Page 30 of Little Do You Know

I can’t help but bring my fingers to touch my lips. I had one relationship and a few flings in Paris, but none of them felt like this. Nothing has ever felt like this with anyone but Sebastian. That thought is terrifying.

~

I tossed and turned all night after deciding to try to get some semblance of sleep. I eventually bounced from my room to the kitchen with my textbooks before finally crashing on the couch. My textbook was still draped across my chest on the section about Stalin.

A rustling sound in the kitchen wakes me up. I sit up, causing the stupid textbook to fall into my lap. I shut it, expecting to see Sebastian in the kitchen since he’s usually the one I see out here in the middle of the night. The sunlight peeking through the windows and the refrigerator light reveals that it’s Owen instead.

“What time does your flight leave?” I ask quietly, finally making the first move after weeks of silence. Owen jumps half out of his skin, turning around to look at me.

“Fuck, Lia, what are you doing out here? It’s five in the morning.”

I yawn and hold up my textbook. “I have a hard time sleeping. Stalin did me a favor and put me to sleep for once.”

“I don’t think Stalin did many people favors.” Owen shakes his head at me before sighing. “We leave at eight.”

I pull the blanket over my shoulders as I sit up. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t have much time. Bash will be up any minute since we have to be at the locker room at six.”

“I’m sorry. You were right. There’s no excuse, and I’m sorry.” Blake will be happy. Owen will stop complaining to her about this.

Owen rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry too. What I said was mean, and I shouldn’t have said it. You’re not a child—far from it—which is part of the problem when I treat you like one. You’re different from when you left. It’s taking everyone some getting used to?”

“You’re right. It was mean, but I appreciate the apology,” I say, blinking back tears. “What do you mean everyone?”

“Look, Lia, I’m not dumb,” he starts to say, and my heart stops. Holy fuck, there’s no way he knows about me and Bash. “I know that you’re…you know…pretty? Sorry, it’s bizarre for me to say that because you’re my sister. It’s scary for me, though. I know that guys notice you; they always have, but it terrifies me. You coming home hardly able to walk with a guy scared me. Thank God it was Eric, but what if it had been a guy who didn’t care about making sure you got home safe? What if Bash and I weren’t here? Those what-if questions haunt me when I play things back in my head. I want you to have fun, but I also want you to be safe.”

I listen quietly, taking in Owen’s perspective. It makes sense. It really does.

“I’m not saying that your being pretty is the problem.” Owen drags his hands over his face. “I overreacted to the situation, but I did it because I was afraid. You’re not embarrassing, and I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I didn’t know that you worried so much.” I swallow thickly, pulling my blanket tighter around me.

“I always worry, but that’s my problem, not yours. People are drawn to you, and I understand why. You’re a great person to be around. I want to ask if maybe you don’t get slammed without someone there with you. Bash and I won’t always be there to protect you.”

I’d be laughing if I weren’t so shaken up by Owen’s admission. Sebastian is one of the people I probably need the most protection from. He’d never hurt me, but I think I’m in over my head with him.

I wipe my tears that have slowly started to slide down my cheeks. “I’ll be more careful. Please stop trying to act like Dad and just act like my brother. If you ever talk to me that way again, I’ll hurt you.”

He pulls me into a hug that I gladly return. “I promise I won’t. Just be…smarter. I know you have the brains. Also, could you do me a favor and stop trying to get under Sebastian’s skin so much? If you’d stop treating him like the enemy, you’d see that he’s a great guy. I know you know that. He cares about you a lot, even if he doesn’t like it.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I’ll try.” I pull away, and Owen ruffles my hair.

“You’re going to do great on your test. Show them what you know.”

“I will. Keep me updated on how the game goes.”

“Don’t get mad at me for asking, but you’re not planning on throwing another party while we’re gone, right?” Owen asks slowly, and I can’t help laughing.

“Not a chance.” I don’t bother trying to protest again that I hadn’t thrown the party in the first place. We’re moving on from it. “I should study more since I’m awake. No rest for the wicked.”

“Why don’t you go back to your room and sleep some more? No offense, but you look like hell,” Owen teases, and he’s right.

“Have a safe flight. I’ll see you guys when you get back.” I hug him tightly again.

I don’t run into Sebastian in the hallway, and a part of me is glad. I probably wouldn’t have let him leave for their away game because his words and touch were the reason for last night’s insomnia. I couldn’t stop thinking of the promise behind his kiss, even as I read about Stalin.

It seems too good to be true that everyone will win. Owen will get what he wants. I won’t be treating Bash like the enemy, and hopefully, I’ll get an orgasm out of it. It’d be a shame if he were all talk.The all-consuming way he kisses makes me feel like he’s not all talk.

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