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"You give them too much, Flower. Clear your face. You have to adopt the mask, or they will use that soft heart you carry against you."
Trash. Trash. Trash.
I shake my head and try to get the words to disappear from my brain, but they won’t.
"I don't know if I can."
"You can. You only think you can’t because you aren’t used to it. If you want to support Sebastian and survive in this world, you will learn to master your emotions."
Ugh. Fine. I try to do exactly as he says. I go deep into my brain, focusing on squishing everything that’s annoying me, or threatening me at the moment, but the more I focus on those things, the more they threaten to swallow me.
"Would it help if when I fucked you later, I forced you to maintain that mask the whole time?”
His question makes me laugh. "Could you maintain that look through sex?"
He shrugs. "Maybe with another woman. Never with you."
My heart fucking melts a little bit more for this man. Dammit.
"What is that look? It's not the mask I just told you to adopt."
I shake my head and stare out at the people, keeping my eye on Sebastian as he talks, shakes hands, makes deals or whatever it is he is doing. He's in his element here, people want to talk to him, want to be near him. And why not? He's young, handsome, and he just took over one of the biggest families.
Drew leans down, his lips brushing against my neck. “You look incredible, by the way. I want to rip this dress off with my teeth and fuck you in those heels."
I smile and then hide the smile in my glass of whiskey. "You're not making it easy for me to maintain a neutral face."
"When have I ever made anything easy?"
Ain’t that the truth?
Seb turns, exchanging conversation with another man. He smiles, and it appears things are going well until Drew’s father intervenes, clapping him on the back to face away.
I jerk my chin to the pair. "What do you think that's about?"
"Who fucking knows. My father is still trying to court himself into Sebastian’s good graces."
I snort. "Seb hates your father, and I think it started long before I entered the picture, or he took over the family."
"Something my father hasn't figured out yet. It’s fine. He’ll have to figure it out the hard way. If there’s one thing you need to know about Sebastian, it’s that he’s as cunning as he is handsome. He will cut you with the same hand he uses to wipe away your tears. I’ve known him since we were in grade school, and while I’m not afraid of him, I fully believe he would kill and burn the world to the ground to protect those he cares about.”
The opportunity to respond is ripped away from me when Sebastian’s icy voice falls over the room. "Fuck you, Marshall. You have a lot of fucking balls to ask me that after everything you've done." Everyone turns to look at what’s going on. Seb throws up his chin and glares down his nose at Drew's dad. "You're nothing to me, Marshall. You or your family."
Drew stiffens beside me, and I can't help but fold under the attention that is turned on us with the release of that statement.
Shit. This isn't good.
Drew’s dad draws himself off, his shoulders roll back, and there’s a predatory scowl etched into his face. My heart cinches in my chest, as he leans into Sebastian and whispers something. I have no clue what he says. All I know is that Sebastian’s expression gives nothing away.
I'm frozen. What the hell do I do? There is no choice to be made, not when Sebastian makes it for me. He sets his glass down on a passing tray and turns to face me in the crowd.
Our gazes collide, and I know without words being spoken that he wants me to come with him. I give Drew an apologetic look, and he releases me from his grasp, his touch ghosting against my bare skin. I hate leaving his side, but I can’t stay here without Sebastian.
The crowd parts for me, and when I reach my brother, he wraps a protective arm around me.
“If she’s trash, then I’m trash as well,” Sebastian announces, loud enough that everyone within earshot can hear. An embarrassment of heat climbs up my neck and into my cheeks. He leads us out the door, and I hold my breath waiting for something, anything to happen, but it doesn’t.
No one says a word, nor do they try to stop us. We are in the car before I realize I'm still holding the whiskey glass in my shaking hand and I know from that moment on nothing will ever be the same.
