Chapter Twenty-Four
Sebastian
I only had a few seconds to wonder who was knocking, before I opened the door.
“Jesse?”
My heart stuttered. She was here. After days of silence, after I’d convinced myself she was done with me, here she was, standing at my door. Surprise flooded through me, but more than that—hope. God, the longing in her eyes mirrored what I’d been feeling every single day since our fight.
For a moment, I just stared, hypnotized, wishing with everything in me that I could pull her into my arms and kiss her until neither of us could breathe. But I didn’t know if I had that right anymore.
“Hi,” she murmured, blinking as if coming out of a trance.
She took in my work clothes—dark shirt, jeans, sneakers, and the glasses I wore when my eyes were tired from staring at lines of code all day.
Which they were. I’d barely slept since we’d broken up, lying awake, replaying every conversation, every moment, trying to figure out how I could fix it.
I’d also wanted to give her space, despite the fact that every hour of silence cost me dearly.
I watched her intently, waiting for her to speak, afraid to hope but unable to stop myself.
She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, movement at my feet drew both our attention. Robin was attempting to scale my leg like a tiny golden mountain climber.
“Oh, my God.” Jesse’s entire face transformed.
She dropped to her knees and gently scooped the kitten to her chest. He let out a questioning meow, digging his tiny claws into her paint-stained T-shirt to hold on.
I knelt beside her, unable to resist being close to her, and stroked Robin between his ears. I smiled—something I hadn’t done genuinely in days.
When I glanced at Jesse, I caught her staring at me. My heart clenched painfully. I’d missed her so damn much—her presence, her laugh, the way she looked at me like I was her everything.
“Where did you get him?” she asked, stroking the kitten as he clawed his way up her neck, pushing his whiskers into her face.
“I found him a couple of hours ago,” I explained. “I stopped for takeout on my way home from work, and there he was, alone on the sidewalk, meowing his little heart out. I grabbed him before someone trampled him, tucked him inside my shirt, and brought him home.”
Her eyes locked on mine. “You bought takeout?”
I glanced away, shrugging. The truth was too pathetic to admit—that cooking reminded me of her, of mornings making breakfast for her, of teaching her how to properly season a pan.
“I… haven’t felt like cooking lately.”
I stroked Robin again, and my knuckles accidentally brushed against her breast. The contact sent electricity through me.
Every cell in my body remembered touching her, remembered how perfectly she fit against me, around me.
I could feel myself gravitating toward her, desperate to close the distance between us.
The sharp tapping of Candi’s heels on the wooden floor shattered the moment. She appeared in the doorway of my bathroom.
“Jesse? Hi.” She waved enthusiastically.
Jesse raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised. “Candi, you remembered my name.”
Candi rolled her eyes. “How could I not? I’ve only been here ten minutes, and Sebastian’s talked about you nonstop.”
Heat crept up my neck. I ducked my head, focusing on Robin, but I could feel Jesse’s eyes on me. I hadn’t meant to be so obvious, but Candi had barely walked through the door before asking what was wrong, and everything had just spilled out.
Candi went on, oblivious. “Sebastian texted me to tell me that he’d found this cutie and ask for help.
I have three cats, so I’m a bit of a specialist—although my fiancé wants me to get rid of them.
That’s never going to happen. I told him I’d get rid of him before I’d give up my babies.
” She frowned. “Anyway, I set up a litter box in the bathroom, and I brought over a few cans of moist food and other stuff.”
I looked down as Robin clawed his way from Jesse’s neck onto my shirt. “Thanks so much, Candi. I owe you big time.”
She waved her hand, flashing the enormous diamond on her ring finger. “No problem, I’m happy to help. I looked him over for fleas and didn’t find any, but you need to take him to the vet as soon as possible to get him checked out. He’ll need shots. I’ve left my vet’s card on the table.”
“Thank you,” I repeated, meaning it.
Robin had settled onto my chest, held securely in my palms. His eyes closed and he purred like a diesel engine. I felt Jesse watching us, and something in her gaze made my chest tighten.
“I think you two can handle it from here,” Candi said. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m meeting my fiancé for a late dinner.”
Jesse smiled warmly. “Congratulations on your engagement. That’s a lovely ring.”
Candi beamed. “Thank you, Jesse. You’re so sweet.
My fiancé is incredible. Maybe we can double date one day.
But not until his divorce is final. We need to keep our relationship on the down-low, or his shrew of an ex-wife will demand even more money than she’s getting.
We met a couple of weeks ago, and I swear it was love at first sight.
Like in the movies. He proposed three days later. ”
I suppressed a smile. Classic Candi—impulsive and optimistic to a fault. But I was genuinely happy for her.
“I wish you the best of luck,” Jesse said. “He’s a lucky guy. And you look great.”
“Thank you.” Candi gave Jesse a once-over, her smile dimming slightly. “And you look… great too, very competent and hardworking.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Jesse looked exactly like what she was—an artist who’d been working all day. Paint-stained clothes, messy hair, bare face. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
Jesse wiped a paint stain off her brow, looking amused instead of offended. “Yeah, I just came back from work.”
Candi grabbed her purse, said goodbye, and click-clacked down the stairs.
Jesse and I remained kneeling on my doormat. Robin’s loud purring filled the silence.
She cleared her throat. “Are you going to keep the kitten?”
I smiled down at the tiny ball of fur. “I think he’s decided he’s keeping me.”
We smiled at each other, and for a moment it was like before—before the misunderstanding, before the hurt and confusion.
Except it wasn’t the same, because now I knew what it felt like to lose her.
The past few days had been hell. My apartment felt empty.
My bed felt cold. Everything reminded me of her absence, and not even food tasted the same anymore.
Now she was here, showing me that soft side of her as she looked at Robin with such tenderness. It made me want to show her how kind I could be, how much room I could make in my life for the things and people I cared about. For her.
I watched as emotion flickered across her face, and she swallowed hard.
“It was really kind of you to save him.” She stood, her muscles clearly protesting after a long day of work.
My hands ached to give her a slow, tender massage from head to toe, then make love to her slowly, and fall asleep with my head on her chest.
I blinked, getting to my feet with Robin secure against my chest. “I couldn’t leave him there. It was tricky getting home on my bike, but we managed.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You rode your motorcycle? I thought I’d asked you not to ride that thing.”
My head snapped up, hope surging through me at the possessive note in her voice. “You weren’t here, were you? I didn’t think you cared anymore.”
Fury flashed in her eyes. “Of course I frigging care.”
My heart soared and I swallowed a lump in my throat. She still cared. Robin, disturbed by our rising voices, became restless and meowed.
We spoke at the same time.
“Would you like to come in?” I said.
“Do you need any help—” she began.
We stopped, and I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips.
“You first,” I said.
“Do you need help with the kitten?”
She looked exhausted, but she wasn’t leaving. And I sure as hell didn’t want her to go.
“I want to give him a bath, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough to try that by myself.” I smiled lopsidedly—an offering of vulnerability.
She cocked her head and smiled back, and my world shifted back into alignment. “Between us, I think we can handle him. Have you thought of a name for him?”
I gestured for her to come inside, following her in and closing the door behind us. Having her in my space again felt right.
“I’m thinking Robin. When we were riding home, I felt like we were Batman and Robin.”
She chuckled, and the sound warmed me from the inside out. “I guess it fits.”
In the kitchen, Jesse surveyed all the supplies Candi had brought—dishes, a pink cat bed, food, toys, and various cat gadgets.
“Do you think he’ll mind sleeping in a pink bed?” she asked.
“He’d better not. From what I’ve read, cats can’t see colors beyond shades of yellow, gray, and blue.”
“I didn’t know that.” She picked up a sparkling blue thing with two pointy ends. “Holy shit. Is this… a tiny shower cap?”
I moved closer to look. “God, Candi.” I shook my head, caught between amusement and disbelief. “I am not putting that on Robin’s head. Do you want a drink? Something to eat?”
I wanted to keep her here, to give myself more time to figure out if this was really happening, if she was really giving us another chance.
She hesitated. “Do you have any Pepsi?”
“Sure.”
Relief washed through me at this small sign that she was staying. I put Robin down in the pink bed and went to the fridge, returning with two cans of Pepsi. I opened a can of cat food and ladled it into a bowl. Robin attacked it immediately with single-minded determination.
Jesse and I sat drinking our sodas in silence, watching the kitten stuff his tiny face into the bowl.
After a few minutes, Jesse turned to face me. The vulnerability in her expression made my breath catch.
“I’m sorry I acted like an idiot, Sebastian.”