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“It wasn’t a question. So you can either get on my back, or I will follow you like a creep until I’m sure you’re in your bed.”

“Fine.”

He guides my arms into his jacket and hoists me onto his back, securing my thighs with his hands. I cling to him, resting my head on his shoulder as he carries me out of the bathroom.

“Let me know if you see the guy, okay?”

I make a noncommittal noise, unsure how to process what happened between us.

“Did he approach you?” he asks.

“No, I… I just felt like he was watching me, and then I walked out, and he followed.”

His grip on my thighs tightens.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “For coming, I mean.”

“I’ll always be here if you need me, princess.”

Just like a knight in shining armor.

The journey to my dorm passes in a blur and in silence. I’m hyper-aware of every point of contact, the heat of his body seeping into mine and the flex of his muscles beneath my fingertips.

He navigates the hallways with ease, nodding at a few passing students who eye us. I keep my face hidden, not wanting to deal with their speculative looks or whispered gossip because I’m sure everyone knows who and what Sebastian is. A playboy.

But what if they’re wrong? What if Jason is wrong?

Finally, we reach my room.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I whisper, hating how small my voice sounds.

Sebastian is quiet for a moment, his thumb absently stroking my thigh. “Because I care about you, Lil. More than I probably should.”

I suck in a sharp breath, unprepared for his honesty. For the way it makes something flutter in my belly, something dangerously close to hope. I didn’t expect this.

“You don’t even know me,” I say.

“I know enough. I know you’re smart, funny, and fucking gorgeous. I know you’ve been through some shit that’s left scars. I know you try to hide it, but I see you. The real you. I saw it the first night you hid in my room and punched me. I always did and always will.”

Tears prick at the back of my eyes, and I blink, not wanting him to see how much his words affect me. How much I want to believe them.

Sebastian shifts, gently setting me down and turning to face me. His hands come up to cradle my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that escaped. “What is going on in your head?”

I stare up at him, my vision blurred. I’m terrified. Terrified of letting him see the broken, ugly parts of me. Terrified of being vulnerable, of being hurt again. Of being left alone.

Hide.

“I need to be alone. Please.”

Chapter 11

Sebastian

I should’ve stayed. I should’ve pushed harder, demanded she talk to me. But I didn’t. I just kissed her forehead like some chump and walked away. What a fucking joke.

Connor and Brandon burst into the room, their laughter ricocheting off the walls, followed by Blake, Naomi, and a gaggle of girls trailing behind them like butterflies. I force my lips into a tight smile, trying to shake off the frustration that coils around my chest like a python.

It’s been days since I made her cum, and the memory of her writhing beneath me sends a shudder rippling through my body. The way she came apart on my fingers, crying out my name… it was better than any high I’ve ever chased.

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