“He used to climb through my bedroom window with them and wake me up. Then we’d end up watching films.”
“He told me how happy you were the first time he did it. He wanted you to have happy memories whilst you were there.”
“He really did that?”
“Honestly, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you. You mean the world to him. You always have.”
“Ok, enough soppy Sebastian. I’ve got a wedding to plan for,” Serfina said.
“Right. What flowers were you thinking?” I asked.
“Fire lilies.” Hayden smiled, looking at Serfina.
“With violets.” She met his eyes.
These two were by far the cutest couple I’d ever seen. They knew each other inside and out. The smile on my lips started to fade as I thought about Sebastian. I’d thought I’d known him like that, but sometimes I wondered if I really knew him at all.
“What’s special about those?” I asked.
“Well,” Serfina said, “as you know, his nickname for me is Nari, Arabic for ‘fiery one’—”
“—And you know she’s fiery,” Hayden interjected.
“Hush, you. So he thought it was only appropriate to keep that going with the flowers.”
“And the violets?”
Serfina smiled to herself and held up her charm bracelet, touching the delicate violet dangling from it.
“This was the first thing Hayden ever bought me. It was for my eighteenth birthday. He said he got it because it was the flower for February, my birth month. That’s when I knew he was the one. He didn’t, though. Didn’t have a clue I liked him.”
“Look, in my defence, I had no idea she ever looked at me in that way. She’d been Sebastian’s neighbour for all those years before she kissed me.”
“I decided I wanted you, and always I get what I want.” Serfina smiled sweetly at him.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world, Nari.”
My stomach did a flip, and for a second, I was jealous that they could still be like this after all these years. That was true love. That was what I wanted, what I thought I’d had.
Until now.
41
Aria
It was April 22nd—my birthday.
This time last year, I hadn’t been back in London long. It had been a birthday I didn’t think I’d ever see. Jason wasn’t one to do anything for them—they were always just another day. Callum never forgot and always bought me something, even though he didn’t need to. He was always thoughtful—the complete opposite of his brother. I shuddered thinking about the past. I knew it would stay with me for the rest of my life, but I wasn’t going to let it rule any part of my future.
To my surprise, Sebastian hadn’t forgotten this year. He’d surprised me with breakfast in bed and arranged for me to spend the day being pampered with Serfina. He said he was taking me out later and to be ready for 7:30 p.m.
I looked in the mirror, adding the final touches to my make-up, and brushed my hair one last time. Sebastian had bought me a dress to wear tonight. It was elegant and sat just above myknees, a rich plum colour that was tight-fitting around my curves and made my cleavage look pretty good, if I did say so myself.
I yawned and clicked the side of my phone to check the time. 7 p.m. I shouldn’t be this tired. All I’d done today was relax. Maybe that was why—I was so used to being busy at work that my body wasn’t sure what to do with itself.
“Nyx?” I heard Sebastian call, and he appeared in the room.
I stood from the dressing table, and he walked over, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and kissing my cheek.
