CHAPTER 3
REMI
Right. Here we go, our guest has arrived.
And yeah, I can’t help smirking a little at the thought of our fancy pianist dragging himself and all his worldly belongings up that brutal spiral staircase.
If he’s expecting me to come down and give him a hand, he’s in for a disappointment.
From the few old photos Maddie showed me, Sebastian looked small and fine-boned, with a mop of black hair, tiny and fragile.
Unless he’s had some sort of dramatic transformation, he’ll probably reach our door half-dead.
Yeah, I know. Sometimes I’m a bit of a dick.
But honestly? He might as well get used to it.
If he’s planning to stay here, he should know what he’s dealing with, and not expect too much from me.
Maddie and I climb that cursed staircase every day, carrying groceries, laundry, whatever else life throws at us.
Not that I complain. It’s a small price to pay for the miracle of being able to afford a place in this neighbourhood at all.
A lift would be nice, sure. But we can live without one. For now.
Turns out Sebastian isn’t as feeble as I imagined, because barely two minutes after I buzz him in, the doorbell rings.
Great. I hate being caught off guard. For a second, I actually consider leaving him out there a bit longer, but even I’m not that much of a bastard.
I sigh, shake my head, grab the handle, and swing the door open.
He’s facing away from me, swaying slightly on the narrow landing, both hands gripping the handle of a massive,
Wait. Is that a pink suitcase?
Hot pink, actually.
I frown, thrown for a second.
Then he turns around, and my world flips upside down.
I find myself staring into the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen. So green they stop me in my tracks. They’re set in a face that looks almost elfin: sharp, delicate jawline, black waves brushing just below it.
A few strands fall across his forehead, where a scatter of freckles dusts his nose and cheekbones. His lips are full, soft, and despite the fact that I’ve clearly made no effort to look welcoming, he’s smiling. Wide.
But there’s hesitation in his eyes, too, just beneath those ridiculously long lashes. Then, just as I think he might say something, one corner of his mouth lifts into a cheeky half-smile, and a single dimple appears on his left cheek.
As all these little details start to sink in, I finally get it,
why Maddie couldn’t stop talking about him.
Sebastian is… adorable. There’s no better word for it.
But more than that, he might actually be the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. And the thought hits me like a punch to the chest.
He’s still smiling, a little shy now, standing at the edge of the landing with one hand on the handle of that pink suitcase and the other stretched out to me.
“Hi, I’m Sebastian. You must be Remi, right? Nice to meet you.”
Suddenly, I feel like I’ve run a marathon. Like I’m the one who just climbed four flights of stairs.
“H-Hi. Yeah, I’m Remi. Nice to meet you, too. Come on in.”
I stammer like an idiot, my brain short-circuiting.
I grab his hand to pull him inside, but I completely misjudge the movement.
I yank too hard, he stumbles forward with the suitcase, and before I can react, we’re both flat on the floor in a ridiculous tangle.
Brilliant.
Turns out I’m not just an arsehole, I’m a bloody idiot too.