Chapter 22 Livy #2
“All that pitiful research you were doing and you never even came close, did you?” He scoffs like he actually hates me.
“My father, or I guess I should say our father, was obsessed with your mother just like that fool over there is with you.” I don’t interrupt Nathan to tell him that Ronan is obsessed with any girl who won’t sleep with him, because he might just snap my neck.
“I’m an only child,” I cough out the words because he’s squeezing so tight.
“Wrong,” he barks. “Your mother got pregnant by my father, and that weak bitch you thought was your father tried to protect her when she left my father. He raised you as his own, but you and I share the same father.” I don’t believe him. That makes no sense. Why wouldn’t they tell me?
“My mother wouldn’t have dated someone so vile, you’re lying,” I tell him, because I refuse to believe that.
“Oh, you sweet, naive little girl,” he says, laughing again. “They didn’t date. He owned her and she couldn’t accept that. His dying wish was for you to join them in the afterlife. I’m here to fulfill his legacy. You’re a tricky little bitch to track down and even harder to get alone.”
I can’t focus on the things he’s saying. I need to stay as calm as possible. I’m not going to die this way. I have to find out the truth, and I know Nathan is lying.
“Let me go,” I say when he gets me to the pavilion. He said we share the same blood, but I have a feeling with the way he keeps glancing at my chest that he’s not above assaulting me before he kills me.
I’m proven right when he moves forward quickly, inhaling the scent of my hair and making a gross moaning sound. I seize the opportunity and lift my hand holding the key and jam it into his ear as hard as possible.
He screams, stumbling back and holding his now bloody ear. “You fucking bitch!” He lunges at me, but I’ve got the pepper spray out and push down, watching it cover his face. It gets in his eyes and open mouth.
I only take time to rip the strappy heels off my feet and I take off running up to the main walkway.
“Fuck!” is all I hear and the sounds of what sounds like someone being beat up. I look over my shoulder and realize that Sebastian had been running down the opposite side of the grass, and he’s now on top of Nathan.
Nathan barely has time to turn his head before Sebastian’s fist connects with his jaw again. The crack of it makes me sick to my stomach.
I realize that a group of people is headed our way and I’m about to run down and try to get Sebastian off of him because I don’t want him to get in trouble. He’s going to kill him, and that’s perfectly fine with me, but I don’t want him to get caught and end up in trouble for helping me.
Then Juniper yells my name and pulls out of Kalen’s arms to run toward me. I realize it’s the two of them, Riven, Lakynn and Miranda who are walking with a limping Ronan by her side.
Where is Jeremy?
I glance around, but there's no sight of him, and then Juniper is wrapping her arms around me. “Are you okay? Oh my God, we were so worried when we couldn’t find you. Ronan of all fucking people pointed out where you were.”
“I’m okay, I’m fine, just shaken up,” I tell her.
Sebastian doesn’t acknowledge either Riven or Kalen as they approach him. His entire focus is on Nathan’s seemingly lifeless body.
“He’s dead,” Riven says coldly, but Sebastian kicks Nathan in the ribs hard enough to make his body jerk.
“Fucking piece of shit,” I hear him grind out before he kicks Nathan one last time. “I told you not to touch what’s mine.”
Then Sebastian turns toward me. He's breathing heavily, and Juniper seems to sense what I’m thinking because she lets go of me.
I take off running barefoot across the grass, and he’s all I see.
I jump and he lifts me with synchronicity that it’s like we read each other’s minds.
My legs wrap around his waist and his hand comes down to my ass, holding my dress down so I don’t moon all of our friends.
I bury my face in his neck, and he holds me so tightly against him it feels like he’s going to fuse our ribs together.
“I’m so sorry I went to that party. I was just so mad at you and—” I start, but his hand is in my hair, tipping my head back and kissing me deeply, slowly, reverently, like this one meeting our mouths will solve everything that happened tonight.
When we part, he says quietly, “I know what happened. It’s not your fault, baby.
I should have told you about the cameras.
We’ll talk about it later, but I won’t apologize for installing them.
I am not going to lose you,” his voice is hoarse, I think from the rage that was pumping through his veins not even minutes ago.
“You did so good. I watched you fight him when I was trying to get to you. I’m so proud of you,” he says, and I can feel the pain seeping out of his tone.
I reach up and touch his face, “Thank you for looking for me. Who knows if he would have caught up to me if you hadn’t…” I trail off because his thumb brushes across my jaw.
“I would find you in every lifetime,” he tells me, leaning forward to kiss me again. It’s less frantic this time, like he’s kissing me to try and regulate his breathing, to calm himself down.
I glance over his shoulder.
And freeze. Holy shit, he really does have a twin brother.
Standing nearby is the off-brand Sebastian I screamed at earlier today, and his girlfriend has her hand wrapped around his bicep. She looks so worried, but she gives me a reassuring smile as if to say we’re all good.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to Sebastian’s brother.
Sebastian groans in annoyance. “Don’t apologize to him.
Tristan needs to get screamed at every once in a while.
Winter inflates his ego way too much.” This makes Winter glower at Sebastian and reach up to stroke Tristan’s face gently.
Tristan on the other hand…his expression doesn’t change.
He looks bored until Winter lets go of his arm and takes a step toward Sebastian.
He visibly frowns at the loss of contact, which is funny to me for some reason.
Sebastian visibly winces like he knows what’s coming.
“All of this is your fault, you moody, broody jackass,” Winter says, pointing directly at him. “You put cameras in her room and I told you that was a bad idea.”
“I-”
“You didn’t tell her you have a twin because you were worried about being her favorite stalker of the bunch and it slipped your mind,” she adds sharply, but then her tone shifts to one of soft sympathy. “And I can only assume she was crushed when she saw ‘you’ with me.”
Tristan groans loudly and tilts his head back, and pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “I should have taken you out in the womb,” he mutters. “I’d be on a nice vacation right about now with no one around except for my wife.”
Winter blushes, a smile spreading across her pretty face as she wraps her slender fingers around his big bicep again. He instantly relaxes, and I think it’s really sweet how they are together.
I shift in Sebastian’s hold because I just now realize that I’m still in his arms, but he just pulls me closer, unwilling to set me down on my own feet.
My eyes follow Riven and Kalen as they walk around us silently. Kalen grabs one of Nathan’s legs and Riven grabs the opposite arm. With ease, they haul him away from the pavilion into the darkness.
“Where are…” I start, but Sebastian leans forward and kisses my forehead.
“The less you know about what happens after this the better,” he says. “I’ll catch up with them tomorrow. I’m not leaving you for one second tonight.”
Relief floods through my entire body at his words, and the magical moment is broken by Sebastian’s twin.
“I’m bored,” Tristan says flatly. “We’re leaving.”
He scoops Winter up with one arm like it's something he does often, her arms looping around his neck automatically.
“Call me if you’re dying,” he adds dryly. “And no other reason.”
“Thanks for the help, fucker,” Sebastian says, grinning, and I realize that they must have stayed around to help him find me.
“It was nice meeting you,” Winter calls over Tristan’s shoulder. “Come visit us when you get settled!”
“Or don’t, we have phones for a reason,” Tristan says, and she grabs his chin in her hand, making him look at her. Instead of arguing, I watch as he kisses her sweetly and carries her off to wherever they’re going.
I notice Ronan with Miranda and Juniper still over in the grass, and it looks like Miranda has his shirt lifted, inspecting his injuries. Juniper is on her phone, and I wonder if she’s talking to Jeremy since he’s nowhere to be found.
I feel bad that Ronan got hurt, I really do, but not bad enough to ever be alone with him for any reason.
Sebastian shifts my weight in his arms, using his palm to pull me closer to him. When I look up into his eyes, his expression shifts completely.
“I would never be with another girl,” he says quietly.
“I’m so sorry you thought that, but I want you to know that there has never been and there never will be another woman.
” The sincerity in his voice catches me off guard, and he continues by saying, “I need you to know that you’ve been it for me for the last decade. ”
I blink.
Decade?
“There hasn’t been one singular other person who’s ever had my attention other than you.”
I don’t have time to process any of this because Sebastian isn’t finished with his thoughts on our relationship.
“I know you were upset about the cameras. And I am honestly sorry for hurting you. I never want to be the reason you’re sad. But I have good news, you don’t have to worry about that happening again,” he says calmly.
I stare into his eyes, very confused and kind of in shock. I’ve been choked out, told my father isn’t really my father, and then watched my boyfriend beat someone to death. “Because you’re going to live with me from now on.”
And with that, Sebastian turns and starts carrying me straight toward the main walkway, and that’s when I see his bike parked haphazardly next to two others.