Page 90 of Trust Fund Baby

Winn snorted. “Fine? That’s the word you’re going with?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked, trying to hide the defense in my tone. “We barely saw each other that night.”

Winn raised a brow, unconvinced. “Barely saw each other? Rox, you two kept staring across the ballroom at each other, and I’m pretty sure you both were out on the terrace together.”

Heat crept into my cheeks, and I turned to look down at the blanket. While my brother wanted to leave his law career behind, he certainly had a keen eye for spotting the smallest details. “I don’t recall seeing him out on the terrace.”

“Uh-huh,” he drawled. “I’m sure you also don’t recall bolting out of there like your dress was on fire shortly after you came in and had a conversation with Grandpa?”

“I left because Grandpa was being a jerk, as usual.”

Winn smirked. “Right. And not because Sebastian looked at you like he wanted to set the room on fire just to keep you warm.”

My throat tightened as I remembered him draping his tux jacket around my shoulders, and for a moment, I couldn’t find words. That exact look had seared itself into me. The weight of his gaze made my skin burn like it always did. Nate had never made me feel like that in the handful of dates we’d been on. And even though I’d told myself I hated Sebastian, that I was over him, my body betrayed me with every skipped heartbeat.

I forced out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“No,” Winn countered quietly, eyes sharp now. “What’s ridiculous is you can’t let him go. Which would be fine if you could just admit it. Why is it that you can’t?”

“I have already let him go,” I said, the words clipped and harder than I intended.

Winn didn’t flinch. He just watched me in a way only a brother could. “Rox,” he said gently, “walking away isn’t the same as moving on. And you know it.”

I bit down on my lip, pulse thrumming in my ears. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over. It has to be.”

His brow furrowed. “I just want you to be happy, and you always end up quite the opposite whenever Sebastian is done with you.”

“I’m fine, Winn. Really.”

“You’re not fine. Not when he’s around. Not when he isn’t. And definitely not when you’re lying to yourself about it,” he fought back.

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Maybe some things are just better left alone.”

Winn’s gaze didn’t waver. “You should be honest with yourself and admit that you care, even if it scares the hell out of you. I might not like him, but I also don’t like seeing you like this.”

“It’s just … I’m not sure I do care anymore,” I admitted after a moment. Because what was there left to care about? I hadn’t seen Sebastian in over a month.

But when I got back to the city later that night, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I poured myself a glass of wine and tucked myself into the couch with the full intention of turning on something to make me forget it all, but nothing seemed to work. Everything reminded me of him.

So by the time the episode I’d put on ended, I was pulling out my phone and navigating back to my old email account. My fingers had a mind of their own as I clicked through to his email address and unblocked it, fully intending to fight the voice in my head telling me to reach out to him. Just to see if he still cared.

But to my surprise, the moment my inbox refreshed, I had dozens of emails dating back over the past few months. All from the same person.

I didn’t hesitate for a second. I clicked on the first one and began to read.

34

Seb

The smell of fresh bread, simmering tomato sauce, and the faint tang of coffee hit me the moment I stepped inside the East Side Food Bank. The shelves held a full stock of almost anything someone could want, and more supplies overflowed in our storage rooms in the back. The food bank was about to close and the restaurant would open its doors for the first time, as the chef was preparing the meal for the evening.

I paused near the entrance, taking it all in. The soft hum of conversation, the scrape of chairs, the clatter of pots. The chaos was controlled in the most satisfying way. It felt far more alive than anything I’d ever done for Whittaker Holdings.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted James and Hallie bustling around, making sure the first arrivals would have everything they needed. They moved with a kind of excitement that said they wouldn’t mind if they had to do this a hundred more times.

Volunteers were moving quickly, checking off lists, and preparing for when the doors would open to the line of families that stretched down the street and around the corner.

I stepped further inside, letting the warmth of the space wash over me. The chatter of volunteers mixed with the occasional laughter of children waiting in line outside, a symphony of sounds that felt almost like a pulse. My eyes kept drifting toward the front entrance, where the first family I’d asked the volunteers to expect was now arriving, bundled in winter coats and scarves, their breath forming small clouds in the chilly air.