Chapter Thirty-Six - Sebastian
“SO YOU NEVER said anything?” I ask hesitantly, pulling out of the parking lot. I’m thrilled Owen said it was okay, but I’m still worried. He’s protective of his sister. Thalia has no idea how often I’ve stepped in between Owen and another guy for saying something about her.
“You didn’t say anything either.” His tone now lacks the patience from inside the apartment. Yeah, Owen’s definitely upset, no matter how okay he might claim to be.
I glance at Owen quickly. I need him to understand I’m in this. It’s not a game or a fling to me. “Because Thalia’s your sister. I know exactly how you feel about guys from the team hitting on her. I wanted to tell you, but it didn’t seem worth it unless I knew it’d last.”
“And you’re my best friend. I can admit I wasn’t happy when I saw you guys kissing at that party before she left, but I thought you would say something. You had that fight and never mentioned Thalia, so I assumed it was over,” Owen explains, sighing dramatically. “Look, I don’t care if you guys are together as long as you’re both happy. When you’re not together, you’re miserable to be around.” That’s the best blessing I could have hoped for.
My fingers tap nervously on the steering wheel. “Thank you. I know I’ve been an ass the past few days, and I’m sorry.”
Owen clearly finds how I’ve been acting funny. “You think? Dude, you don’t even want to know who the guys in the locker room have been comparing you to, and I can’t blame them. You, a Heisman nominee, let a girl get your panties in such a twist it started affecting your game? My only option was to force you guys to talk.”
“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” I didn’t think I was that bad. Okay, maybe I was.
“You might want to buy a round of drinks next time we all go out. Even the coaches noticed something was up with you. Coach C asked, and I said it was something with Mimi. If he asks about her, that’s why.”
I know Thalia is worth it, but I’m going to hell for dating my best friend’s sister.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I say, remembering that I need to see Mimi again this week. I wonder if it would be a good day for Thalia to go with me, but I also don’t want to make her sad seeing Mimi like that.I know I need to start having conversations about the severity of Mimi’s condition with the Lewises, starting with Owen.
Owen manages to fill the lull in conversation. “What did Thalia mean when she said about the last time she let a guy in?” Of course, he caught that. Owen apparently sees and hears everything.
I hesitate, unsure of what to say. “It was about her ex. Some guy from France.” She’s going to kill me.
He stares at me in disbelief, “Lia never said anything about a guy while she was there.”
“I don’t know, Owen. It’s not my place to say anything. I’d suggest not asking unless you want to be hit in the face.” I’ve learned my lesson. I will not be bringing Louis up ever again.
I pull into the first spot I see, ending the conversation. I shiver, getting out of the car, stopping at the trunk for my spare jacket that isn’t there because I gave it to Thalia on Halloween—the things I do for that girl. I guess I’m cold today.
“Did you open that for a reason?”
“I was looking for my jacket, but I guess I took it out and forgot to put it back. Oh well.” I shrug, and he smirks at me.
“You gave it to Thalia, didn’t you?” he correctly assumes, and I roll my eyes to try to play it off.
“Are you wanting a ride back to the apartment after our classes, or do you feel like walking home?”
Owen looks at me as if I’m crazy. “I have no interest in being in that apartment after our classes. I made plans with Blake for lunch, just in case everything went the way I expected it to. You’re a goddamn simp, Bash. Chris is going to have a field day when I tell him she’s already started stealing your shit.”
I roll my eyes and shove my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants as I walk in the opposite direction to get to my class. Even though I’m cold, I can’t help but smile because I got the girl.
~
“Bash?” Thalia’s voice whispers, and I groan, hugging her tighter. “Sebastian,” she sings lightly, and I groan. I’m not ready to get up. I want to stay here forever.
“Go back to sleep. I have the day off,” I mumble, tucking my face into the crook of her neck.
She combs her fingers through my hair. “There are no days off.”
“Thalia, sleep. Please.”
“I have a surprise,” she continues, and the thought that comes to mind immediately is enough for me to lift my head. It’s still dark outside my window, which tells me I’m right to protest getting up. “Oh good, you are awake.”
“Well, yeah, you woke me up. Give me a moment to wake up fully, and I’ll make it worth your while,” I say, kissing her gently. It’s wild how fast my life has changed. It’s not even light outside, and I’m willing to get up because Thalia asked.
Lia pulls back after a moment. “Bash, we’re not having sex, but it’s good to know that thinking we will can successfully wake you up,” she teases, and my jaw drops as I flop onto my back.
“You’re mean.”
“I am mean,” Thalia agrees, patting my chest before sliding out of the bed. “Get ready; I’d suggest warm clothes. We’re leaving in ten minutes.” The door shuts behind her, and I sit up, rubbing a hand over my face. What fucking time is it?
After stumbling into clothes that I hope meet the criteria for whatever Thalia has planned, I walk into the kitchen, frowning when I see on the clock it’s not even five in the morning. I don’t even have to get up this early for morning weights.
Thalia beams at me when she sees me standing there, making it worth getting up to see how happy she is. She has a fuzzy hat on and is packing up her camera bag. “Before you freak about what time it is, I made you coffee to go.” Lia smiles hopefully, holding a thermos up.I can’t tell Thalia no with her looking at me that way. I don’t know if I could tell her no in general because she has me wrapped around her finger.
A smile tugs at my lips, and I accept her peace offering. “Are you sure we can’t go back to sleep?”
She grabs my keys off the counter and walks toward the front door. “Positive! If you want to, I’ll let you sleep in the car.”
I clutch the thermos like it’s my life support, following Thalia out to my car as I do my best not to fall down the stairs. I sit in the passenger seat, which is something I might have to get used to if she keeps stealing my keys. I like to drive. It’s one of my control issues that I can’t let go of, but I didn’t even protest when Thalia climbed in the driver’s seat. I try to close my eyes, but Thalia makes it impossible with her screeching.
She has many skills and talents, but singing isn’t one of them. “Did you know you couldn’t sing?” I say after listening to her belt to the classic rock station playing.
“What are you talking about? I’m great,” Thalia protests. I smile watching her drum on the steering wheel as if it’s her drum kit.
“Maybe at night, or if everyone is drunk?”
“Oh please. Go back to sleep if you’re going to be rude.”
“You’re the one that woke me up at such an ungodly hour,” I retort, looking out the window. “Can you tell me why we’re awake even though the sun isn’t?”
“It’s a surprise. Besides, I woke you up nicely,” Thalia says, peeking over at me.
“You tricked me!”
“You made an incorrect assumption! How is that my fault?”
I fall silent because Lia definitely could have just shoved me awake. I might have preferred that. “How are you functioning?”
“Because I’m used to never sleeping,” she says it like it’s not a big deal.
I’m a night owl because my brain refuses to turn off, and my dreams are plagued with nightmares of the night my parents died. I was in the car with them and was the only one to walk away from the accident. Sometimes, not sleeping is better than hearing the sound of my mother screaming as the car flipped.
I shove the thought to the back of my mind, refusing to let memories I’m not sure are real ruin this moment Thalia is excited about.
“Hey, Lia?” I ask, looking over at her.
“What’s up?” She reaches over to intertwine our fingers, without taking her eyes off the road.I bring them up to my mouth, kissing the back of her hand briefly.
“Tell me about France. Why do you like it there so much?”
I want to think about something happy, and when Thalia talks about France, her happiness is infectious.
In the darkness, I spot the faint outlines of a smile on her face, thanks to the dashboard lights. I can’t believe I’m letting her drive my car when I can. “I love it. Every part of it. The food is better than anything you can imagine. There’s history everywhere you go, and it’s beautiful: the buildings, the language, and the scenery.” Thalia’s smile grows as she reminisces. “Everyone there smokes, but you get used to it. I never joined in, but I actually miss the smell of it.”
“We’ll have to go someday,” I say, inadvertently thinking far ahead in the future. I half expect Thalia to freak out at my mention of the future, but for once, she doesn’t.
“I’d like that. You’ll have your own personal tour guide,” she says, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “My favorite place is the Jura Mountains. I didn’t get to go this last time, but I wish I had. They’re just…stunning. I can’t get over how untouched everything is up there. The last time I made a trip to the mountains, I got a few shots of the wild horses that roam there. I thought I’d print a copy for you to take to Mimi next time you go.”
And it might be in this moment, hearing Lia talk about finding something she thought Mimi might enjoy, I realize I might be falling in love with her.I don’t give a shit if it’s too soon. I’ve had feelings for Thalia for years.
I sit there and listen to her tell stories of things that have happened in Paris, and other than Penelope visiting, I realize I know almost nothing about her time there. The angry part of me used to think Thalia was a spoiled brat for taking college for granted, but does she need it? Thalia was just flown across the ocean for her talent. It sounds like a career to me.
Whenever I found her name in the occasional National Geographic magazine I’d pick up at the store, I’d frame it. I would always tell Owen that his mom sent them for us to hang up, and thankfully, he never thought to ask about it.
We drove into the entrance of the state park I picked Thalia up from when Owen’s truck broke down on her a while ago. After pulling off and parking near an entrance, Thalia grabs a water bottle and hangs her camera around her neck. “You ready?” she asks giddily, and her joy is infectious.
“Can’t wait.”
It feels like we hike forever, and I’d be lying if I said my legs weren’t sore from practice last night. But as the sky slowly starts to brighten, I have enough light to look up from watching every step I take to enjoy the nice view of Thalia’s ass in front of me.
Except, I missed a root sticking out of the ground and tripped, crashing to the ground. Lia jumps, startled by my clumsiness. She covers her mouth, laughing happily as I climb off the hard ground. “I can’t believe I have to ask this, but please stop staring at my ass so you can try to focus on where you’re walking. It will not be my fault if you get a sprained ankle and can’t play in your next game.”
“That’s a hard ask, but I will do my best.” I brush the dirt off my jeans, not regretting my choice of where to look for a second.
“We’re almost there. I promise it’s worth it.” Thalia smiles mischievously. “Plus, weren’t you angling for an invite to go hiking with me a while back?”
I definitely was. “Can’t seem to recall that.” I play it off, which only causes her smile to grow.
She takes a drink from her water bottle before passing it to me. “Do you remember coming out here right after finals my sophomore year?”
“Yeah, it was before Owen and I committed to Duke.” It was a few weeks before Grandpa died right after my birthday. That whole summer feels like a daze. My priorities were football and Mimi. I ignore the grief, threatening to shove its way through the wall I put it behind. Grandpa wouldn’t want me to be sad about him. He lived a good life, and I learned a lot from him. “Are we going all the way?” I ask, vaguely remembering this hike is long only because I think I carried Thalia part of the way.
“That’s what she said.” Lia giggles, and I roll my eyes. “If you’re implying the trail, then no, we’re going off trail just past that tree.” There are so many trees that I’m not sure what particular one she is pointing at, but I nod anyway. Thalia steps closer to me to get her water back, stealing a kiss. “Now, if you’re implying sex, we’ll have to see about your attitude on the way home. You were awfully crabby earlier.”
My jaw drops in disbelief. “Because it wasn’t even five, Thalia!”
She intertwined her fingers with mine, pulling me along to the tree I guess Lia was pointing at. “Suck it up, buttercup.” She leads me through branches, coughing to cover up her laugh when one smacks me in the face. We step out onto an outlook, and I’m a little skeptical she might push me over the edge. I think it’s an excellent spot to hide a body.
The first ray of sunlight peeks over the mountain, and I understand why Thalia got us up at the crack of dawn. I hear the short clicks of her camera. “It’s like the sun knew we were coming,” she says, smiling and taking a seat on a rock.
“When did you find this place?”
She watches the horizon with a peaceful look on her face. My knees crack as I lower myself to sit next to Thalia, draping my arm over her shoulders. “Mimi and I found it hiking in eighth grade. She swore it was our secret place. It’s my favorite place to think and the best place to see the sunrise. I’ve never been with anyone else, so you better feel special.”
“Never?” I ask as she lifts her camera again to take more photographs of the valley. I should have told her sooner about Mimi. It wasn’t fair of me to keep it from her.
“Nope. I never had someone I cared enough about to share my favorite spot with,” Thalia says, lowering her camera to look up at me with emerald eyes. She has a splash of faint freckles over her nose that aren’t visible unless you’re up close.
I kiss her temple, holding her as the sky starts to brighten. “How often do you come here?”
Thalia leans into me, her body at ease. “Not as much as I’d like to. The last time I came here was after I hit you. By the way, I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have done it. I will warn you that the birds and trees listened to me rant about how mad I was at you. I’d be careful, Sebastian Walker. It’s a long way down, and who knows what angry birds will do after the things I told them,” she jokes, and I can’t help laughing.
“You’re something else. I’m glad you brought me here. I think I agree it was worth it.”
Thalia pulls out her phone, holding it out in front of us. “Smile, I don’t have any of us.” I smile without protesting as she snaps the first selfie, surprising Lia as I kiss her for the second one. Thalia caught me entirely by surprise when I noticed how she wasn’t just Owen’s little sister anymore. I never imagined that we’d be sitting like this someday or that Mimi and Lia’s mom were trying to get us together in the first place.
We sit there long after the sun rises, and Lia takes plenty of pictures while I sit in silence, watching Thalia do her thing. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right next to her.