Chapter Seven
We finally made it out of Halle’s apartment that afternoon after a shower where I spent most of the time fucking her against the tile while the water cascaded around us.
This day used to make us feel vulnerable, weak, and broken.
Like two people who couldn’t figure out how not to let this tragedy become their story.
We still felt vulnerable, but it was like being in this space together somehow shielded us from the pain that we lived with every day.
We’d become insatiable, and that hasn’t waned over the years.
It’s midday on a Friday in October, so a number of people are at the rooftop bar ready to unwind after a long week.
It can’t be more than seventy-five degrees, with a light breeze making for the perfect day for a beer outside in New York.
“You come here often?” I tease her with a nudge of my leg against hers under the table, and she stares at me from over her glass and rolls her eyes before taking a sip.
“You stalk my location enough, don’t you know?
” she asks, followed by a grin. When I raise an eyebrow at her, a sign that means I’m not going to answer her sassy-ass question, she continues, “Sometimes after class, some of us will come here.” I pan my eyes over the space, taking in all the high-top tables and various couches spread throughout, before turning back to meet her gaze.
But her eyes aren’t on me. She’s staring at something behind me, an irritated look all over her face, and then her eyes flit to mine before she lets out a sigh.
“Okay, please do not fly off the handle and get super territorial and possessive. They know you’re my stepbrother. ”
I don’t have a chance to respond before I sense someone right behind me, and then a man’s voice booms out Halle’s name.
I barely have a chance to register what Halle said before a man sidles up next to her and slides an arm around her shoulders, followed by a squeeze.
“I hardly ever see you here on weekends.” Two other guys and a girl follow suit, and the girl’s eyes instantly find mine, interest all over her face as she slides onto the stool next to me with a smile.
“You must be Halle’s stepbrother.” She looks up at me, and I can see the haze in her chocolate eyes, making me believe this is probably not their first stop today and definitely not the first drink in her hand.
“Sebastian,” I say with a nod, not wanting to acknowledge her theory before taking another sip of my beer.
“And you are?” I sit with my eyes still trained over the table, staring at the guy standing entirely too close to Halle while I’m entirely too far away.
Luckily, Halle must have felt my tension because she turns in her stool so that his arm falls from her shoulders, but it doesn’t stop him from standing directly next to her.
“These are some of my friends from school. Jase,” she says, gesturing to the guy whose hand I wouldn’t mind breaking. “Bryce, Dex, and Addison.” She points at the three others.
“My friends call me Addie,” the girl says. My instinct to ask what that has to do with me is halted when Saint pins me with a warning glare, as if she can hear my thoughts.
“Well, it’s nice to meet all of you, but we were kind of in the middle of something,” I say, not wanting to spend another second with this intrusive group of strangers.
Especially today, and especially when it seems at least one of them wants to get into Saint’s pants.
I know she said that they know who I am, but if we’re preparing to tell the world that we’re together, these four, who are supposed to be her friends, should be the least of our concerns.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to make a point that Saint is not available to anyone but me.
Jase, who is clearly trying to get me to cause bodily harm to him if his proximity to Saint is any indication, speaks up before meeting my gaze.
“Well, meet us at the next bar?” His eyes narrow slightly before turning to Saint, and I briefly wonder if she finds him attractive.
I’ve only ever known the version of Saint that has been in love with and attracted to me, and while I know this doesn’t change anything, I’m not sure if he’s the kind of man who would have her attention if I weren’t in the picture.
“We are heading to the Refinery next. But just text me.” He squeezes her shoulders before he moves away fucking finally, and I happen to notice the girl in my periphery mouth something to Saint just before they leave the table.
I can see that Saint is uncomfortable, and when her eyes meet mine, I see irritation in them.
“What?”
“Addison says you’re hot.” She rolls her eyes before pulling her beer to her lips and taking a long sip.
I snort in response because if I’m being completely honest, I’ve already forgotten her name. “I don’t care.” I narrow my gaze at her. “Why is the pretty boy so handsy?”
“Jase?” She scrunches her nose and shakes her head. “I wouldn’t call him pretty, and it’s so obvious right now that you’re fishing. I don’t find him attractive. I’m not interested in Jase. Relax, please.”
“He’s clearly interested.”
“Okay?”
“Okay, so I don’t like the idea of some guy trying to fuck the love of my life.
Fucking sue me.” I lean back against the back of my chair, trying not to take my annoyance out on Saint, but I can sense those familiar jealous feelings creeping in.
“And I’d prefer not to meet them later if I’m going to be forced to watch him hit on you all night because to him, I’m obviously not a threat. ”
“Well, I’m sorry. Up until two hours ago, we weren’t telling people there would be a likelihood of their face meeting your fist if they hit on me.
” She rolls her eyes and tucks both sides of her hair behind her ears.
Saint has had longer hair for most of her life, but the shorter hair on her is so sexy and gives her this air of sophistication.
“Fine. Just saying,” I respond. “This seems very out of character for the woman who’s lost her shit on several occasions over women who you thought were interested in me.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you. We don’t have to meet them!”
“I’m just saying, if we’re planning to start telling people anyway…” I trail off so she can connect the dots.
Her eyes widen in shock. “Now?”
“What better time than the present?” I shrug.
“You’re just feeling territorial.”
“Okay, and? I’ve been territorial over you since I was fifteen. This isn’t new.”
“And I am too, but I’m not suggesting we start unleashing this on people when we’re drunk just because you’re feeling like a caveman.”
“I couldn’t think of a better time to do that, actually.”
“You guys still doing okay?” the server asks from where she stands at the end of our table.
Just before Saint speaks up that we’re doing fine, I interject. “We are, but can we get two shots of tequila, please. Silver preferably. Whatever’s your best.”
“Wild!” she exclaims with a hint of irritation, but I can always count on Saint to be down to take a shot with me.
“Should I make it four?” I ask playfully, and she meets my energy with an equally playful scowl across her gorgeous face.
“Two’s good for now,” she tells our server before she leaves with a polite nod. “You’re the worst, you know that?”
“Figured you may need a little liquid courage.”
“So… how’s it going to work, anyway? You live in Seattle, and I still have seven months until I graduate. I can’t exactly move right now.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“You have an entire business. Is it that easy to just… move?”
“The other option is to be across the country from you for seven months, and we’ve had to do that for too long as it is.
I’m over that shit. It’s not ideal as New York and Seattle are entirely different markets, but relocating will definitely attract less immediate attention to the fact that we’re together.
” She begins chewing on her thumbnail, and I know that means she’s nervous.
“What’s wrong, baby? Is this not what you want? ”
“Of course, it is. It just feels like you’re having to change your entire life, and I just don’t want you to resent me for that.”
“Do you actually think I’m capable of resenting you… over anything?”
A smile pulls at her lips. “You know what I mean, Wild. It’s a million-dollar company you built from the ground up in Seattle. I don’t want to seem selfish by saying you have to be the one to move here.”
The server returns to the table with two shot glasses filled to the brim and sets them in front of us. I see the annoyance laced with a hint of heat in Saint’s eyes because she knows if I’m ordering tequila, then I want her nasty tonight.
And I do, especially after I claim her in front of that asshole and any other guy who thinks they have a chance with her.
“Fine. Would you consider moving to Seattle after you graduate, and we can figure out where to go from there?”
She drags the shot glass across the table, and when some sloshes over the side, I watch as she makes a show of licking it off her finger while maintaining eye contact with me.
“Don’t fucking start unless you want to defile the bathroom here.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time we did that.”
“It would be at…” I look down at my watch. “Two p.m.”
She gives me a look like she doesn’t believe that. “Doubtful.” But she shrugs. “I figured you may want your cum dripping down my legs while you told Jace to back off.” She rolls her eyes before downing the shot without waiting for me.
“Halle Grace.” I chuckle at her before doing the same. “Couldn’t even wait for me. I taught you better than that. But let’s put a pin in the serious conversation we were having about where we should live and focus on my ‘cum dripping down your legs’ part.”