11. Mariana #2
I let out a slow breath, shaking my head.
"He really wanted to get married. And after a lot of convincing, I said yes. I was so caught up—I thought I was madly in love. But deep down, I knew if I said no, I’d be alone again, and that scared me more than anything.
So I said yes, I wish I hadn’t—but he met me at my loneliest, and I let myself believe in the illusion.
It was all a facade, though." The words sit heavy between us.
Analyse’s fingers tighten around mine for a beat before she lets go. "You don’t have to say more," she says softly. "You tell me when you’re ready."
"Thank you." I exhale, shoulders sagging with relief. "And thank you for bringing me here today."
"Of course, Mari. Not like I showed up at your house and forced you to come with me or anything," She says with a smirk, leaning back and crossing her arms. "Seb was right—I desperately need friends. I love Maya so much; she’s my whole life. I want to be everything for her, especially because she doesn’t have her father in her life. "
Her smile falters just slightly, her fingers toying with the rim of her coffee mug. "But sometimes," she continues, "I need to do a little bit for me too, you know? It’s like I give everything I have to everyone else, and I never leave anything for me. It’s a bit exhausting."
Her tone is light, almost like she’s joking, but the look in her eyes is too honest for that. "Does that make me a bad person?"
I shake my head. "Not even a little. It makes you human. You don’t have to feel guilty, Lyse.
" I shake my head. "Everyone knows how much you love Maya. You’re a great mom. And guess what? You can be both a great mom and a mom who needs a break every now and then. It’s okay to need a breather, and not just to run errands. "
She huffs out a laugh.
"You need to take care of yourself too," I tell her. "Do things that you actually enjoy. I know that Seba helps a lot, but I’m here too. I’m happy to help as much as I can."
"Really?" Analyse raises a brow. "You offering babysitting duties?"
I grin. "Absolutely. Maya and I will have the best girls’ nights."
Analyse lets out a dramatic sigh. "I might take you up on that."
"Good." I lift my mimosa. "To new brunch traditions?"
"To new brunch traditions." She clinks her glass against mine, a real, easy smile on her face.
After brunch, I’m stuffed with nachos and guacamole, pleasantly buzzed from one too many mimosas, and absolutely ready to curl up in my bed for a long, guilt-free nap.
The sun is high, the heat thick and sticky against my skin as I stroll down the street, my head light, my steps loose. I’m mid-yawn, already imagining the cool relief of my air-conditioned room, when my phone rings.
I fumble for it, nearly dropping it in my tipsy state before pressing it to my ear. “Hello?” I answer quickly, not checking the caller ID.
A familiar voice greets me, amused and knowing. “Mariana.”
I blink against the sun, recognizing him instantly. “Seba? What’s up?” I slur, my words just the slightest bit off.
A chuckle rumbles through the line. “I see you and Lyse had a good brunch. How many did it take before you got buzzed? One?”
I scowl, slowing my steps as I wave a hand in the air, despite the fact that he can’t see me. “Noooo, for your information, I had three,” I announce proudly, lifting three fingers, which, again, no one can see but me.
Sebastian laughs, full-bodied and deep, a laugh that feels like sunshine on a cloudy day. “Three whole drinks? Wow, you’re really living life on the edge, Mari.”
I gasp, outrage burning through me. “I can live on the edge, Sebastian! I can be wild if I need to.”
His laughter only deepens, and I swear I can hear him shaking his head through the phone. “Oh yeah?” he teases, the smile evident in his voice. “You, Mariana Vargas, are the definition of reckless now?”
“You can stop laughing now,” I grumble, rolling my eyes at the sidewalk like it’s somehow in on the joke.
“Alright, alright.” He humors me. “But, to be fair, you’ve always been a little… risk-averse.”
I halt mid-step. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he continues, still entirely too entertained. “It’s a good thing! You’re careful. You think things through; more people should be like you.”
I narrow my eyes at absolutely nothing, fists curling at my sides. “Oh, I’ll show you careful.”
A slight pause. “What?”
“Where are you?” I demand, suddenly fueled by mimosa-driven determination.
His confusion is palpable. “Right now?”
“No, yesterday,” I deadpan. “YES, right now.”
There’s another pause, then a wary, “Uh… I’m in the parking lot of the station. Just finished my shift.”
“Perfect,” I declare. “I’m coming over.”
“For what?” he asks, suspicion creeping into his tone.
“We’re going to do something daring. Something reckless.”
Sebastian laughs again, but this time, there’s an edge of disbelief to it. “Mariana, you’re crazy. You don’t have to prove anything.”
“Shut up, Seba, and come pick me up.”
“You just said you were coming here.”
“Yeah, well… I got all excited and now I have to actually follow through, but I’m not about to drive across town when I have a perfectly good friend who loves picking me up?”
He groans. “Unbelievable.”
“I prefer irresistible.”
Another laugh, this one softer, like he’s shaking his head at me but still indulging me. “Alright, give me ten.”
“Great,” I say, then hang up, staring at my phone as the reality of what I just did sinks in. What the hell did I just get myself into?
Exactly ten minutes later, Sebastian pulls up in front of me—right on time, because of course he is. He’s always reliable.
My buzz has mostly worn off by now, but there’s still a slight lightness in my limbs, a lingering warmth from the mimosas, or maybe from the anticipation curling low in my stomach.
I pull open the passenger door and slide in, the familiar scent of him filling the small space—clean, warm, something undeniably Sebastian.
“Hey,” I say, glancing at him. I immediately lose all sense of thought.
His shirt is snug around his arms, the soft fabric stretching over muscle, and damn, I don’t remember his biceps looking this good before.
I’m staring, I know I’m staring, and I still can’t stop.
A slow smirk tugs at his lips as he drums his fingers against the steering wheel. “When you’re done checking me out, you wanna tell me what we’re doing, daredevil?”
Busted. My face flames instantly, and I fumble for a response, clearing my throat. “Seba! You didn’t come up with anything in your ten minutes of driving over here?”
He scoffs, shaking his head. “Mariana, you didn’t come up with anything in your ten minutes of waiting for me?”
I huff, crossing my arms. “Fair.” I glance out the window and then back at him. “Okay, so what do all the cool kids do these days?”
He gives me a look, one brow quirking in amusement. “The cool kids?”
“Yes, the cool kids.”
“Mariana,” he says flatly, “We’re in our thirties. My knees are no longer part of the cool kid club.”
I chuckle, nudging his arm. “Seb, we’re always going to be part of the cool kid club. It’s us.”
He looks at me then, really looks at me, and for a moment, something flickers in his eyes—something that makes my heart stutter. Oh no. Reel it in, Mariana.
Before I can spiral too deep, Sebastian’s expression shifts, something mischievous creeping into his smirk. “Actually,” he says, tapping his fingers against the wheel, “I have an idea.”
I narrow my eyes, immediately suspicious. “Oh no. Should I be afraid?”
He glances at me, all playful confidence. “Nah, of course not.” He grins, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You’re wild, remember? You got this.” He shifts the car into drive, the engine humming beneath us as he takes off toward our mystery destination.
I sink back into my seat, watching the town blur past the window, my pulse picking up the further we go.
Universe help me—Maybe I’m not so wild after all.
"Absolutely not!" I shriek, stumbling back from the edge of the cliff, my heart lurching into my throat.
My pulse is a roaring drum in my ears, my breath coming in uneven bursts. Sebastian laughs, hands on his hips, the picture of casual amusement, like he didn’t just drag me to the literal edge of death and expect me to willingly throw myself off.
The sky stretches endlessly above us, impossibly blue, the midday sun casting golden light over everything. The breeze up here is crisp, carrying the scent of the lake below, and the sound of the water lapping gently against the rocks. It’s beautiful.
But when I look down? All I feel is pure, unfiltered terror. He’s such a jerk for bringing me here. He’s calling my bluff, and I am about to fold like a cheap lawn chair.
He cannot actually think I’m going to jump off this cliff. Is he out of his mind? Maybe he got too many hits to the head during his fire drills. Maybe some smoke inhalation scrambled his common sense.
“Don’t be a chicken, Mariana.” His voice is all teasing warmth, but there’s something else too—challenge, amusement.
The smirk that makes me want to smack him and kiss him at the same time.
“You said you wanted to do something spontaneous. Well, here we are.” Sebastian spreads his arms wide, a smug grin tugging at his lips.
I whirl on him, eyes wide. “Spontaneous does not mean attempting death, Sebastian.”
He chuckles, stepping up beside me, his arm brushing lightly against mine, sending a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the breeze.
My heart is hammering, and I have no idea if it’s from the height or from the fact that he’s standing so close. Either way, I’m screwed.
“I don’t know, Seba.” I gulp, looking up at him, my stomach twisted into anxious knots. “That’s a long way down.”
He tilts his head, considering me. Then, without hesitation, he hooks his pinky around mine, just like he used to when we were kids, when he’d promise me anything and mean it. And I swear, something inside me shifts.