CHAPTER 24
REMI
By the time Sebastian walks into the kitchen to help with dinner, I’ve already showered, gotten dressed, and nearly finished cooking the salmon I found in the freezer. The roast potatoes are golden and crisp, the salad’s dressed and ready to go.
But honestly? The wait is worth every second.
He comes down the stairs slowly, like he’s not quite sure he’s allowed to be here, and the sight of him stops me in my tracks. That usual layer of bravado he wears like armor, it’s gone, slipping from his shoulders with every careful step.
He’s barefoot, in tight black jeans and a peach silk shirt unbuttoned just enough to hint at skin. His tattoos are on full display, his damp hair clinging to his freckled face, and I swear, he’s never looked more beautiful.
There’s something so raw and open in the way he moves, a soft kind of surrender, like he knows he’s safe with me.
And the truth is, he has no idea what he does to me.
When he reaches me and presses a soft kiss to my lips before slipping his arms around my waist, I catch the familiar scent of my lavender shampoo in his hair, and the faint taste of my toothpaste still lingering on his mouth.
Desire crashes over me like a wave. I’m hard in an instant, and silently thank whatever part of me had the foresight to wear a long enough T-shirt to cover it. Not that I’m ashamed, well, maybe a little, but I want tonight to feel like a proper first date. I want to do this right.
Even if the idea of skipping straight to dessert is very, very tempting.
His stunning green eyes sparkle with mischief as he leans into me, arms still wrapped firmly around my waist. I let my fingers trace the edge of one of his tattoos, unable to resist the urge to touch him.
“There’s something that smells amazing around here,” he murmurs near my ear, voice low and teasing, and just like that, I’m done for.
Before I can ask which kind of hunger he means, he pulls back with a wicked grin and steals a cherry tomato from the salad bowl, popping it into his mouth like he owns the place.
If I don’t do something soon, I’m definitely going to lose control.
“Right, uh, dinner’s nearly ready, baby. Could you set the table while I finish off the fish?”
I point out where to find the plates and cutlery, then turn quickly back to the food, forcing myself to focus. The last thing I want is to burn the salmon on our first proper evening together.
Although, if I’m honest, I feel like I’m the one at risk of going up in flames.
When everything’s finally ready and we sit down to eat outside, I notice he’s placed an old candle in the center of the table.
“Where did this come from?” I ask, laughing. “I didn’t even know we had one.”
“I hope I didn’t mess up,” he says, suddenly looking uncertain. “It was just sitting on a shelf and I thought… I don’t know, it might be nice.”
He groans and covers his face with both hands. “I’ve never done the whole romantic dinner thing before, I’m probably terrible at it.”
I reach out, gently pulling his hands away and offering him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Seb. I’ve never done this before either… not with a guy.”
He sits up a little straighter, surprise flickering across his face. “Is that weird for you? Does it… make you uncomfortable?”
The uncertainty in his voice tugs at something deep in my chest. I shake my head without hesitation.
“Honestly? Not at all. Being with you just feels… right. Like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. I’ve never felt more like myself than I do when I’m with you, Seb. I hope that answers your question.”
He doesn’t speak right away, just keeps looking at me, really looking, like he’s trying to see if I mean it.
And maybe he finds his answer in my eyes, because a slow smile spreads across his face.
Then he picks up a serving spoon and starts filling his plate.
It hits me all at once, I’m starving. Between the stress, the emotions, and the long drive, this meal feels like proper comfort food. Simple, warm, exactly what we both needed.
I might not be a master chef, but Seb clearly enjoys it. I open a bottle of dry cider to go with it, and when he takes his first sip, his startled expression makes me burst out laughing. Definitely not what he was expecting, but judging by the way he goes back for more, he’s into it.
We talk easily while we eat, about everything and nothing. The food, the view, the salty breeze drifting in from the sea… but mostly, about us.
At one point, I tell him that around here, the main hobbies are fishing and surfing, but I’m hopeless at both. He smirks.
“You really are a proper nerdy teacher, aren’t you?” Then, after a pause, he adds more quietly, “My favourite nerd.”
I can’t help it, I reach across the table and take his hand, threading my fingers through his.
The warm sea air carries the scent of grass and salt. The breeze off the ocean has curled Seb’s hair more than usual, sending messy strands tumbling around his face, and God, it makes my chest ache just looking at him.
He’s not wearing any make-up tonight. No rings, no chains, no carefully chosen outfit. Just him, bare, unadorned. And yet he’s gorgeous.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to his beauty
The sun set a while ago, and now the sky stretches endlessly above us, a deep velvet canvas dusted with stars. Out here, with no streetlights to dull the view, the night feels infinite, pure, breathtaking. Seb stares up at it, his expression soft and distant.
“When I was little,” he murmurs, “I used to listen to this song. I can’t remember all the lyrics, but there was a line about how we’re all made of stardust. I don’t know why, but that always comforted me. Even if it’s probably just… poetic nonsense.”
I turn toward him, a smile tugging at my lips. “Oh no,” I say gently. “There’s real science behind that.
Seb’s eyes widen, and he leans in, still holding my hand. “Seriously? I always thought that was just a poetic metaphor.”
“Not at all,” I say, smiling, grateful for the excuse to share something that matters to me. “The elements that make up our bodies, and everything around us, were born in the hearts of dying stars.”
He watches me, fascinated, nodding for me to continue.
“Stars are basically massive balls of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium, and they generate energy through nuclear fusion. But when the bigger ones run out of fuel, they collapse and explode in these enormous supernovae. That explosion releases all the elements they created, carbon, oxygen, iron, everything, out into the universe.”
I glance at him. “Still with me, love?”
He nods again, tucking his hair behind one ear, never letting go of my hand.
“Those scattered elements, dust and gas, eventually gather again, forming new stars, new planets. So everything in our solar system, everything we are, comes from that stardust. From stars that lived and died long before Earth even existed.”
I pause, wondering if I’ve gone too far down the science rabbit hole, but then he smiles at me, warm and unguarded.
“Have I mentioned,” he says softly, “how you somehow manage to make chemistry sound romantic?”
I chuckle. “It’s a gift.”
That cheeky, fluttery-eyed look crosses his face, the one that always makes my heart stutter. “And what does that gift usually get you? I bet you've made loads of people fall for you with explanations like that.”
“Actually,” I reply, eyes locked on his, “only one comes to mind.”
“Liar,” he laughs, then pushes back his chair and circles the table, grinning now, wicked and beautiful. Before I can react, he slides onto my lap, straddling me with practiced ease.
I barely have time to register what’s happening, completely caught off guard.
The second he settles on my lap, it’s like a jolt of electricity shoots through me, lighting up every nerve ending.
My hands fly instinctively to his waist, just as his fingers curl around the back of my neck.
He leans in, our foreheads touching, his breath warm against my lips.
Strands of his hair brush my skin, and when he rubs his nose against mine, it steals the breath from my lungs.
He smells like vanilla and the salt of his skin, sweet and earthy and utterly him, and it short-circuits my brain. I’m completely at his mercy. And he knows it.
“What do you want to do, Remi?” he whispers, teasing, lingering just long enough to make me ache, before crashing his mouth onto mine, velvet and cider-sweet, tongue sliding between my lips in a kiss that makes the world drop away.
But even as my body reacts, one thought cuts through the haze:
Before I lose myself completely, there’s one thing I need to be sure of.
Clinging to the last shred of self-control, I pull back just enough to speak. My voice is rough with want. “Seb, baby… you’re killing me.”
He grins, triumphant, ready to dive back in, but I manage to get the rest out before he does.
“If we’re going to do this, if we go all the way tonight, I need to know you’re sure. Really sure. About us. That this is what you want. I can’t let it happen if you’re not ready. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”
He blinks, momentarily stunned, then shakes his head like I’ve just said the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
“Remi,” he says, soft but certain. “If I wasn’t sure about you, do you think I’d have come all the way to Cornwall? To your family’s house, no less? I dropped everything to be with you. Because I trust you. Because I want this, us.”
He shifts in my lap, his voice growing more earnest. “I’ve never done anything this impulsive for anyone.
Of course, I want to move forward. Honestly, I was afraid you might be the one hesitating, but I was wrong.
And right now?” He leans in again, lips ghosting mine.
“Right now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. ”