She only nods her head in response, her eyes darting behind me, but when I look she finally speaks. “He’s not there, I was just checking.”
Feeling an oncoming chill from the draft of the front door, my right hand absently rubs my opposite forearm.
“Do you know why he came back now?” I ask her and again, she nods and answers, “Yes.”
“Is it bad?” I question.
“The bad just passed, now it’s just waiting for things to settle, I think. There are some loose ends, but they’ll be tied up shortly.”
A beat passes, and the ticking in my chest speeds up, feeling each second slip by me faster and faster.
“I’m sorry, I’m a little guilty. Carter asked Sebastian to come back because of things with me, I would think. Things were the worst…” She trails off as her bottom lip wobbles, but she catches it between her teeth and swallows her words.
“Are you okay?” I ask her, feeling for the first time that she’s more like me than I could have ever known.
“I am. I am now,” she adds.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Maybe one day, but I don’t think today is a good time. I’m grateful Bastian came back. I’ll tell you that much. And if you’re worried, I wouldn’t be. But I really think you two should talk.” Her gaze again moves behind me, and this time I know he’s there. She lets her gaze linger and the floor softly creaks behind me.
“We should,” I answer and hear the floors protest once again, but still far behind me, maybe in the doorway. As if he’s stopped there and doesn’t dare to move any closer.
“Sorry to intrude… I just wanted to say ‘hi.’” She gives me a small smile and an odd wave before tucking her hair behind her ear and turning to leave.
“Thank you so much for the gifts.” My response is nothing but polite, even though inwardly I’m prepared for confrontation with the man standing behind me.
“If you ever want to hang out or just talk, I’m right there or happy to come over even.”
“I’m going to take you up on that,” I answer her and then watch her leave.
4
Sebastian
“What did you two talk about?” I ask her before Aria’s even through the doorway. Anxiety spreads along my skin. I thought the two of them would hit it off. But the atmosphere in the foyer reminds me of a funeral home.
“About what’s going on.”
My pulse picks up. “And what is going on?” I ask her, swallowing thickly and refusing to believe Aria told her anything specific. Chloe’s pregnant, for fuck’s sake. She doesn’t need the stress or the fear. The last thing she needs to do is worry. I’ve got her.
“I don’t want to not address these things anymore. We need to talk about it.” Her words echo off the walls of the foyer as the door closes and the biting chill of the bitter weather joins us.
“What things do we need to talk about?” I ask her, as if I don’t know. There’s so much shit she doesn’t know. And if she learns the truth, how could I ever keep her?
The thought sends a prick down my neck that doesn’t stop until it reaches the base of my spine.
The uneasy feeling stays where it is when she turns around, staring into my eyes and swallowing thickly. “I want to know everything.”
The hell with that. “No.”
Her baby blues widen, the shock apparent. Even I’m surprised by the way the single word sounded so harsh. “You don’t need to know this shit.” I give her the simple explanation, and a light sparks in her eyes.
“It’s not about need, Bastian. It’s about want,” she grits out. “I love you and I’ll never stop loving you, but I hate how you think I’m so delicate and easily broken.” Her tone is severe and unrefined. “I deserve to know the truth.”
“The truth about what?” I ask again, knowing the one truth I will never tell her. Never.
“Everything,” she demands.
I was her savior. That’s how she looked at me. Like I was one of the good guys, and it did something to me. It made me a better man. I will never let her take that back, because I don’t know what will happen to me if she does.
My lips part, ready to give her a partial truth, enough to keep her at a distance. Something to satisfy her curiosity, but her bottom lip quivers and her arms cross, showing me her swollen stomach. She’s only just started to show.
“Tell me why you needed to come back right now,” she asks when I hesitate.
I question if Aria told her something I’ll have a hard time explaining, or if she told her anything. Fuck, what was I thinking leaving the two of them alone? “Carter was in trouble,” I start and she cuts me off.