I grip the coffee cup harder than necessary. Heat bites into my palm. I welcome it.
“I don’t like it,” I tell her. “I don’t like being surprised.”
She considers that. Truly considers it. Then she nods. “I know.”
She regards me for a moment, green eyes assessing me. “We aren’t anything, Sebastian. You said so yourself.”
Ouch.She’s right. I told her that.
I realize then that this wasn’t her testing my boundaries. It was her showing me where they are.
“I have a meeting,” I say, already stepping back.
“With Marcus,” she says. “You always take the corner table when you come here.”
I stop.
She just watches me. Patient. Pleased. Certain.
I turn and walk away before I do something irreversible.
Behind me, I feel her eyes linger.
When I reach Marcus, he looks up. “Everything okay?”
I take a seat, open my laptop, and lie through my teeth. “Fine.”
I try to ignore Ivy passing my table and sliding into the seat opposite Aaron.Even though my fingers curl into a fist when I see him smiling at her.
“Okay, so where were we?” I say, trying to distract myself.
Marcus glances past me, then back again. “Trouble in paradise?”
“No,” I say, immediately.
Across the room, Ivy laughs. I bristle.
Marcus hums. “Sure.”
I’ve built my life around control. Distraction-free. Just the way I like it.
For the first time, I realize I’m out of control.
And I don’t like it.
18
SEBASTIAN
Marcus remains silent, watching me for a full thirty seconds.
I tense, waiting for the inevitable.
“You’ve been staring at that same paragraph for five minutes,” he says finally. “Either it’s brilliant,” he adds, “or you’ve finally developed feelings for someone. I’m hoping for the former.”
I don’t look up. “It’s a dense section.”
“It’s not,” he replies calmly. “I’ve read it.”
