The Motivation
Ishoved my clothes back into place and fixed my messed-up hair. I could feel the flush in my cheeks, and mild mortification flooded me, making it worse. They’d filmed Sebastian fingering me to completion, and there was a chance it would make it into the final cut.
“That was great, Evie! You were gorgeous! Take fifteen!” Dante called from his seat.
I ran off set toward a bathroom to splash water on my face and hide. Sebastian slipped into the small space a beat later, causing me to sigh deeply and turn.
“It’s been a long day, Sebastian.”
“I know. I just… I’ve missed you.” He gave me a bashful smile.
Guilt made my belly tight. I’d been so angry with him trying to stop my mission that I’d stopped hanging out with him.
I’d missed him too.
“Want to have dinner at your place tonight?” I offered. “We could figure out the next part of our plan while we eat, and I cuddle with Cujo and Precious?”
I’d also missed his dogs.
Sebastian’s gaze darkened, and he didn’t speak for a moment. “How can you be okay with dying for this?”
I shrugged. “When you’ve lost everything, nothing really matters anymore. I know the risks. I’m okay with them.” I finished washing my hands and reached for the door handle.
“I love you.”
I turned back to look at him, my mouth open. “What?” I’d heard him, but the words were foreign coming from him. There was no way.
“I said, I love you.”
My brain refused to compute his words.
He’d dropped the code.
The last, and only time, he’d ever done that was…our first time together. Tears welled in my eyes as the memories of that special night, before it became awful, flooded my mind.
“Don’t—don’t say that.” My chin trembled as the words spilled from my mouth. He couldn’t love me. He shouldn’t love someone with a death wish. I stepped back until I hit the wall, then I turned the door handle. “You’re lying.”
“What? Why would I—Evie, I’m not lying.” Sebastian came closer and tried to touch my face, but I brushed him away.
I sniffled, wiping the tears from my eyes.
“Evie.”
“No, Sebastian. I’m not doing this again. We... We had our moment, years ago. This was just…a mistake.” I started to open the door, and Sebastian’s hand shot out, holding it in place.
“A mistake? We could never be a mistake. Evie, please, don’t do this again. Don’t leave me. I can’t take you breaking my heart again,” he pleaded.
I let go of the door and turned, narrowing my eyes.
“Breakingyourheart?” My chest seemed to tighten as I looked at him. “You were the one who broke my heart.”
“What are you talking about?” He shook his head. “You left without a word and then refused my calls and texts. You dumped me.”
I stepped out of his reach. “No, I didn’t. Sebastian, you broke up with me.”
“Bullshit,” he snarled.
“Really? Because I still have the voicemail.”
