14. Sebastian
Chapter 14
Sebastian
Sweat drips down my brow as the whistle shrieks, signaling the end of a grueling two-hour football practice. I barely register Coach’s voice booming across the field, probably dismissing us for the day.
My body aches from the drills.
“Barron, what the hell was that?” Coach Thompson strides toward me, his expression stern. “You were all over the field today. Saturday is the game. You need to step it up.”
“Yes, coach. It won’t happen again.” It’s going to be the last time because tonight I will have my princess again.
“See that it doesn’t. Change, and tomorrow, I want you to get your head back in the game. You wanna win or cry in the corner?”
“Win, Coach.”
Brandon wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Sorry, Coach. I will take care of our little Bash. here. ”
“Just go.” The coach scribbles on his notepad, walking off the field.
“Guess she still didn’t write, huh?” Brandon nudges my shoulder as we walk back to the locker room.
Yeah. No. She didn’t.
“Shut it, man.”
“Anyway, how about that party after the game this weekend? You’re in?” Brandon unstraps his helmet.
“It depends on whether I can convince someone to join.”
“Ah, the elusive Juliet? Good luck with that, Romeo.”
“Thanks, I’ll need it.”
“Hey.” Brandon pauses in the act of tugging on his shirt. “You know I’ve got your back, right? If you need any help, just say the word. I’m the best wingman. The ladies fall for me left and right.”
I laugh at his cocky boast. “Yeah, keep dreaming.”
“So we go home and eat?”
“Nope, I have to do something.”
“You know the breaking in and stuff is not an option, right?”
My phone buzzes.
Connor: Lil is at the library. Looks like she’s settled in for the long haul.
Connor: Alone.
The corners of my mouth lift as I read the message. Lil immersed in her books, as always. The image is endearingly familiar. Seems like my lucky day.
“Change of plans. I’ve got a study date. ”
“You? Study?” His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Oh. I get it. With your girl? How’d you manage that?”
“I didn’t. But Connor says she’s at the library. I’m going to surprise her.”
“The stalker did it again. An ambush disguised as a romantic gesture. The name Romeo really fits you.”
“Shut up.” I shove my phone in my pocket, trying to play it cool.
“You know. She’s probably hungry,” he says.
I know what he’s hinting at. “Would you?” Brandon is the best cook I know. My mouth waters at the thought, and Lil’s would, too.
“For my best friend and his future wife? Of course.” Brandon claps me on the shoulder. “Some of my famous Pad Thai, perhaps?”
“But I’ll cook it.” I want to be the one who puts the look on her face.
“You? Cook?” He laughs. “You remember that time we tried to make sushi, and you almost chopped your finger off?”
“Thanks for reminding me. But I mean it.”
“Alright, I got you. But I expect your full attention and dedication in the kitchen. No slacking off.” He points his finger at me.
I grin, my sour mood from earlier vanishing. With Brandon’s help, I’ll cook something amazing for Lil. She won’t be able to resist the food or me. And it’ll be enough to finally break down the walls between us, bringing us closer than ever before. If not. Breaking into her room, still stands.
Back at our house, in the kitchen, Brandon immediately starts barking orders like a drill sergeant. “Alright, grab the rice noodles and let them soak. We need to marinate the chicken, too. Chop the shallots and garlic. Thinly slice the chicken.”
“Remember, Bash, cooking is an art,” he says, guiding my hand to flip the chicken pieces. “You can’t just throw things together and expect it to taste good.”
“Right, because that’s what you do.” Connor sits at the counter, watching the spectacle.
“Watch it, wise guy,” Brandon says.
I scramble to follow his rapid-fire instructions, not used to seeing this serious side of him.
“Connor. I hate you.” Brandon hands him a spoon. “But you’re on taste-testing duty—no pressure.”
“So I’m gonna be the only one with food poisoning? Great.” Connor takes it.
“Under my instructions, it can only be perfect,” Brandon says.
Connor nudges my shoulder. “I bet Lil never thought she’d have a famous quarterback cooking dinner for her.”
“Speaking of which,” Brandon interrupts, gesturing towards the stove. “Time to check the seasoning. Give it a taste.”
Connor dips a spoon into the sauce, hesitating before placing it in his mouth. His eyes widen, and he nods. “Damn, Bash. That’s actually good. ”
“Well done, padawan.” Brandon clasps my shoulder. “She’s going to love it.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.” I grin, buoyed by the small praise. Cooking is methodical and satisfying—no wonder Lil enjoys baking so much.
“Just name your firstborn after me, and we’ll call it even,” Brandon says.
“How about I cook more often instead?”
“Nope, I would like the food to be edible,” Connor says.
“Hey. This turned out good.”
“Yeah, because Brandon was like that rat in Ratatouille.”
“Yeah, let’s leave the cooking to me.”
I pack the food up and shoot a look at Connor. “Is she still there?”
Connor plucks out his phone and nods. “Like she didn’t move an inch.”
“Is he with her?”
“Nope. Still alone.”
With the container of food in hand, I head out toward the library. You’re not getting away today, princess.
I stride into the library, the container of Pad Thai held securely in my hands. The smell wafts up, making my stomach grumble. Damn, I don’t want to jinx it, but this smells good.
The library is quiet, almost too quiet. It’s like stepping into a different world. Is that why this is her favorite place? A place to escape reality? The shelves loom tall, filled with countless books that I’ll probably never read. Bookworm heaven .
I spot Lil at a table in the corner, her head buried in a book. Of course, she’s at her regular spot, the most secluded. Her hair is in the usual ponytail that gives me all kinds of bad ideas. Wrapping around my hand, tugging,…
I wonder how she’ll react when she sees me. Will she be happy? Surprised? Annoyed? With Lil, it’s always a guessing game. One moment, she’s melting into my arms, the next, she’s pushing me away.
But I’m not giving up. I didn’t spend hours slaving away in the kitchen to be rejected. No, I’m going to make her see that I’m serious about this. About us.
I roll my neck and start walking towards her spot. Lil. The girl who punched me in the face and then kissed me like her life depended on it.
Dark circles decorate the skin under her eyes. Has she been sleeping at all?
I clear my throat. “Hey, princess.”
No response.
For her not to notice me, especially this close… This isn’t like her.
I set the food on the table and curl my fingers around her wrist. “Hey.”
Her head jerks up, eyes blinking rapidly before they settle on me.
“Sebastian.” It comes out in a whisper. “You scared me.”
“Sorry about that.” I give her wrist a gentle squeeze before letting go. “I called your name, but you didn’t react. ”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She looks away, fidgeting with the edge of the book. “What are you doing here?”
“Brought you dinner. I figured you hadn’t eaten yet, and I know how you forget everything else when a new book catches your interest.”
“We can’t eat here. The librarian will kick us out.” Her gaze darts around the room as if expecting the librarian to materialize from between the shelves. That’s more like her.
“We won’t get caught. We’ll be quick, I promise.” I plaster on my most charming smile and push the container closer to her. “Besides, when’s the last time you took a break?”
Lil worries her bottom lip. Fuck she’s sexy. Would she mind me taking her right now? Yes, she would.
“But the rules—”
“Screw the rules. Live a little.” I lean forward, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“You won’t leave me alone, right?”
“Right.”
She eyes me for a long moment before her shoulders sag. “Fine. But if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”
“Deal.” I settle into the chair beside her.
Lil pushes her book to the side and unpacks the food. Knew my princess was hungry. Tonight’s a win—I got her to bend the rules, and now I have her all to myself.
Exactly where I want her .
She takes a bite and closes her eyes, a soft moan escaping her lips. Fuck, the things I’d do to elicit more of those noises from her.
Note to myself: Take cooking lessons.
Halfway through the meal, Lil winces. Is it too spicy?
She switches the chopstick to her other hand and struggles with holding them. What is going on?
I abandon my food to snatch her wrist. A red line is across her palm, marring her otherwise flawless skin. “How did this happen?”
“It’s nothing.” She tries to get out of my hold, but I don’t release her. “Just a paper cut.” Her voice comes out strained.
I’m lucky she’s such a bad liar.
“That’s not just a paper cut. How did you get it? We should clean and bandage this.”
“It was already cleaned and bandaged. But the bandage was… annoying me, so I took it off. Really, Sebastian, it’s fine.” Her whole body trembles.
Fuck. What happened? Pushing further will get me nowhere. I’ll leave it for now. But I will find out what happened eventually. “I wish you’d let me take care of you.”
“You brought me food, and I’m eating it.” She tries to pull her hand away, but instead of letting go, I bring her hand up to my lips, placing a gentle kiss on the angry red line.
“There. All better.” My lips still brush her palm.
Her eyes are wide, her cheeks flushed. “What are you doing? ”
“Kissing it better.” I run my thumb lightly over her wrist. Her pulse flutters wildly. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do with wounds?”
She doesn’t tear her hand away. “I think that only works for kids.”
“It works for princesses too.”
“I’m not a princess.”
“You are my princess.” I release her hand. “Now, finish your food before it gets cold.”
She hesitates, her gaze flickering between me and the container. “Why are you doing this?”
I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Doing what?”
“This.” She gestures to the food and me. “Bringing me dinner, checking on me. Why do you care?”
Because I can’t get you out of my fucking head. Because I want to be the one to make you smile, to chase away the demons haunting you.
But I can’t say that. Not yet.
So, instead, I shrug. “Can’t a guy do something nice for a pretty girl without having an ulterior motive?”
She picks up her chopsticks again. “I suppose.”
We eat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the occasional rustle of pages from somewhere in the library.
She savors each bite, her tongue darting out to catch a stray drop of sauce at the corner of her mouth.
Fuck, I want to be that drop of sauce .
Memories of our last kiss flood my mind. The heat, the desperation, the way she clung to me like I was her lifeline. I want that again. I want her.
But she’s skittish, like a deer ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.
I brush my thumb over her knuckles. “I missed you, you know.”
She chokes on the food. “You did?”
“Of course I did. It’s not every day I save a pretty girl, bring her home, and then she disappears for days.”
“I’m sorry about that. I-I didn’t know what to answer.” She picks up her chopsticks again, but I don’t miss the way her hand shakes. Something’s going on with her, something more than just a cut on her palm.
“A simple ‘hey’ would’ve been enough, you know,” I say. “I’m not that hard to please.”
Lil laughs, a soft, melodic sound that warms my heart. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
Next time.
She frowns at my still-full plate. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I was enjoying the view.”
She flushes, ducking her head.
“So, what are you reading?”
“Hmm?”
I point to the book in front of her with my chopsticks.
“Oh, it’s for my business law class.” She closes it up .
“Fun.” No wonder she’s so tense if she’s reading about that. “You should take a break from that. Do something fun this weekend instead.”
“Like what?” She arches a brow. “Because my idea of fun is curling up in bed with a good book.”
“There’s more to life than studying.” I reach across the table to brush my fingers over her knuckles. “Come to my game on Saturday, and the party afterward is always a good time.”
“I don’t know.” She hides her hand in her lap. “After last time…”
“I’ll make sure you won’t punch anyone.”
She laughs. “That doesn’t make it any better.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. Just come to the game and watch me. We’ll get pizza afterward. No party.”
“I don’t—”
“One night off from the books won’t kill you, I promise.”
“You make a lot of promises.”
“Please?”
Again, with the lip biting, my cock twitches with interest, and it takes effort not to imagine those lips wrapped around it instead. She really needs to stop that.
“Did you invite Ju?” she asks.
The desire dissipates. Why are we talking about her now?
“I didn’t, but she’ll probably be there. Like always,” I say.
“Will Connor be there?”
“He lives there.” What is she playing at?
“What about Brandon? ”
“Yes, why? You got a crush on him?” I swear to god, if Brandon made any move—
“No. I…” Her eyes dart around, and she pushes the food around. “What about Blake?”
“What about her?”
“Will she be there?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
“Mhm.”
Is my little princess worried about Blake?
“You don’t have to be jealous. Although, I must say I like it because that means you care,” I say.
Her eyes snap to mine, her lips parting as if to protest, but she hesitates. The uncertainty in her eyes is enough confirmation for me.
I take a bite of my pad thai, chewing slowly as I contemplate my next words. “Blake and I are over.”
Her focus returns to the food. She’s still unsure. Time to turn on the charm.
“Princess.” I tilt her chin to meet my gaze. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, the telltale sign that she’s unsure what to do. “It’s stupid.”
“It’s bothering you, so it’s not stupid.” C’mon princess, you know you can tell me anything. I rub my thumb along her jaw soothingly.
“I saw a picture of you and… her,” Lil says.
“A picture? ”
“From this morning. She was on your lap. Describing you as…” Her voice cracks. “Her boy.”
Fuck. I don’t like her being like this, especially since I did that, but god, she’s also adorable.
“I’m not hers.” I tilt her head up again. “You’ve got no reason to worry.”
“So you and her. Was there something before?”
“Yes, there was something. But it’s ancient history.”
Blake had been drunk and desperate, and I’d been stupid enough to give in. The next day, she’d plastered herself all over me, never stopping. It turned to casual hookups. We were good friends before that, but it was never more.
A flicker of relief passes through Lil’s eyes before she masks it with indifference. But it’s too late. I’ve seen it.
“They were at our house this morning. She came to me and took that photo. I did it so that she would leave me alone,” I say.
“But Mike—”
“What happened with Mike won’t happen with me. I promise.” I brush my thumb over her cheek. “You’re the only one who has my attention. Blake can’t change that, no matter how hard she tries.”
I mean every word. And I will prove it. It’s about damn time she realizes I only have eyes for her.
I snatch my phone. “You know what, I’ll tell Blake to take the picture down, and I won’t let it happen again.”
Lil’s hand stops me. “It’s fine.”
Nope. It’s not, but I’ll do it later. Now I concentrate on her .
Time for the final push.
I lean in close, lips grazing her ear. “Now that this misunderstanding is out of the way, are you gonna make me beg all night? Or will you be my date for the party?”
Her lips part on a quiet breath, and warmth pools low in my gut.
I want to kiss her.
Here. Now.
My gaze drops to her mouth.
“Okay,” she says. “I’ll think about it.”
“Great.” I grin. “It’s a date.”
Hopefully, she’ll at least stop stressing about Blake and focus on us. She shouldn’t be worried about any other girl. Why can’t she trust me?
All I can do is keep promising her that she has nothing to worry about, reassure her as much as needed, and hope that she will believe me.
I’m here, princess. Whether you like it or not.
“You two get out. This is a library, not a cafeteria.” The librarian stands by our table, tapping her foot.
I flash her an apologetic smile, ready to charm my way out of this. “My apologies. We were so engrossed in our studying that we lost track of time.”
She huffs, unmoved. “Out. Now.”
“Please, a few more minutes?” I say. “We have a huge test tomorrow and we were hoping to get in some extra cramming. ”
“Fine. But clean up after yourselves. And no more food in here!” She stalks off, muttering under her breath.
I nudge Lil with my elbow. “Enjoy your meal, princess.”
A smile tugs at her lips, betraying her amusement. Pride swells inside me at the sight. I’d do anything to keep it on her face.
“Here.” She pushes my portion towards me. “You should eat. I don’t want to get in trouble because you decided to skip dinner to bother me.”
“Is that what I’m doing? Bothering you?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes, but the smile remains, softening her features. “Eat your food, Sebastian.”