Page 18 of Come to Bed

He licked his lips. “You were chubby in high school, but damn girl those curves, you sure grew into them.”

“Looks like you didn’t grow into yours.” I attempted to escape his grip, but his fingers tightened.

“That’s not very nice, I was trying to take pity on you. I’m a nice guy.”

“Clearly.” I reached up to remove his hand and practice some of my self-defense classes when a voice behind me had me stiffening.

“Now Mr. Lewis, this isn’t how you treat women.”

James mumbled an apology, dropping his hand and leaving me to the devil himself.

The man I was trying my best to avoid.

Mr. York; my senior year calculus teacher.

Chapter thirteen

Izzy

Iwas startled further when I settled my gaze on him, he looked… Different. I wouldn’t recognize the man before me if it weren’t for his voice. It was unmistakable. The soothing tone once comforted me when I was at my lowest. I fell into it. I believed he was just a kind man.

That wasn’t the case at all.

“Mr. York,” I greeted stiffly. I forced myself to push down my emotions. It was a technique I used to compartmentalize the parts of my life that were poisoned by this man. He was the reason I learned self-defense, why I left this town and never looked back, why I couldn’t fly unless I was ten sheets to the wind.

He would not be the reason I broke down. I wouldn’t allow him any more power than he already had.

“Now Bel, you know I told you to call me Sebastian.”

The man stepped closer to me. He reached out, sweeping some of my hair behind my ear. I was frozen in place.

In high school, he dressed immaculately. He always wore thick-framed glasses that hid the color of his eyes and kept his hair shaved close to his scalp. Now?

He dressed in a leather jacket and all his uncovered skin was adorned in intricate tattoos. His black hair was touched in gray and fell in waves around his face. His charcoal eyes were on full display without any lenses obscuring their view. He was objectively handsome, but I knew better. His entire aura was opaque, shrouded in darkness. This was not a nice man.

“They allow you to teach like this?” I settled on the words. My legs began to once more function, allowing me to take a step back and put space between us.

Sebastian’s eyes tracked my movement like the predator he was. “I quit ten years ago. Worked with my family, and then I moved. Where is your dearest Yara?”

I gulped audibly and glanced around, trying to find Maddox or Oliver, but I couldn’t locate either. My emotions were trying to prickle up but I stamped them back down. “Sick. Where did you move to?” I continued the conversation without much thought, contemplating an exit strategy from this man.

“Sorry to hear that about Yara.” A mockingly solicitous expression slid across his face. “I recently moved to New York.”

My eyes shot to his. “Where in New York?” I asked shakily.

Sebastian’s face darkened further, his eyes turned to infinite soulless canyons. “You know where.”

Surely, he didn’t. He couldn’t have found and followed me. Suddenly, I felt entirely too exposed. My eyes landed on Hallie. Fuck. I caught her gaze and waved. This time, I was ready when a hand tried to stop me, and I dodged him as I beelined it to my step-sister.

“Izzy, there you are. No hard feelings, right? Sometimes men just need a little less to hold onto.” Hallie wasted no time in her verbal assault, but for once I was grateful for her presence.

Sebastian preferred operating in the shadows, he would not want to make a scene. “No hard feelings,” I agreed. “Harry,” I acknowledged his existence. He didn’t deserve it, but I needed to use their company until I could find Maddox or Oliver.

“Bel, I’m sorry, you know I still love you. If you want to talk to me, I am always here for you.”

The cheating pig’s voice was reminiscent of grinding brakes. I shivered disgustedly at the nickname. I had told him multiple times not to use it. I found myself once more questioning my sanity. And my choice in men.

“Thanks,” I responded emotionlessly.

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