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“Me, too.”
He takes my hand and leads me out of the door. We take the elevator and walk out onto the street, where we see the black car waiting for him. We head toward it.
“April!” a voice calls, we turn to see Duke.
My heart drops as I come to a stop. “Duke.”
Oh, crap.
Sebastian tries to drop my hand and I grip it harder, keeping him close.
“Duke, this is Sebastian.”
Duke nods, and Sebastian forces a smile. “Hello.”
He tries to release my hand again, and I hold it with white-knuckle force.
“Are you two…?” Duke frowns as he looks between us.
“We are,” I reply.
Sebastian rolls his lips, uncomfortable with this conversation.
“Can I speak to you?” Duke’s eyes flick to Sebastian. “Alone?”
Sebastian tries to escape my vice-like grip, and I squeeze it in a silent warning. “No, Duke, I’m sorry. There is nothing further to say. We’ve been over it a hundred times.”
“I… I can’t move on,” Duke splutters.
Sebastian drops his head. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
My heart breaks but I keep a hold of Sebastian. He needs to be here for this conversation. I don’t want him to feel insecure all over again.
“I’m in a relationship with Sebastian, Duke. I’m sorry that we didn’t work out, but you need to accept my decision.”
Duke’s nostrils flare, his angry eyes find Sebastian. “She’ll never marry you. She doesn’t want children. She’ll spit you out like she did me.”
Sebastian stares at him, remaining silent.
“Duke,” I sigh.
“Tell him,” Duke spits. “Tell him you never want to live with someone. Tell him you never want to get married.”
Sebastian tries to pull his hand free. “Stay here, Sebastian!” I snap, losing the last of my patience.
“No.” He pulls away and walks toward the car.
My eyes find Duke. “You and I weren’t right for each other,” I say softly. “And I know that for certain now that I’ve met Sebastian. You will understand, too, when you meet the right person. I promise you.”
“She will never marry you. She’s broken!” Duke calls to Sebastian, losing the last of his control
Sebastian stops and turns back toward us.
Oh God, could this conversation get any worse?
“We’ll see,” Sebastian replies sharply. “You will respect her decision and stay away from her.”
My eyes flick to Sebastian.
“Goodbye Duke,” he snaps. “My condolences, but we won’t have this conversation again. This is your first and last warning: stay away from her. April, let’s go.”
He takes me by my hand and ushers me into the back of the waiting car. The door shuts behind us, and I stare at Duke on the pavement as we pull out into the traffic.
Sebastian sits beside me, his steel gaze looking out the window as we drive.
“Did you write up that prenup for my protection or to prove to yourself that you’re serious about this?” he snarls.
I swallow the lump in my throat, remaining silent.
A bit of both.
He glares at me, as if reading my mind, and I wither a little. “April is going to my house,” he announces to the driver.
I frown. “But—”
“You will be spending the day at my house. You can work from there. Like it or not.”
Jeez.
“And if he dares come near you again—”
“Okay, okay, Sebastian,” I whisper. “Calm down.”
His cold gaze returns to the streets flying by, and I feel my heartrate slowly return to normal. I watch him and try hard to hold in my smile.
Caveman Garcia is hot.
“Flight 121, boarding,” the attendant announces throughout the airport.
It’s Friday morning, and we were supposed to leave for the Maldives for the wedding yesterday, but Sebastian had to work late last night.
It’s okay, as long as we get there at some point. I don’t care when.
I’m wearing a fitted black dress with a denim jacket and white slip-on shoes, trying to be casual and dressy at the same time. I have my bag packed, my body primped to perfection, and my nerves firmly intact.
I’m meeting Sebastian’s friends this weekend, and I know how important they are to him. First impressions are everything, and I really want to make a good one.
I have this thing that when I’m nervous, I go quiet, and I know it makes me appear rude.
Remember to talk, remember to talk.
“Let’s go.” Sebastian takes my hand, and we walk out through the gates. It’s a smaller plane than what I’ve ever been on before. That would be just my luck, finally meeting the man of my dreams only to die in a fucking plane crash.
He glances over at me and frowns. “You alright?”
“Yep.”
“You’re quiet.”
I shrug. “Perhaps a little nervous.”
“Nervous?”
“What if your friends don’t like me?”
He gives me a breathtaking smile and pulls me to him. “How could they not?”
He kisses my temple as we walk. “I like you, and that’s all that matters.”
It’s just after 2:00 p.m. when the plane comes to a stop on the runway.
