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“Rebecca Cavanaugh, soon to be Steele,” I said with a grin.
“I’ve heard all about you! It’s so great to meet you finally!” Simon exclaimed.
“Really?” I asked, crinkling my brow.
Simon nodded. “Yeah, Seb told me all about your little publicity tour of all these galas and how fun you make it. He said you taught him everything he knows about; what’d you call it, Sebastian? Schmoozing?”
Sebastian studied his Sperry’s as I sat with this information. Now, I felt twenty times worse for assuming Sebastian was sort of a friendless recluse, only kept warm at night by his piles of money and his camaraderie with Albert. He wasn’t a Batman villain!
“He texted me about horseback riding, too. How’d you get him to do that?” Simon asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Sebastian’s terrified of horses. We went on a horseback ride on the beach when we were in Cabo for Spring Break during college. He was white knuckling it the entire time. The instructor gave him this old pony. His toes were practically dragging on the ground, but you’d think he was trying to tame a stallion,” Simon explained.
I turned to Sebastian. “Is that so?”
“I told you I’ve never been around horses before!” Sebastian exclaimed.
“You should’ve told me you were scared,” I said, looping my arm around his waist.
Simon shook his head. “Typical Sebastian. He’s not the most emotionally open guy,” Simon noted.
“The first month we were dating, it was like talking to a brick wall, a very chiseled brick wall, but still.” I ran my fingers along Sebastian’s sculpted chest. Simon guffawed.
“I like you already, Becca,” he said.
“Same here,” I replied. I was stunned for the rest of the night as dozens of men approached Sebastian and tackled him in enthusiastic bear hugs. Sebastian’s friends loved him. Throughout the night, I found out why: he was a great friend. I was regaled with tales of Sebastian’s kindness, how he stayed up late with his friends cramming for finals, and how he was always there during breakups or big life events. He was Simon’s best man when he got married! Simon was going to be his. It was a whole new side to Sebastian. I realized that he wasn’t the cold, ruthless businessman I originally thought he was. The version of Sebastian he presented to Boston society was a carefully crafted one. Once he acquired his money, he thought Boston high society would welcome him with open arms. When that didn’t happen, he became callous as a defense mechanism. He was trying to protect himself from getting hurt again, in business and pleasure.
Simon had convinced Sebastian to don a bright green party hat. They snapped a photo together, grinning from ear to ear. It reminded me of Jasmine and me. My heart melted.
Sebastian walked over to me and kissed my temple. “I’m grabbing a drink. Do you want anything?” he asked.
“Sure, I’ll grab a beer,” I said. It was a crisp, clear night. If there weren’t so much light pollution in Boston, we would probably be able to see the stars.
“Since when do you drink beer?” Sebastian asked.
“It’s patio season! Plus, I don’t feel like a cocktail. My stomach’s still a little funky from my birth control,” I explained.
Sebastian’s brow furrowed. “Are you still getting headaches?” he asked. I’d been texting him during the whole saga.
“I took Tylenol before I got here,” I said, shrugging it off. Sebastian looked concerned. He didn’t like seeing me uncomfortable. It was cute, in a way.
“I’m sure my body will adjust. It’s only been two weeks,” I added.
“Still. You shouldn’t have to be miserable,” Sebastian replied. We walked over to the bar, and Sebastian flagged down the bartender, who returned moments later with two foamy beers garnished with orange peels.
“I talked to my sister about it, and she said you should ask them to lower your dose,” he added.
I hadn’t thought of that. “That’s actually a good idea,” I noted.
“You talk to your sister about me?”
Sebastian nodded. “I talk to my sister about everything important to me. You’re important to me,” he said.
I took a sip of my beer and relaxed against his chest. Sebastian was important to me, too. If only I could tell him the truth.
The DJ started playing a fast song. I grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “Let’s dance,” I said, pulling him toward the dance floor.
