Chapter 16
sixteen
WESTON
I step out of the backroom of the cafe, back in my own clothes. My mind is reeling after kissing Bridget, even if it was part of a script.
The starstruck look on her face isn’t something I’ll be able to wipe from my memory anytime soon. Not that I’d want to.
“Seems like you got your wish for a fresh start.”
Startled, I glance around for whoever spoke. When my eyes land on Sebastian I groan.
“Bridget warned me about you.” I cross my arms.
Sebastian strolls closer, looking like he just stepped out of a different era. The deep green shirt beneath his dark suit the only pop of color on him, and it feels deliberate. It’s obvious he doesn’t fit in here, nor does he care.
“I’m surprised she’s the only one,” he muses, tilting his head slightly.
I narrow my eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that people often fear what they don’t understand. And I fit nicely into that category.”
I feel like that’s probably an understatement, but I humor him anyway. “Misunderstood?”
Sebastian’s gaze sharpens, like he’s hearing the words I haven’t spoken out loud. It’s a little disconcerting.
“Are you enjoying your stay this time?”
“About that—I thought you were going to pass along the dates for when I was coming back.”
He smiles then. “Was I?”
I uncross my arms, annoyance creeping into my voice. “Yes. And I guess it didn’t get passed along, so Bridget and I both ended up there.”
“Imagine that,” he hums, glancing out the window.
He’s acting like it’s a coincidence, even if we both know it’s not.
I’m getting a clearer picture of what Bridget was warning me about, and a sneaking suspicion that Sebastian is more linked to Wanderlust Refuge than anyone knows.
The idea of everything that’s happened with Bridget this week being caused by magic unsettles me. Bridget’s warning about magic coming at a price comes rushing back, and my mind spins.
I drop my voice. “Was it you?”
“I can’t make you choose to stay somewhere,” he says with a chuckle.
“But you could manipulate it.”
His eyes flick to mine. “So could you. Anyone could do that if they were paying enough attention.”
Sebastian never stops assessing his surroundings; he’s sharp and observant. It’s a piece of knowledge I tuck away for future encounters.
“You talk in circles—you know that?”
Sebastian laughs. “I see why Bridget likes you. It’s rare for someone to be so direct these days.”
He moves to the window again, his expression shifting. This is not just a man looking outside, he’s searching for something. Or someone.
I follow his gaze, hoping to find an answer but all I see are people bustling around the farm and cafe. Gaby is working with kids in her costume, the tables full of kids after our performance. Bridget and her sisters are huddled around her niece—who I’ve yet to meet—so there’s not an easy way to narrow it down.
For a moment, Sebastian’s mask slips. I see it in the way his posture stiffens, the way his hand flexes at his side like he wants to reach for someone.
“Who is she?” I ask.
It’s none of my business, but I’m staring at the world through rose-colored glasses following the high of my first kiss with Bridget. While I’m a perceptive person, the telltale signs of love are there if you notice the details.
Sebastian stills. He’s clearly not a man used to being questioned, so I expect the silence that follows.
I even expect him to stay quiet.
His voice drops low, with an almost wistful tone. “No one you need to worry yourself with.”
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this man is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, but I think he’s onto something about being misunderstood.
There’s probably quite a bit I don’t know about Sebastian Gold. But I know the universal look of a man who’s experiencing unrequited love.
Movies have made a lot off that look.
I’m not going to push, because he’s not going to tell me anyway. So I change the subject back.
“I didn’t ask for anything.”
“No.” Sebastian shakes his head, still focused on outside. “But you seemed like you needed a boost of sorts. You seemed a little broken… a little lost.”
That’s… not what I expected.
“You don’t seem like the type to take in strays. So to speak.”
Sebastian chuckles then. “I’m really not. You’re an exception.”
“So is Bridget right? Do I need to be worried about you?”
He turns to me and sighs. “If you’re asking if I used magic to force whatever is happening between you and Miss Mitchell, the answer is no.”
I open my mouth to clarify, and he holds a hand up, silencing me.
“There may have been a slight manipulation, but your relationship is evolving on its own. No magic. Except maybe the Faerie Tart.”
“But that doesn’t make people fall in love.”
“Maybe it doesn’t do anything the folklore says,” he shrugs. “But no, love can’t actually be forced. No matter what, love comes from free will.”
Huh.
So whoever he’s pining over definitely doesn’t share his feelings.
But at least I know Bridget and I are fine.
“Best of luck to you,” I say, stepping toward the door. I’d really like to meet Bridget’s family and enjoy the rest of our day.
“Don’t take it for granted.”
I’m at a loss. The man standing in front of me doesn’t match the quiet rumors I’ve heard in the days since Bridget’s warning. I half expected a Boogie Man the way some people talk about him.
All I see is a heartbroken man who maybe has some boundary issues.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
When I step out the door, Luke is waiting for me. He tips his hat with a grim smile.
“So look, Ella told me we have to have the talk .”
I grimace. Those two words could mean a whole range of things and I’m not sure I like any of them.
“I’m afraid to ask,” I say.
“It means, we’re going to take a walk so she can see I’m doing what she asked and it’ll give her peace of mind about her sister. And then I’m going to ask you a couple of questions about your intentions because these girls got dealt some crappy cards on the parent front. And then we’re going to find something else to do until it seems like we’ve been gone long enough to have had a good man talk.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Sound good?”
As an only child, today has already been overwhelming.
But if this is part of being in Bridget’s life—I’m here for all of it.
“You lead the way.” I gesture toward the farm.
“Are you really stuck in that house with Bridget?” he asks as we head in the opposite direction of the cafe.
I grin. “All week.”
“Maybe we better head to my emergency stash to have this conversation.”
I like Luke already.