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SEBASTIAN
? ?? Open mind for a different view… ???
“Ithink that went pretty well, Chase.”
“I do, too. I think she was legitimately considering it. I actually think she might have said yes tonight if she wasn’t so afraid of wanting it.”
“How long do you think she’s going to think about it?”
“Hopefully not too long. I try to be patient, but…”
“Bullshit,” I chuckled, “you’re the least patient person I know.”
My phone sounded with a text notification and I grabbed it from the table. My heart stopped when Raven’s name flashed across the screen.
Raven: Hey, Seb. Are you busy?
Sebastian: For you, I’m never busy. What’s up?
Raven:I… I was wondering…
Sebastian:Raven, what’s wrong?
Raven:A friend dropped by. He got really angry. He chased Brian away. I… fuck.
Sebastian: Little bird, you aren’t making any sense.
“Chase, it’s Raven. Grab your keys, there’s something wrong,” I said, my tone clear and commanding.
He didn’t even argue it. We were out the door before I was even done talking to her.
Sebastian: Give me your address, Raven, we’re hopping in the car now.
Raven:I don’t want to be a bother. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have messaged.
Sebastian:Yes, you should have. I don’t savor the idea of driving around all night, waiting for you to give me your address. So, give it to me now. Please.
Raven:You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?
Sebastian:Not a chance.
I could practically see her rolling her eyes. I would smile if I wasn’t so terrified about what had gotten her in this state.
Raven: 4325 Arlington Rd.
Sebastian: We’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Keep the door locked until we get there.
I gave Chase the address and he pulled a U-turn, tires squealing. He drove like a fucking madman, pulling into her driveway ten minutes later.
Sebastian: We’re here, little bird, let us in.
Raven:Okay.
A minute later, the door opened and for the second time tonight, my heart stopped. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears filling them and coursing down her cheeks. She fell into us on a sob and our arms wrapped around her. I kissed her head, breathing in her scent, vanilla and strawberries.
“Sweetheart, why don’t we get off the porch?” asked Chase, dropping a kiss on her temple.
She led us in and fell onto the couch with a big sigh. We sat down on either side of her, taking her hands in ours.
“Can you tell us what happened?” I asked with concern.
She took a deep breath and more tears ran down her face.
“I have a good friend, Andrew. After the night at the club, I blew up at Leah and then shut off my phone. I called in sick to work the next day, but didn’t turn my phone on. He stopped by after work to check on me because it’s rare that I take a sick day or ignore a text.
“I wound up telling him what had happened and he lost his shit. Went on about how Leah was a shit friend for putting me at risk. He basically came here when I was at my worst and I dumped everything on him.
“Tonight, after dinner, I decided I should try patching things up with Leah, but she didn’t answer her phone. I felt like I needed to talk about it and he’s really my only other friend. I don’t know why I ever thought it would be a good idea to talk to him about this.
“Anyway, I laid out the basics of what happened tonight. I was pretty excited about how things had progressed at dinner. He went absolutely off the deep end. He asked if I was crazy or stupid.”
I couldn’t wait any longer to speak. Chase and I were sitting there with our jaws tense and the hands that weren’t holding hers balled into fists.
“Raven, I…”
“Sorry to cut you off, Seb, but there’s more.”
I looked at Chase, the fury simmering in his eyes, much like my own. I nodded, afraid to say anymore before she’d finished.
“He told me he didn’t sabotage my relationship so that I could become a fucking miscreant, starting one with you two. Apparently, he threatened Brian and his family. He told him they’d stay safe if he ended things with me. It sure does explain the sudden end to that relationship. I thought Andrew was going to attack me,” she cried.
“What did you do?”
“I told him to get the fuck out of my house and intimated I’d call the cops if he didn’t. He stormed out, but I was so afraid to be here alone, which is when I messaged you. I’m so sorry I interrupted your evening.”
“You can call us anytime, day or night, and we’ll always be here for you. You were absolutely right to handle that the way you did. Do you want us to stay here, or would you rather be out of the house for the night?”
“Honestly, right now, I can barely stand being in here.”
“Okay, sweetheart,” Chase said, squeezing her hand, “pack what you need for the weekend and then come home with us. In fact, make sure you pack something for work Monday morning, just in case you want to stay over again.”
“Okay,” she said without hesitation.
She looked down, seemingly realizing she was sitting in a pair of fuzzy jammies. The blush rose on her cheeks.
“Little bird, it’s well after 11 p.m. No one is going to see you and we couldn’t care less about what you’re wearing. Just go pack what you need.”
She nodded and walked to what I assumed was her bedroom. I looked at Chase and kept my voice low so she wouldn’t hear me.
“Do you want to kill the fucker as badly as I do?”
“Fuck, yes. Do you think she’d give us his address?”
“Nope. I tell you, though, if he lays one finger on her or says one more word to upset her like this, there’s nothing in the world that will protect him from me.”
“Or me,” growled Chase.
I smiled when she walked out of her room a few minutes later, toting a bag and still wearing those cute as fuck pajamas. I stepped forward to take her bag as Chase wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.
“Is there anything else you need, little bird?”
“No, I think I have everything, Seb.”
“Off we go then,” I smiled, letting Chase steer her through the door.
I took her keys, locked the door, and thanked my lucky stars that she had reached out to us.
