15. 13.
13.
Sebastian
“Oh, you definitely got more handsome since you became the most eligible bachelor in America.”
The familiar taunting makes me open a big smile as I go down the stairs to find Maverick right in the middle of the crew’s mess.
“I've always been the most eligible bachelor,” I reply.
He laughs, throwing his head up in that way he did since we were kids. The sight calms me. I can’t stop thinking about Callie, and she’s again missing. I was sure I was going to see her again once I left London, but Callie is avoiding me and she’s good at it.
Maverick gives me a half hug, patting me on the back. His smile is ridiculously big, and it hits me how much I need this right now. Bea was great, but there were twelve years between us, and for most of my life I tried to protect her. Now that she’s an adult, I’m excited to get to know her and build a relationship away from my parents, but as it is, it’s no rival to my relationship with Maverick.
He knows my family well, even though Mother didn't think it was seemly to keep him as a friend. He saw hurt, but he chose to smile every single day. He knows me so well that after only a glimpse, a frown comes to his forehead.
“What’s going on?”
I turn around and like every day of The Final Rose , there’s crew walking in all directions, talking loudly and making it impossible to have a private conversation.
As much as I got used to their comings and goings, I couldn’t talk about any of my doubts without being overheard.
“Let’s go for a ride.” I nod toward the door.
“A ride?” Maverick makes a face.
“Come on, you can’t possibly forget how to horseback ride.”
He scoffs, finally moving on his feet, not before murmuring. “Oh, my bollocks.”
As I imagined, Maverick knows how to ride, if I’m to ignore all the complaining he’s determined to do. By the time we reach the back of the property on our horses, where no crew risked going yet, I heard all I never wanted to know about his Crown Jewels .
“Callie,” I interrupt another long-winded sentence about his balls. “The producer.”
“Oh, yes. Tell me about young Callie.”
“We kissed.” As I say out loud, I almost doubt if it really happened. I was drunk. It was quick, and she left me even quicker.
“And I’m only asking because I like to be meticulous, you know? But Callie is not a contestant?”
“No. Callie is the producer.” I take a deep breath and trot the horse.
Maverick’s horse follows the pace I set. “You’re not supposed to kiss the producers, mate. Isn’t an all-you-can-eat buffet over here.”
“I swear I’ll shred your balls, Maverick–”
“Little Star here is already going for it. Don’t worry.” He moves unstable on the back of the poor horse but finally sobers up. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
I try to be clinical about it, so I tell him the events, the facts.
Fact: I brought Callie to meet Bea.
Fact: We were drunk.
Fact: We kissed, and she’s yet to talk to me about it.
And of all the threads I thought Maverick was going to follow, once more he surprises me. “Why did you invite Callie to meet Bea?”
I frown at him, looking back, but face ahead quickly. “I thought they would get on.”
He chuckles. “That house is crawling with a crew. You’ve been dating twelve women at the same time for the last several–”
“People should stop saying I’m dating them all. It’s not like that.”
“It’s exactly like that. You have a little group situation going on. You’re friendly with many people, aren’t you?”
I roll my shoulders back. “I’m a charismatic man.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’re extra charming with her.”
I slice him a look that, of course, infuses no heat. “Mate, you liked her way before the kiss.” He finally reaches his point. “You brought her to meet your family. I think I brought Fael home after a year together. Mostly because I felt bad to subject them to him.”
“You introduced me to Fael on your third date.” I kindly remind him. “It was a very awkward affair.”
“Oh well, it’s better to keep them on their toes.”
I can’t start going through Maverick’s attempts to keep his husband on his toes, so I’m silent for a bit.
The horses go around the property in a rehearsed fashion, and while I only suggested the ride to be away from wandering ears, I’m happy we got out.
My favorite childhood memories happened on these grounds. Whether my mother and father were with us or not, I always spent the entire duration of the summer holidays in this house. I loved it so much, my father gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday. At first, I thought it was a silly present. The house was in the family, anyway. There was no reason to attach my name to it. But now, with my forced removal from the Riggs, I’m glad the only thing I loved about that life is intact.
“How is she ignoring you?”
I come back to myself with Maverick’s voice. “Not ignoring. Avoiding. She left London to come here, but now I have no idea where she is.”
“Do you think she’s back in the States?”
I turn to him quickly, a frown on my forehead. “I didn’t even consider that.”
Maverick whistles. “That’s what I would do if my job was hanging by a thread.”
Another blow I didn’t see coming. “Her job isn’t hanging by a thread,” I say firmly.
“Sebastian.” The way he says my name irritates me to no end.
The good thing about old friends is that they know you. The bad thing about old friends is that they fucking know you.
“This has nothing to do with her job,” I try again.
“Ok, sure, let’s be delusional for a hot second here.” He says theatrically. “What exactly are you planning to say to her?”
“When I see her?”
He only makes a gesture with his hand so I can go ahead.
Trying not to look in his direction, I start. “I’m going to ask her what she thought about the kiss.”
“Sure, a survey is always important.”
“Maverick…” I start.
“Sorry, go on.”
“And then I will let my feelings known.”
“Your feelings?”
“That I’m thrilled about the kiss.”
“A lovely lukewarm feeling.”
I throw my hands in the air. “What exactly do you want from me? We only kissed once!”
“Hey, I’m not trying to attack you here. But it’s a kiss that shouldn’t have ever happened. It’s a kiss that can jeopardize her work–”
I open my mouth to disagree, but he’s ahead of me, raising a palm before I even let a word out. “You can look at this at any angle, Sebastian, but it comes back to her work. You signed a contract to finish this season. She’s one of the people who is here to make sure you fall in love with another woman.”
I stop my horse, facing him with an edge to my jaw. “Are you saying it’s doomed?”
“Not even I am that dramatic.” He arches an eyebrow. “But maybe it’s good she isn’t here. You need to cool off and think about the consequences. I’m the first to say fuck the consequences, mate, but don’t go off on a lukewarm feeling, huh?”