Page 115 of Contested

Loren didn’t speak for a few minutes. She just held Sebastian, who felt stupid for needing it. Loren had come to him because of their dad. Because she was scared and upset, because something in their family had shifted badly enough that she had driven to his apartment instead of waiting for him to answer a message. And now she was comforting him over something that shouldn’t matter.

Except it did.

Loren’s hand moved once against his back.

Sebastian breathed into her shoulder and tried to make himself let go before she had to do it first.

He failed.

“Let me make some tea,” Loren finally said, pulling herself away from Sebastian, who made it harder than necessary.

He nodded and wiped his face with his palm, watching Loren step around him and head to the kitchen. His eyes flicked toward his bedroom, and a shiver ran up his spine, followed by a sharp heat across his neck.

“I can make the douchebag one as well,” Loren said, her gaze thrown back at Sebastian.

He gave a forced smile, letting a sigh slip from his mouth before he walked down the hall.

His hand slid across the doorframe as he looked inside and saw Marcos fully dressed, sitting on the edge of his bed. His hands were clasped together, and his shoulders were hunched slightly.

Marcos glanced up as Sebastian walked in. “Hey.”

Sebastian almost rolled his eyes at the softness of his voice. It was as if Marcos had measured exactly how fragile Sebastian would be and tried to accommodate it.

“You okay?” Marcos asked quietly, pushing to his feet and meeting Sebastian in the doorway.

Sebastian gave a single nod. “Loren is making tea. If you want one.”

Marcos’ face scrunched at the word. “Tea?”

“You don’t have—”

“I’m kidding.” Marcos gave Sebastian’s shoulder a slight push, then pulled him into a hug. “Do you want me out there?”

Sebastian stood still, letting the hug happen. “It’s a bit late to say no,” Sebastian muttered, his arms remaining loosely at his side as Marcos released him.

“I’m sorry about—”

“Don’t.” Sebastian exhaled slowly. “You didn’t do anything.” He offered a smile, though it came out slanted and wrong.

Marcos ran his knuckles down Sebastian’s cheek, then went to walk out of the bedroom, but Sebastian grabbed his arm.

“Wait.”

“Have you changed your mind?” Marcos asked.

“No. I just…” Sebastian trilled his lips. “Loren might call me Bao. I just don’t want you to make something of it.”

“Bao?” Marcos raised his eyebrow, then lowered his voice to a whisper. “Oh, my God. Is that your Vietnamese name?”

A huge grin slipped onto his face, and his eyes lit up as his hands came to Sebastian’s cheeks, squishing them together.

“You are not allowed to use it.” Sebastian’s eyes stayed sharp as Marcos shifted his cheeks around. “I’m just letting you know so you don’t do…this.”

Sebastian swatted Marcos’ hands away, his face setting hard again, and Marcos tried to match him, though his mouth kept twitching.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Sebastian shook his head, moving past Marcos to grab a shirt and throw it on. His pulse was too fast and heavy as he walked back to the kitchen, and Marcos’ footsteps behind him were not helping.