Page 28 of Trust Fund Baby

I plastered on a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Great. Perfect. Got my sun in for the day. What more could I ask for?”

James handed me a bag to unload. “I’m sorry in advance for whatever Sebastian might say this weekend. I know he can be a little much to handle, but he means well. He just needs to learn to tone himself down a little when making new friends.”

I took the bag, grateful to have a distraction to help minimize the emotions that were sure to show on my face. “I barely even noticed he was there.”

Hallie smiled at me, completely oblivious to how Sebastian had turned my world completely upside down. “This weekend is going to be fun, don’t you think?”

“The most fun,” I replied through the fakest smile I had ever given my best friend.

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could pretend to Hallie that I’d just met Sebastian. I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the guilt. Keeping my past in the past seemed way easier when I thought McGuire’s was the extent of our reunion. Since it looked like we’d be seeing a lot more of each other, I wasn’t sure that could happen. The whole truth was bound to come out, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to tell Hallie about my upbringing. I wasn’t ready for her to look at me any differently.

Focusing on unloading each grocery item, I tried to calm my racing mind. My hands moved on autopilot while my mind replayed every second of the poolside interaction with Sebastian. His smirk. The way he’d looked at me like he still knew me. How a dangerous turn was taken in the conversation, revealing the raw, open wounds of emotions from all those years ago.

I grabbed the bottle of wine Hallie had picked out—something crisp and overpriced surely—and carried it to the fridge.

“Dinner reservations are for seven,” James said as he dropped the last bag on the counter. “So we’ve got like, an hour. I’m going to shower.”

Hallie caught my eye as soon as he left the room. “If you want to skip dinner …”

“No,” I blurted. “No, I’m not giving him the satisfaction. Besides, I want oysters.”

That got a smile out of her. “There she is.”

I tried to return it. But it felt off. Crooked. Hollowed out.

“I’m going to change,” I told her. “I need something to help me feel like I’m in control.”

Hallie laughed, but I could still feel her eyes on me as I left the kitchen and climbed the stairs two at a time.

Once in the primary, I stripped out of my bikini and rifled through my suitcase until I found a sleek black sundress that was simple but sharp. I only hoped it said I am unbothered, I am immune to your charm, I am not at all thinking about how you looked dripping wet with those damn tattoos.

After brushing my hair, I applied mascara and lip gloss, then looked in the mirror.

“You’ve got this,” I whispered to my reflection, which looked far too unsettled for my liking. I hated that he could still get under my skin.

A knock on the door made me jump.

“I brought wine,” Hallie’s voice came through the door.

“My savior,” I told her as I ushered her inside.

She handed a glass to me and leaned against the dresser. “I’m not asking what happened,” she said. “Yet. But just know, if you need to ditch this whole dinner thing and hide up here for the rest of the night, I will absolutely cover for you. I’ll tell them you’re not feeling well, and you can have some room to breathe.”

“I love you,” I said, taking a long sip from my glass. “But I’d rather show up and look better than him.”

“Well,” she said, coming to stand behind me. “I think you’ve accomplished that.”

When the two of us finally met the boys downstairs, I’d smoothed out the tension in my shoulders and had opted for a darker red lipstick for a boost of confidence just in case I needed it.

James whistled as Hallie appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Damn, you two are going to make everyone at the restaurant very jealous.”

Sebastian looked up from his phone. He was wearing a short-sleeved button-down, crisp slacks, and that signature lazy smirk. His eyes lingered on me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a spark of something in his gaze. As I walked out the front door, I could feel his stare, a burning sensation, as I headed toward the waiting car.

Fine.

Let him look.

Let him think whatever he wanted.