Page 51 of Little Do You Know

“Only because you tend to bring out the worst of my temper by doing stupid shit. Throwing a party your first night back was not a great idea. I don’t like being an asshole, but I’m not a nice guy. You know this. I don’t plan on hurting you, nor do I want to, but I don’t mind the occasional asshole comment,” Sebastian says, squeezing my hip gently. However, at the mention of the party, I can’t help retreating into myself. This is my opportunity to talk to him about what I suspect has been happening with Vera.

“Bash, I didn’t throw that party.”

He leans up, grazing his lips teasingly over mine. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Everything ended up fine.”

Is it wrong how much it bothers me that he doesn’t want to hear what I’m attempting to say regarding the matter? I pull away, climbing off Sebastian to sit away from him on the bed, crossing my arms over my chest. “No, it didn’t end up fine. You were so pissed at me you wouldn’t even talk to me. Owen was disappointed, and I felt like I let everyone down for something that wasn’t even my fault. ”

The smile on his face drops as he sits up. I can see Sebastian trying to think before speaking. He drags a hand over his face, sighing. “I didn’t want to have a conversation with you because I thought you were the same person you were when you left, Lia. I risked a lot of great things in my life kissing you, only to have it stomped on minutes later. I understand now why you said what you did, but it did not erase how hurt I felt. That is the Thalia I had on replay in my head the fifteen months you were gone, which is why I didn’t feel like talking,” he explains calmly, and I take a deep breath.

“You didn’t even attempt to hear me out, though. You’re still not hearing me when I tried to tell you I didn’t throw the party. You brush me off or say it doesn’t matter, so you must still think there are pieces of the old Thalia here who would have thrown the party.”

Sebastian looks confused, and I don’t blame him. I’m also confused, but I still want him to hear me out. “Obviously there are still pieces of the old Thalia in you. Going to France didn’t erase everything about you.” He pauses to clear his throat. “I’m sorry if I’ve been brushing you off about it, but if you didn’t throw that party, then who did?”

I fall silent, replaying the whole night in my head. Vera came over. She brought Stacy and Jeremy, promising a rager. Stacy called her sorority friends, whom I also know. Vera knows them too. Jeremy called the basketball and swim team. I didn’t call and invite anyone over. I wanted pizza and to sleep.

My conversation with Penelope is still fresh in my mind because there is something off with Vera. I don’t know how to explain it to Sebastian. He won’t understand because I don’t even understand. I still haven’t had a chance to talk to her about how she’s been acting. I want things to be normal again between us, but do I even want that? Her shadiness is confusing on so many levels.

“Thalia?” he prods, and I rub my temples.

“Vera threw the party. I didn’t even invite her over that night. Owen said he talked to her and that she would stop by. I was jet lagged; I only wanted to eat pizza and sleep. I didn’t want to throw a party,” I explain nervously, finally getting my chance to tell him the truth.

I cover my face with my hands, trying to gather my thoughts together because I don’t want to spend this time fighting with him. I feel so stupid. I should have let it go. The comment about the party was supposed to be a joke, but Sebastian was so mad at me about it.

Sebastian pulls my hands away from my face to hold them in his, forcing me to look at him. “I’m sorry. If you say Vera threw it, then I believe you. I should have listened to you when you tried to tell me.”

Hearing Bash say he believes me means the world to me because I didn’t want everything to start on a wrong note. Except it did, and it caused so many messes. I quickly blink back the tears I feel forming, practically launching myself at Sebastian to hug him. His strong arms catch me and immediately wrap around me to hold me.

“Thank you.”

Bash lets out a shaky breath. “Lia, I have to tell—”

“Don’t ruin the moment.” I move my head from his shoulder to where I can easily kiss him again briefly. “I like you, and that’s so scary for me. We’re both risking things for this, and I’m taking that seriously. I appreciate you not giving up on me and believing me.”

His chocolate eyes stare intensely into mine, and I kiss him tenderly. Sebastian holds me close before leaning back, maneuvering me smoothly to lie on top of me. “I like you, too, in case that wasn’t clear.”

I can’t help smiling at Sebastian’s admission. I already know how he feels, but hearing him say it again is really nice. I lift my head to kiss him again as Bash deepens it quickly, his mouth moving hard against mine.

It’s a clash of lips, tongue, and teeth.

I want to forget arguing. That wasn’t the fun or angry kind of argument like we usually have. It was the kind of argument that reminds me of how much power I’m letting Sebastian fucking Walker hold over me. It’s scary.

At one point, I need a breather, but Bash has other plans. His fingers curl around the waist of my shorts, and I giggle breathlessly. “What are you doing?”

“Something I wish I could do more,” he admits, slipping his entire hand into my pants. I jerk underneath him in surprise, not expecting his hand to be as cold as it is. He teases my core, causing me to shift restlessly underneath him. “You’re wet, Lia.”

“Way to state the obvious. If I felt between your legs, I’m sure I’d find your dick hard. Unfortunately, I don’t think we have enough time to get a quickie in before someone gets back,” I reply, still trying to even my breathing, all while keeping my eyes on his face as he tests the waters. If Sebastian doesn’t stop, I’m not going to give a shit whether anyone comes home.

He slowly dips a finger into me as I bite my lip to prevent my moan from escaping at the penetration. “You’re right; we probably don’t have enough time,” Bash agrees, infuriatingly calm.

I grab the bedsheets with one hand, twisting them as he adds another finger. It’s satisfying to feel how hard he is, pressing into my leg from his position over me. “It’s a shame because that’s gotta be painful,”I say, noting how his lips quirk upward.

“I’m fine.”

I’m trying to keep my thoughts straight, but when Sebastian curls his fingers, I give him the reaction he’s looking for as I gasp his name. “Sebastian.”

“Yes?” he asks, repeating the motion with a knowing smile. Cocky son of a bitch.

My breath hitches, and I am trying to find the words I want to say, but I’m completely at his mercy. “Keep…doing that,” I manage to get out as he resumes the slow motion from before. My hips start to move on their own accord, trying to pick up the pace.

---