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“Not a chance.”
“Okay,” I nod and then repeat, more for my benefit than for his, “Okay.”
I could do this. It’s just walking with my boyfriend, hand in hand. On a red carpet, with millions of people watching this on TV.
Oh. My. God.
Will Kate see it?
She wasn’t one to watch award shows, but… If this is how she finds out, she’s going to skin me alive. I was pretty sure of it.
“I’ve gotcha, Birdy,” Sebastian whispers, reminding me of the more pressing matter at hand.
I don’t get to answer or think really because he opens the door, and our bubble bursts from the loud chatter and the deafening sound of the shutters going off as he slides out of the car.
Sucking in a deep breath, I allow him to pull me out. Silently, I pray that I don’t trip over my dress and fall, not that I believe that Sebastian would allow that to happen, but my thoughts are a wild mess.
Sebastian’s hand slips around my waist, pulling me into his side.
For a second, I debate, just letting him guide me, but then his earlier words ring in my head.
You’re perfect, Birdy.
So I extend my cane and turn to him. “What now?”
In the distance, I can hear the chatter grow louder, and I’m pretty sure I can even hear some surprised gasps, but they all turn into background noise when Sebastian leans down, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. “Now, you smile.”
A shiver runs down my spine, the corner of my mouth tipping upward just before Sebastian’s mouth lands on mine.
In the middle of the red carpet.
At one of the biggest music award shows in the country.
Sebastian Black, the bad boy of rock, kisses me in front of the whole world to see.
And I kiss him back because while they might want the boy smirking at the cameras, I loved the man hiding behind it.
* * *
Every time I listened to an award show on television, it seemed like the thing went on forever. The time stretches even longer in real life.
The prep to even be presentable enough to show up takes hours, then there is the red carpet, which seems to be never-ending between the fans cheering from a distance, the reporters asking questions and taking photos, and old friends meeting after a long time. Add to that that Sebastian’s been gone for the past few months, and it seemed like we were stopped every step of the way.
I stuck to Sebastian’s side, letting him take the lead. After all, this was his world, and it was fascinating to witness him work the room, answering some questions and avoiding others. All the while, his hand was gently pressed against my back, one of his fingers slipped between the ribbons tied over my back, skimming my skin and making the shivers run down my spine just as much as his words did when he presented me as his girlfriend to everybody we encountered.
I’m not sure how long it takes us to finally make our way to our seats, but it feels like an eternity.
I fold my cane and put it in my lap, placing my hand on the armrest. Sebastian puts his palm over mine, so I turn my hand, intertwining our fingers together.
“You okay?” he asks, leaning down so I can hear him over the chatter of the people around us.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in.”
“You’re not planning to run away, are you?” Sebastian chuckles, but I can hear a trace of worry underneath the cheerful exterior.
Was it really surprising? His dad died when he was young, and his mom immersed herself into work, traveling all around the world, while Sebastian had to stay home with a nanny. And then, when he was a grown man, he lost his friend to the same illness that took his father.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I shake my head. “I never imagined I’d be here, that’s all. There are just a lot of people and things going on at the same time. It’s just overwhelming.”
