There were manicured parks, with children playing by fountains and old men sitting in groups talking. It was refined and exotic and a world away from grey and cold London.

They drew to a stop on a quiet street that bordered one of the parks. Sebastio helped her out and immediately she felt overdressed and too hot in the silk shirt and trousers. Summer in the southern hemisphere was intense, even in the late afternoon.

A very beautiful woman walked past with a perfectly groomed poodle and Edie felt a bubble of pure joy rise up. She’d never in a million years have experienced this if it wasn’t for Sebastio.

She turned to him impulsively before they walked into the building. ‘Thank you for this... I love it.’

His mouth quirked. ‘We’ve only just arrived.’

She refused to feel embarrassed at her own gaucheness. ‘I know...but still, thank you.’