6. Sebastian
Sebastian
A fter placing the box in the trunk of Anna’s car, I step back and rock on my heels. Hands in my pockets, I ask, “So Mariana is back, huh?”
Mariana was the last person I expected to see today. And yet, the second I laid eyes on her, something inside me shifted. Like a sharp pull deep in my chest, a muscle I forgot existed suddenly reminding me it was there.
It’s the sort of feeling I wasn’t prepared for. The kind that knocks the air from your lungs, that makes time stutter for just a second too long.
She looks… different. The same, but different.
Older, stronger. There’s a confidence in the way she carries herself now, something steadier, more certain.
Like she’s seen the world, walked through fire, and come out of it sharper.
The wide-eyed dreamer I once knew is still there, but now?
She feels untouchable. Like a force of nature.
And damn, she’s more beautiful than I remember. Her long brown hair still cascades over her shoulders, but now it holds subtle waves, framing her face in a way that makes her look softer and more untamed all at once.
Her olive skin still glows, but there’s something richer about it now, like she’s been kissed by faraway suns, like she carries pieces of places I’ll never know.
Her curves? Fuller, more defined, moving with a grace that makes it impossible not to notice.
And that look in her eyes? That’s what gets me the most. They still hold the same deep brown warmth, the same fire I fell in love with all those years ago. But now, there’s something else there too…something heavier. A weight, a story I don’t know yet.
More like the version of her I was always afraid she’d become—the one who didn’t belong here anymore. The one who outgrew this place. The one who outgrew me.
Anna plays with the ends of her hair, avoiding my gaze. “Uhhh, yeah, she just got back from Seattle.”
“Cool. How long is she staying?” I ask, trying to sound casual. Trying not to sound like I care.
“She moved back, Seb. She’s here for good. Her mom isn’t doing well, and she wants to be here for her.”
I blink. “Shit.” I knew her mom was sick, but I didn’t know how bad it was.
Lucia was like a second mother to me. It was serendipitous, the way Anna met Mariana first, and then somehow, I followed right after. Our parents moved here from Puerto Rico looking for a better life, and in us, they found community. Family.
When Mariana and I started dating, Lucia welcomed the idea with open arms. I think our moms secretly prayed we’d end up together. Maybe I did too, but people change, and what we want changes.
I don’t hate Mariana. I never have. I understood why she left. I knew she wanted more. Our parents left everything behind so we could chase bigger dreams, and she did.
I just wish I hadn’t fooled myself into thinking she’d stay. If I had faced the truth earlier, maybe I could’ve saved myself from a hell of a lot of heartbreak. But I don’t regret it. I don’t regret her.
Anna’s voice pulls me back. “Yeah…Mari is acting like she’s okay, but you know how she is.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “She puts up a brave face, but inside, she’s hurting.”
“Exactly. So be easy on her, okay? She’s gone through a lot this year.”
That’s right. Her husband recently died. Her husband. The words taste wrong, even in my head.
For years, I tried not to think about it. About her, with someone else. About her life moving forward while I stayed here. When I first heard she was married, I felt a hundred things at once. Anger, regret, something sharp and bitter that I never wanted to name.
But in the end? I just wanted her to be happy. Fuck. First, she loses her husband. Now, she’s losing her mom. My heart breaks for her.
I’m just standing here, useless, wishing I could be the person she used to turn to. I clear my throat. “You don’t have to worry about me, Banana. I’m not going to give her a hard time.”
“Good—because I will kick your ass if you do.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Noted.”
Anna smirks, then shifts gears. “So, about these kids… want to let them check out the fire trucks?”
I nod, welcoming the change in topic. “Say the word, and I’ll rally the guys.”
She hugs me, and I return it, but my mind is still somewhere else. Mariana is back. And no matter how much I tell myself things have changed, that she’s changed, one thing hasn’t.
The second she walked back into my life, my heart knew exactly where it still belonged.
Later that night, I finally made it home, dead on my feet. I throw myself onto my bed, ready to call it a night, until a loud knocking echoes through my house. I groan, dragging myself out of bed and pulling on a shirt.
Please, for the love of God, don’t let Libby’s cat be stuck in a tree again. I don’t think I have it in me to deal with that little demon right now.
I yank open the door, expecting to see Libby looking frazzled and begging for help. Instead, I get Andres and Mateo. Grinning. Holding a pack of beers. Looking far too pleased with themselves. Just my luck.
I narrow my eyes at them. "I think you made a wrong stop. This isn’t your house."
They exchange a look before Mateo says, "That attitude right there? That’s exactly why we’re here."
I sigh. "So, I take it you heard. But there’s no need for this. I’m fine. Just tired."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Andres says, already pushing past me.
Mateo claps me on the shoulder as he follows. "Let’s pop open these beers and watch the game."
I exhale sharply, debating whether I should just kick them out. But at this point, it’d take a bulldozer to get them off my couch. I really need to get one of those ring cameras so I can start screening my visitors.
The Rockies vs. Mets game is on, but I’m barely watching. My mind keeps drifting. Mariana. I wonder if she’s okay. How she’s handling the news about her mom. If she’s thinking about me. If seeing me today did anything to her. Did it catch her by surprise the way it did me?
Did it make her heart race the way mine did? Or did it mean nothing?
Mateo sets his beer down with a thunk and turns to me. "Alright, let’s cut the shit."
I blink, tearing my gaze from the screen. "What?"
Mateo leans forward. "You know why we’re here. We know why we’re here. So let’s just talk this shit out before your brain explodes from how much it’s overthinking right now."
"Mateo—" Andres warns.
"What? So we beat around the bush now? Is that it?" Mateo gestures between the three of us. "We’ve known each other forever. Why are we pretending like this isn’t driving him insane?"
I roll my eyes. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. You two invited yourselves, remember?"
Andres gives me a pointed look. "Come on, man."
I scrub a hand over my face. "Fine. Mariana is back. There, I said it. Happy?"
Mateo smirks. "Ecstatic. So… how’d it go?"
I frown. "How was it supposed to go? We said hi and went about our day. I helped Anna put some books in her trunk, and by the time I went back inside for Maya, Mariana was running out and toward her car."
That memory sticks with me. The way she bolted out of there like she couldn’t leave fast enough. That shouldn’t bother me. And yet…
"That reminds me," I continued. "We’re gonna help Anna out with her students, give them a ride on the truck, all the bells and whistles."
Andres leans forward, rubbing his hands together. "Nice. The next generation of firefighters. Name the day, and we’ll be there."
Mateo waves him off. "Yeah, yeah. But back to Mari. What happens now that she’s back?"
I stare at him, brow furrowed. "What do you mean, what happens? Nothing happens. She’s back because her mom is sick."
Andres sighs. "Yeah, we heard. That’s tough."
"Exactly." I take a swig of my beer. "So she’s back home. Nothing new. Nothing is changing."
Andres and Mateo exchange a look.
I narrow my eyes. "What?"
Mateo leans in. "Come on, bro. It’s us. We know all about your history with that girl. You’ve been down bad for her for ages, and now she’s back and you’re telling us you’re just gonna do… nothing?"
I scoff. "Down bad? What the hell are you talking about?"
Mateo crosses his arms. "You’re telling me that after all these years, after how wrecked you were when she left, you don’t feel a single thing now that she’s back?"
"We were in high school," I say, forcing a casual shrug. "She broke up with me. We both moved on. There's nothing more to it."
"Uh-huh," Andres mutters, clearly unconvinced.
I lean back, sighing. "Look, we’ll probably not even speak again. Especially judging by the way she ran out of Ink & Paper today. I’d say chances are high she’s gonna be avoiding me."
I say it like I don’t care. Like it doesn’t bother me that she ran. But deep down, I find myself hoping that isn’t true. I can’t get the image of her out of my damn head.
She’s a smoke show. Always has been. But today? I had to force myself not to stare. Not to let my eyes linger on the way her jeans hugged her curves and her lips parted when she saw me, like she had something to say but couldn’t find the words. Like maybe she felt it, too.
I shake my head. No. Not going there.
"This is a really small town," Andres says after a beat. "I don’t think you guys can really avoid each other."
I exhale. "Yeah, well. We’ll see."
And yet, no matter what I tell them, no matter what I tell myself…Deep down, that’s what I’m banking on.