Chapter 16 #2
Get yourself together, I thought. Sebastian knew exactly what he was doing. Despite agreeing that we couldn’t repeat last night’s activity, he seemed happy to resume his usual lusty gazes and suggestive comments. This man was a true terror. He knew exactly how to torture me, and he loved doing it.
“I would’ve thought that after last night, all of this would be done,” I said.
“All of what?” He smirked. “I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to.”
“You know exactly what I’m referring to.” I jabbed my pointer finger into his chest. “It’s the sex eyes and the flirting and the suggestive remarks.” His only reaction was a quirk of the brow. “Don’t play dumb, Sebastian.”
Slowly, he leaned forward until our faces were mere inches from one another. “You’re the one who swore off sex with me after I gave you the best orgasm of your life. If anyone’s playing dumb, it’s you.”
My breath hitched, pulse jumping. “Sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“You’re desperate for me, Grace. Just as desperate as I am for you. Once you realize that, I’m happy to fuck you somewhere other than a locker room. Though I’m not picky about the location.”
Sebastian turned to leave, but I reached out to stop him. It was impossible to ignore the shock of energy that traveled through my palm the moment we touched.
“That’s never going to happen again.”
He looked me dead in the eye and said, “If that’s what you really want.”
Without another word, Sebastian set off across the rink.
My heart raced as I watched his form grow smaller and smaller until he disappeared into the locker room.
Despite the sleepless night, I felt wide awake.
The fog around my brain had started to clear, and a new realization took form.
Sebastian was the kind of all-consuming that could make you forget about everything else.
My only hope was a winter break detox. The distance would help clear my head; it would allow me time to focus on fixing things with my sister.
I couldn’t let myself become distracted by a boy, not when I was trying to repair one of the most important relationships in my life, and not when he held the power to break me.
>> > > <<
Later that night, after finishing off a bottle of wine and watching Elf, I found myself lying awake next to Sam, listening to the soft sounds of her snoring.
Even the alcohol hadn’t helped me fall asleep.
I pushed off the blankets and slid out of the bed.
Before I even knew where I was going, my feet stopped in front of Gabby’s room.
I pressed my ear against her door and held my breath, listening for a sign that she was awake.
After several long seconds of silence, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The room was dark save for a thin strip of moonlight that spilled from a part in her curtains.
Gabby was asleep with her headphones in.
I could her the faint hum of her music in the silence.
She was just like me when it came to being trapped inside her head.
Slowly, I lowered myself into her bed and scooted up beside her.
She shifted as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest.
“What the hell,” she mumbled, blinking open her sleep-heavy eyes.
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I tightened my hold around her and pulled her even closer to my chest. She used to sneak into my bed all the time growing up, usually after a bad dream or during a thunderstorm.
“Grace, get off of me,” she huffed, though she made little effort to push me away.
“I miss you,” I said, closing my eyes and willing myself to remember the days when she would beg to have a sleepover in my room.
Gabby didn’t say anything for a while. I was afraid to move, scared that any sudden shift would have her huffing at me to get out, but it never came. I nearly cried the next time she spoke.
“If you steal the blankets, I’m kicking you out.”
That night, just for the briefest of moments, I felt like I had my little sister back.