Page 29 of The Final Rose

My thoughts are interrupted when the front door swings open and no one but Sebastian waltzes in with a big cup of coffee in hand.

It’s like lightning moving through my body. I jump outside my skin. My hand finds a door handle and I yank it open without looking where I am going.

When I close the door, darkness takes over and I realize I just locked myself in a closet.

I breathe through my nose, my hand over my chest, trying to control my heart rate.

I can’t do this.God, and if I can’t do this?

This is my job. Sebastian is my job. I don’t have time to hide from him.

On the other hand, staying with the girls is my job, too. Eventually, living together and competing gets under everybody’s skin. I’ll be busy as fights and disagreements sparkle through the mansion. For the next few weeks, I’ll be a young mother to my overly grown and very misbehaving children.

Biting my lip, I stay put while I hear Sebastian go about his day, saying good morning to the crew and preparing for today’s schedule.

Anya knows something weird is going on and if I’m being honest with myself, I know it, too. Something strong pulls me to Sebastian. It takes one second, and he’s able to disarm me.

I’m stupid to believe his intentions and now that Anya is watching me?

I can’t let this take over my life.

Avoiding Sebastian isn’t going to be a big deal. I’ll concentrate my efforts on the girls. Other people can keep an eye on him.

The closet door swings open, and of course, Sebastian is there. I gulp, and he watches me with humor I don’t appreciate. His mouth curves gently as he holds the door open.

“Someone saw you getting in here, but they thought, why would Callie stay that long in a closet?”

I swallow a lump. “I’m checking something.”

“Care to share what?”

“No.”

“No? So, it’s a secret?”

“It’s not a secret. You’re just not invited to know.”

“Damn, you’re cranky in the morning.”

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m always cranky.”

“Do you want me to bring you coffee?”

“No, just close the door.”

He stops for a second. “This door?”

“Can you close the door, please?” I ask again, my eyebrows raised.

“And leave you in a closet in the dark?” I bite inside my cheeks, refusing to be in this joke. He looks at me like I’m nothing but fun, his eyes shining.

“Yes, I’d love if you--”

“No problem,” he says and swings the door closed.

As soon as it clicks close, I groan. This is stupid. If I’m this bad at avoiding him, I won’t last a minute. Now I’m in the dark, in a goddamn closet, for no good reason. If I’m going to put real distance between Sebastian and me, it needs to be because I know deep in my bones that we must establish some boundaries.

I take a second preparing to see the world. I don’t owe anyone an explanation. I can just go back in there and–

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