16. Lily
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
LILY
F or how strangely attached to him and vulnerable I felt, I might as well have slept with Sebastian last night.
Perhaps it was the act of sharing a bed with him, or the fact that he’d let me into this private world no one knew about.
Whatever the reason, once we’d finished packaging up the prints and dropped them off at the post office, I didn’t want to part from him yet.
“What are you up to for the rest of the day, Thorne?” I asked as we ambled in the direction of my flat.
His long strides were edging mine out and I smiled at the sight of the romantasy paperback tucked into his back pocket.
“Other than going home for a quick shower and change, I don’t really have plans. I suppose I should do my coursework for my Research Methods class.”
I nodded, not wanting to distract him from schoolwork. In fact, I should probably work on my Science of Close Relationships essay. However, I knew by how restless I felt that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
“What are your plans?” Sebastian asked.
“I’m going for a bike ride,” I decided. “I need the fresh air.”
It was a dry, mild day and soon we wouldn’t have many of those.
“Do you fancy some company?”
Yes, yes, I do!
I hid my excitement. “Sounds good. Do you have a bike?”
“I’ll hire one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He grinned, seeming enervated by the idea. “I’ve never ridden around Edinburgh. I bet you know places I don’t.”
“I do know the city like the back of my hand.”
He considered this and then nodded. “Okay, Sawyer. Show me your world.”
Two hours later, after Sebastian had showered and changed and we’d located the nearest e-bike hire, we found ourselves in Dean Village. To my surprise, Sebastian had never ventured to Dean Village.
“I’ve seen lots of photographs, but I’ve never wandered that way,” he explained.
First, I led him down the cobbled lane of Damside and to the bridge over the Water of Leith to Hawthornbank Lane so he could take some quintessential Dean Village photographs as inspiration for any future artwork.
There were a few tourists already there, taking photographs.
“It feels like we’re suddenly in a Harry Potter version of Amsterdam.” Sebastian marveled as we got off the bikes.
I chuckled. “That is the perfect description.”
It was fascinating to watch Sebastian snap into artist mode.
He suddenly got very intense and serious as he moved up and down the lane, taking shots from different angles with his camera phone.
As he wandered upward, I leaned over the wooden fence to watch the water calmly flow by.
I wish someone could explain why the sound of water was so lulling and peaceful.
Maybe it was something I could research for general psychology class.
Or maybe my professor would think it was too new age science-y.
Maybe she’ll think science-y isn’t a word .
I snorted to myself as I scanned our surroundings.
On the bridge was an old man who had stopped to watch the water flow beneath him.
He had to be in his late seventies, immaculately dressed in a three-piece brown suit.
On his head was a brown tweed flat cap. I wondered where he was off to in his suit.
Or if he was the kind of man who’d worn a suit every day of his life and couldn’t break the habit.
My curiosity was even more piqued when he plucked the flower pinned to his breast pocket and dropped it into the water.
He pressed a kiss to his fingertips and smoothed those fingers over the top of the bridge railing.
With a tip of his cap to the water, he strode back the way he’d come and disappeared up Damside.
It was clearly a tradition. Or a goodbye maybe. Or a remembrance.
“Where did you go?” Sebastian’s voice rumbled in my ear.
I startled, whipping my head around to find him leaning against the railing at my side.
He grinned. “You were off in a dream somewhere.”
“I people-watch to the point of forgetting where I am.”
“I’ll need to keep that in mind.” He lifted his phone, pointed the camera side at my face.
“Don’t.” I groaned, turning away.
“Okay, I won’t.”
I turned back and heard the fake camera shutter noise of a photo being taken. “You lied!”
Sebastian chuckled as he lowered it. “It was worth it.”
Shaking my head at his nonsense, I gestured to the bikes. “Shall we move on?”
“Where to next, Mistress of Auld Reekie?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Let’s not call me that.”
“I rather like it.”
“You do know Auld Reekie means Old Smokey?”
“I do.” His smile was unrepentant as he took another quick photograph of me.
“Stop doing that.” I shoved him and he nearly dropped his phone as he righted himself. My lips pursed to stop my laugh at his indignant expression.
“If I’d dropped my phone, you’d pay for it and not monetarily,” he warned, lips twitching with amusement.
“Since you’re so precious about it, I’ll try to be more careful in the future.”
“Precious?” He guffawed.
Giggling, I got on my bike and watched him slip his precious phone into his shirt pocket before getting on his hired bicycle.
He shot me a mock beleaguered look.
“I know from your social media feed that you’ve been to Arthur’s Seat.”
“I have,” he drawled as he pulled up beside me. “Hasn’t everyone who lives here?”
“Depends.” I tilted my head. “But have you been to Dr. Neil’s Garden?”
“Why does that sound like somewhere sinister? Like he lured children there with lollipops.”
I sniggered. “You have such a crooked mind. The garden was created by two doctors and it’s beautiful. Do you want to go there or not?”
“So, there are no lollipops on offer?”
“Are you five?”
“I like to keep my tongue agile.” Sebastian leaned in, the devil twinkling in his eyes. “I’m a very good licker, don’t you know?”
My cheeks heated at the images his words inspired. At once turned on, irritated, and reluctantly amused, I pushed off on my bike. “Keep up, lollipop!” I called over my shoulder.
Thankfully, the rest of the day, Sebastian kept his overt flirting to a minimum. We rode around Arthur’s Seat and ventured into the garden that sat on the banks of Duddingston Loch. While Sebastian strolled off to take photos, I sat down on a bench that faced the water.
When I was here, it felt like I wasn’t even in the city anymore.
I had a million things to do when I got back to the flat, but for now I was enjoying slowing down for a few minutes. And showing Sebastian new places in a city that was abundantly inspirational.
Taking my phone out to snap a few shots of my own, I realized I must have accidentally switched it to silent because I had a missed call from January and a couple texts from her and a few friends.
There was also a bunch of notifications from social media and my group chat for my general psychology class.
Sighing, I opened January’s text first.
Maddie said you brought a guy home last night and then you disappeared before she could say hi this morning.
At my lack of response, she’d sent another.
At least tell me you’re alive.
And another.
You better be having the best sex of your life. No other excuse for this silence will do.
And …
LILY SAWYER TEXT ME BACK!!
Snorting, I quickly texted her.
Sorry, you overprotective nutter. My phone was on silent. Out with a friend. Talk later.
There was a text from Maddie asking much more calmly and less dramatically if I was all right. I assured her I was and got a notification that January had replied.
A friend with a dick?
I sent her the middle finger emoji in response.
The rest of my notifications could wait. Sighing, I took a photo of the loch and slipped my phone back in my pocket. I didn’t know how to explain Sebastian to my friends and January. Jan would say I needed to cut him loose if I was still attracted to him, and Maddie and Sierra would probably agree.
But … no one of any gender had ever pursued a friendship like this with me. Sebastian apparently enjoyed being around me. Maybe even needed me a little. And I couldn’t say I didn’t like the feeling. I could get over this crush and be his friend.
I could.
I was determined to.
“There you are.” Sebastian appeared between the trees, that sexy curl of his lips awakening the butterflies in my belly.
Okay. So, I would eventually get over it.
He sat down beside me on the bench, his arm pressed against mine. Together we stared out at the water for a bit.
“Thank you for bringing me here.” Sebastian broke the silence. “I didn’t even know this little gem existed.”
“You’re welcome.” Feeling a hunger pang, I stood up slowly. “I think I need to grab some lunch.”
“Why don’t we go to the Sheep Heid Inn? I’ve always wanted to.”
I stared out at the water, smiling a bit at the sound of Sebastian’s posh accent on the very Scottish word heid . And maybe at the fact that he wanted to keep spending time with me. “Sounds good.”
I turned to look at him as he stood. He took another photo of me before I could even react.
“Will you stop doing that?”
“I can’t.” He shrugged. “You are incredibly photogenic, and I click where I must.”
It was much, much later, after we’d eaten at the pub and then ridden off our lunch by cycling back into Old Town, after Sebastian returned his hired bike and invited me to his flat for drinks with Juno before she returned to London.
It was after Sebastian insisted on walking me home again but departed to work in his studio around the corner.
After discovering Maddie and Sierra had gone out dancing without me but left me a bunch of voicemails demanding to know where I’d been.
I’d changed into my PJs and snuggled up in bed to do some coursework and dissertation research.
As was my process so I didn’t get too overwhelmed, I switched from uni work to the romantic suspense novel I was reading that was like the Bourne Identity with more romance.
An hour later, eyes heavy with exhaustion, I’d finished my book and had a quick look on socials before bed.
Curiosity compelled me to search Sebastian’s pseudonym artist account.
To my utter shock, there was a new post.
It was a photograph of me by Duddingston Loch. It was a closer shot than I’d realized. A headshot. The breeze had blown a strand of hair across my face and my eyes were lit up at just the right angle by the sun, making the green in the hazel more prominent.
The caption read:
After three and a half years here, I finally found this city’s real beauty .
My heart lurched in my throat at his meaning. It was quite possibly the most spectacular compliment anyone had ever given me. It was unbelievably … romantic .
Confusion rioted through me once more.
Sebastian had to know I’d see the photograph and the caption.
Switching out of the app, I settled my phone by my bed and turned off the light.
Staring up at the ceiling, I let my turmoil of emotions sort themselves out.
Finally, I decided it was my own crush on Sebastian that was making me read into things.
Sebastian was affectionate and complimentary as a person.
He didn’t mean to be romantic. Just … sweet.
It didn’t mean anything beyond what he’d said.
Perhaps he really did find me beautiful.
That didn’t mean he was interested in anything but friendship.
After all, I found Sierra and Maddie beautiful. That didn’t mean I wanted to sleep with them.
Melancholy washed over me, and I sighed into my pillow. This whole friendship thing must be considered. I’d give it a few more weeks and if I still felt this aching longing, I’d reevaluate the situation.