Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LILY
A Few Weeks Later
“Okay, if Thanksgiving is this bloody delicious, why aren’t we doing it every year?” Harry asked as we all pulled on our coats.
“Actually, we used to, and I believe it was the English that introduced it in North America,” I told him as I fumbled over a coat button.
“How so?”
“Thanksgiving was important during the English Reformation.”
At his blank look, I continued, “During the reign of Henry VIII.”
“Is he an ancestor of yours, then?” Maddie asked Sebastian.
He shot her a droll look.
Harry crossed the room to me. “You’re telling me we started Thanksgiving but stopped while the North Americans continued the tradition?”
“It evolved in North America from what it was, but aye.”
“How do you know this?”
I turned to Sebastian to find him smiling fondly at me as he tied a scarf around his neck.
“Lily is a sponge,” Sierra offered. “Anything she reads, she soaks right up.”
“Well, I vote we petition the government to bring it back.” Harry patted his stomach. “That was delicious, Sierra, thank you.”
“I had help from my girlies. And Sebastian.”
Sebastian bowed his head comically.
Because Sierra could only afford to return to the US at Christmas every year, it meant she missed out on Thanksgiving with her family.
Maddie and I had surprised her in our first year with a Thanksgiving dinner.
The following years, Sierra organized it.
Sometimes we invited fellow Americans to join us.
This year, we’d invited Sebastian, Harry, Zac, and Shaun.
I’d also invited Jan, but she was hard at work on a project for one of her fashion courses.
The dinner came at a good time because we were all gearing up for exams. Needing a wee break, we’d organized the dinner and everyone bought tickets to The Stand, a legendary comedy club. They were doing a Thanksgiving special with four US standup comedians.
We all piled out of our flat, bellies too full from our feast. Even though it was a thirty-minute walk from Leven Street to York Place, we all decided we needed to walk off the turkey and plethora of sides we’d inhaled at dinner.
Sebastian fell into step beside me, and we chatted about our current workload for a bit. Then I asked, “How’s Juno?” I hadn’t seen her in weeks.
“The gallery in Edinburgh changed their minds about her pottery collection.”
Disappointed for her, I said so.
“The truth is she’s doing wonderfully well selling them herself. And she doesn’t have to pay fifty percent commission to a gallery to do it. I think it’s the prestige thing, though. I think she feels people might take her seriously if she’s in galleries.”
“That doesn’t sound like Juno.”
“My sister is very good at putting on a front, making people think nothing bothers her. But she has her own insecurities.”
I thought about that. “Jan’s the same. When we were kids, she was more open about her vulnerabilities, but as we got older, she started to hide them more.
I often wondered if it was because I was so sensitive and she felt she needed to be strong for me.
” And I’d always felt guilty at the thought.
I was her big sister. Not the other way around.
“I don’t think you’re overly sensitive at all. I think you’re very pragmatic.”
“Maybe now.” Experience had thickened my skin. “But when we were kids, I was always getting my feelings hurt. But … Jan’s like Juno. The insecurities are there. I once caught her crying reading the book A Thousand Boy Kisses.”
Sebastian grinned. “A tearjerker?”
“The biggest. I’m going to make you read it.”
“Add it to my now never-ending Tbr,” he replied drolly. It was true. I’d successfully converted Sebastian into a romance fan.
I glanced up to make sure our friends were far enough ahead. “How are things with your mum and dad?”
We’d been so busy with school lately that our interactions were usually quick lunches at Teviot or dinner with our friends. We hadn’t had the time or privacy for me to ask.
Sebastian scowled at the pavement as we walked. “No different, I’m afraid. Did I tell you a girl my mum contacted ambushed me coming out of my steel structures lecture?”
Horrified on multiple levels, I shook my head. “You never said.”
“Poppy Danvers. Daughter of a viscount. Prelaw. Very pretty. According to my mother, perfect for me.”
My heart plummeted. “Oh?”
He grimaced. “I have no idea what my mother said to that poor girl, but she seemed convinced we were a sure thing. She also was not amused when I made it clear we were not.”
Relief shook me. “Oh dear.” I sounded a little too breathless. Clearing my throat, I said, “I hope she wasn’t too put out.”
“Oh, I think I’m definitely on her shitlist. Fourth year is hard enough … my mother is being so selfish doing stuff like this. I’m honestly considering not going home for Christmas.”
“Really?”
He sighed heavily. “I say it, but I don’t mean it. I can’t leave Juno to them.”
“Well, you and Juno are welcome at my house over Christmas if you find you need to escape.”
Sebastian cut me a tender smile. “Thanks, Sawyer.” He nudged me with his elbow. “How’s your family doing? How’s Beth and Mr. Keen?”
I laughed. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been a chance to introduce Sebastian to his football hero yet.
“I think they’re doing well. She seems really happy.
The rest of my family are the same. Busy.
I haven’t seen them in a while because of school.
At least I get to catch moments with Mum at the library. ”
We chatted more about our family and then suddenly we were on York Place, entering the club.
Sebastian insisted on buying my drink and Zac did a valiant job of securing a table for all of us.
It was at the back, but I was thankful because the very thought of being picked on by a comedian made my insides shrivel up.
Coats and scarves off, we settled around the table.
I was at the edge with Sebastian on my other side.
I scanned the crowded club, people-watching as I often did. That’s how I found him.
Standing at the bar, sipping on a pint. There was a petite brunette with him.
“Lily? You all right?” Sebastian asked in my ear.
But I was frozen.
My gut twisted and my chest tightened as the good-looking, dark-haired bloke I couldn’t take my eyes off suddenly caught me staring.
Recognition lit his face. Then the psychopath raised his pint to me with a hard smirk curling the corners of his mouth.
I looked away from him, staring stonily ahead, suddenly lost in memories I’d rather cast out into Dumbledore’s pensieve than have festering inside me.
“Lily.” Sebastian curled his hand around my wrist, and I reluctantly looked at him.
He sucked in a breath at whatever he saw on my face. He peered past me to the bar. “Who is that bloke?”
I shook my head, tone brittle. “No one.”
His eyes flared but thankfully, the house lights went down as the comedians took the stage.
I couldn’t concentrate on their sketch. I was wholly aware of the man at the bar, and I didn’t want to look at him, but I needed to be alert in case he approached me. Needed my armor up.
Staring in stony silence, I heard my friends laugh all around me.
Except Sebastian.
I sensed his tension at my side.
However, I could do nothing to snap myself out of my panicked stupor.
I wanted to leave.
Yet I knew that would give the bastard satisfaction of knowing how much he still affected me.
Instead, I stayed put out of stubbornness, but I was so bloody thankful when the house lights went back up again.
“Let’s go grab another drink somewhere else.” Harry bumped Sierra playfully as we stood outside the comedy club.
She nodded. “Sure, I’m up for it.”
“We’re going to head back,” Maddie said, leaning into Shaun.
“Yeah, I’m actually done in.” Zac scrubbed a hand over his face. “Think I ate too much.”
We laughed at that because we all had.
“Lily? Bas?” Sierra asked.
“Lily and I are going for a walk,” Sebastian said before I could respond.
“Okay. Just us, then.” Sierra threaded her arm through Harry’s and they waved goodbye as they headed down York Place toward Queen Street. There were a bunch of bars in New Town where they could grab a drink.
“Who wants to place a bet that they’ll sleep together tonight?” Zac snorted.
“I’ll take that bet. Twenty that they do.” Maddie grinned slyly.
Shaun chuckled. “You know something, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “Sierra might fancy Harry. She might have suggested to me that she’d like to get him out of her system.”
Zac whistled. “Lucky Harry. Well, it’s not a fair bet, then, if we know it’s a sure thing.”
Maddie zeroed in on me suddenly. “Are you all right, Lily?”
“I’m fine.” My tone was flat even to my ears.
My friend narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure?” She scrutinized Sebastian with a frown. “You can walk back with Shaun and me.”
Not wanting her to think my problem was with Sebastian, I waved her off. “I’m good.” Even though I knew I was about to be interrogated by my best friend.
A few minutes later we were all going our separate ways.
“Where are we walking?” I queried as I fell into step beside Sebastian.
“We’re just walking. And talking. Who the hell was that, Lily? The bloke at the bar. Did he do something to you?”
The fierceness of his expression bordered on murderous.
“His name is Christian. Chris.” Just saying his name made me shudder. I wrapped my arms around my waist.
Sebastian waited quietly if not impatiently for me to continue.
“I haven’t told anyone about him. Only Jan knows, but after the fact. And my cousin Luke.”
“What happened?”
“I didn’t always used to be this self-conscious, you know.
” Bitterness filled my tone, and I hated it.
I hated that Chris had that power over me.
“I grew up with a family that told me I was beautiful all the time. I didn’t have much of an ego about it, but I was also pretty laid-back about my appearance.
Like it wasn’t something I had to be overly concerned about. ”