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CHAPTERTWO
“Jesus, look at this place,”said Sebastian as he helped Kayla out of the taxi they’d taken from JFK to Max and Willa’s new penthouse. The building in front of them was a tower of glass and steel, arching up into the sky, the windows glinting in the sunshine.
Instead of staying in a hotel, they’d accepted Max and Willa’s invitation to stay with them while they were in the city. Lauren and Theo would be staying with them as well, and Kayla was beyond excited for the reunion with her two closest friends. In fact, thinking about seeing her friends was the only thing that had kept her tethered last night while she’d tried to sleep, while she and Sebastian had made their way to the airport to catch their flight. Then on the plane, she’d tried both reading and watching a movie on her iPad to distract herself from her swirling thoughts, but nothing had worked. She didn’t even know how many times she’d touched her stomach over the past twelve hours, wondering if a tiny little life was sprouting there, part her, part Sebastian. Just the thought sent her heart racing and her stomach flip flopping over on itself.
She really, really needed to get her hands on a pregnancy test so that she could put all of the uncertainty to rest. And the more she thought about taking a test, the more she realized that there was a specific outcome she was hoping for. She didn’t want a negative and the so-called relief it would bring. Even though a baby wasn’t in their immediate plans and would be a total surprise, she wanted the test to be positive.
“Hey, you okay?” asked Sebastian for what had to be the tenth time since last night. He set their bags on the sidewalk in front of Max and Willa’s building, and she took a moment to admire the way the movement pulled his navy blue T-shirt tight against his bigger-than-ever biceps.
“Yeah, sorry. Just didn’t sleep well last night.” She reached for one of the bags, but he playfully swatted her hand away. The air was warm and sweet, and a pang of nostalgia put a small smile on her lips. As happy as she was in Lake Tahoe, maybe she did miss the city a little. The bright yellow taxis cruising up and down East 23rd, the pedestrians bustling up and down the sidewalk, lost in their own little worlds. The city had a vibration to it that made it feel so incessantly alive. Not alive the way Lake Tahoe was, with its stunning wilderness and gorgeous nature, but alive with humanity. Alive with a kind of collective energy that was wholly unique to New York.
“Gorgeous,” she said, realizing she’d never responded to Sebastian’s earlier statement. “Willa said that their penthouse cost over sixty million dollars. Can you imagine?”
Sebastian let out a low whistle. “Maybe you picked the wrong Prescott.”
She laughed and fisted her hand in the soft cotton of his T-shirt, tugging his hard, sculpted body against hers. “Not a chance.” Her stomach fluttered and she bit her lip, uncertainty mingling with hope and excitement and the nostalgic freshness of being back home.
No matter what unfolded over the next few days, she had a feeling it’d be a weekend to remember. Seeing her friends again, enjoying Lucian and Olivia’s wedding, spending time in the city.
They stepped inside the breathtaking lobby, which looked like something out of a high-end hotel. Marbled walls, mosaic tiled floors, enormous vases of fresh flowers on every available surface. A woman in a smartly tailored skirt suit stood behind an elegant desk and smiled warmly at them.
“Good afternoon,” she said. “May I ask who you’re here to see?”
“Max and Willa Prescott,” answered Sebastian, pushing a hand through his hair and making a strand fall down onto his forehead. Kayla bit her lip again, this time in response to the lust surging through her. How did he manage to only get sexier with time?
Wait, wasn’t crazy horniness a pregnancy symptom? Granted, she was pretty much always horny around Sebastian.
God, she really needed to get her hands on a test so she could stop playing this game with herself.
The woman behind the desk typed something into her computer and then nodded. “You must be Sebastian and Kayla. I’ll just need you to sign in here and show some ID and then I can issue you one of the guest keys provided by Mr. and Mrs. Prescott.”
As they presented their drivers licenses and Sebastian signed them in, Kayla grinned. It was still a trip to hear Willa referred to as Mrs. Prescott.
Maybe someday I’ll know what that feels like.
They headed to the private elevator in the corner and hit the button for the penthouse. With everything swirling through her, Kayla felt a little untethered, and so she did what she always did when she felt like that.
She reached for Sebastian’s hand, weaving her fingers between his much larger ones, and something inside her settled into place at the feeling of his palm against hers.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” he asked. He turned and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, studying her intently. “I know I keep asking you that. I just keep feeling like there’s something up with you. Did I do something? Kayla, you gotta tell me if I fucked up somehow.”
His features were tight with concern, so she reached up and stroked her fingers over his stubbled cheek. “You didn’t fuck up, baby. I promise. I guess being back here is just bringing up a lot of emotions and if I’m a little quiet, it’s because I’m processing.” Which was true. Sort of.
Relief flickered over his face and he nodded. “I get that. Being back here brings up a lot of complicated emotions for me, too.”
The elevator doors slid open onto a massive living room with a soaring ceiling and floor to ceiling windows that provided a breathtaking view of Manhattan from three sides.
“Kayla!” Willa Prescott came barreling at her, wrapping her slim arms around Kayla’s neck and pulling her in for a long, tight hug. “I’m so glad to see you! I missed you so much.” Kayla hugged her back, her heart feeling full at seeing her friend in person again. Willa pulled away and shot Sebastian a warm smile. “And of course, I’m happy to see you, too, Bastian.”
He pulled her in for a hug just as Max, Theo, and Lauren emerged from elsewhere in the sprawling penthouse.
“Holy shit, you look good,” said Theo, coming forward and pulling Sebastian into a bear hug. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”
“Sobriety, therapy, and Kayla,” said Sebastian with a grin.
Kayla hugged Theo, Lauren, and Max, and then Willa grabbed her hand while Max and Sebastian dealt with the luggage. “Let me give you a tour and show you your room.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind putting everyone up?” asked Kayla, leaning into Willa. God, she’d missed her sweet warmth and positive energy. There was no one like her, as far as Kayla was concerned. Being with Willa was like basking in gentle sunshine.
