Page 24 of The Very Naughty List

A fiancé and a best friend? Those relationships are supposed to be worth something, not the kind of thing you betray just because you want to climb the social ladder or get your cock wet with your bride-to-be’s bestie.

“Fuck both of them. Neither of them deserves to have a place in your life or even in your head. You deserve so much better, shortcake.”

She smiles when I use the nickname I used to call her when she’d come to the garage and hang out with me alone. She’s not even that short at five foot five, but compared to me and my brothers, who are all well over six feet, she’s always felt petite to me.

“You know, I wish I could’ve come back to town in a blaze of glory.” She lets out a sad little laugh, as if her entrance back home was a pitiful one. She looks vulnerable, standing in my garage in the dim light with her blonde hair drying slowly around her shoulders. “I haven’t though. To be honest, I wasn’t really doing that well with my dream of becoming a singer. I was gone for two years, and in that time, all that I managed to achieve was working a shitty job in LA that just happened to be related to the music industry. I never even went on one singing audition.”

“What? Why not? You have a great voice.”

I can still remember catching her singing to herself when she would come to study in the garage. I’d be working under a hood, and she’d have her headphones on while doing her schoolwork. She’d always start off kind of quiet, but then the music would take over and she’d belt out a tune. Her voice always sounded like silk to me, melodic enough to tame ocean waves or calm dragons. It added to the many reasons why I liked having her keep me company as I worked.

Hailey shrugs, pinching her lips together.

“I tried, but… every time I set up an audition, I would end up bailing on it and canceling at the last second. I’ve got terrible stage fright.”

“Since when?

“Since I listened to months of Dylan subtly belittling me and my abilities.” She wraps her arms around herself, looking over at my wall of tools. “He always made me feel crazy for wanting to pursue music as a career. He would tell me how competitive it was, and how the odds were so low that I would never get anywhere with it. Even though I tried to shed all that negativity when I moved to LA, I guess it left a mark. And now I just feel kind of like I’ve failed.”

My jaw clenches as I listen to her talk about how that bastard hurt her.

“That’s just one more reason why Dylan Montgomery is a goddamn idiot,” I growl. “You haven’t failed, Hailey. Everyone’s path is different, and it doesn’t have to be a straight line. You haven’t made it in LA yet? Fine, you haven’t made it—yet. That doesn’t mean you can’t or that you won’t. Your voice is beautiful. Like,otherworldlylevel beautiful.”

I can see the effect that my words have on her as she swallows hard and then parts her lips like she needs to get more air.

“Thank you, Sebastian.”

She smiles, almost tentatively, and my fingers twitch with the impulse to reach out for her. I curl them into fists lightly, wishing I had something to do to occupy them.

We aren’t in front of anyone else in here. There’s no one to put on a show for, no one watching. And that means there’s no good reason for me to want to kiss her right now. No real excuse.

Butgod,I want to.

I take a step toward her, and I think she does the same. Unbidden, my gaze drops to her full, pink lips, and my throat tightens as her tongue darts out to wet them. Her delicate throat moves as she swallows, and she tilts her head back almost imperceptibly, like she’s just begging me to?—

A car pulls into the garage, and the rumbling sound of the engine makes us both jerk slightly.

Fucking hell. I left one of the bay doors open, and some invasive ass has decided to barge right in.

As soon as I see Maeve Gaskin step out of the car, I’m not surprised by the audacity. She’s part of that Divas group that was in Hailey’s class at Chestnut Hill High, and she’s almost as prissy and stuck up as Brielle and the rest of that entourage of vipers in heels.

“Hey, Sebastian.” Maeve’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard, the annoying sound rivaled only by the incessant clicking of her heels against my concrete garage floor. For fuck’s sake, how can one person take so many tiny steps? Does she have Dachshund sized legs under her skirt? “I need you to fix my car. It’s broken.”

“Sorry, the shop’s closed at the moment. And it’s obviously notthatbroken if you drove it here,” I point out. “I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow.”

I couldn’t care less about being rude. I don’t need anyone’s business badly enough to be barked orders at.

Maeve makes her way toward me, her face morphing into a pout that shifts into a look of surprise when she notices Hailey standing there too.

“Oh, Hailey Bennett, I heard you were back in town!” She smiles. “All the girls have been talking about your recent homecoming.”

I heard Hailey mumble something under her breath, but Maeve doesn’t catch it. Especially not when Hailey’s smile hides things so well.

“Your mom must be so thrilled to have you back home. I know she’s missed you. And just in time for the holidays too, that’s great! You’ll have to come help us get the Santa’s Workshop display ready for the holiday bazaar!”

“No thanks. I haven’t really had time to settle back in yet, and I?—”

Maeve holds up a hand. “Nope. I’mnottaking no for an answer. You helped every single year when you lived here, and we have to revive the tradition. It won’t be the same without you.”

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