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Sebastian

Levi was fuckingright. I already screwed this up.

Lil hauls open the door to the bathroom, and I rush after her, slipping in before she can close it.

“Lil, wait—”

She whirls around, eyes downcast. “What do you want?”

“There’s nothing going on with Blake, I swear.”

“You don’t need to defend yourself.” Her lips twist into a bitter smile. “There’s nothing between us. You can do whatever—or whoever—you want. I mean, we never said we’re together. You’re just Gemma’s brother.”

Her words sting, even though she’s right. We’re not together. Not officially. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s the only one I want. And the fuck, she is my girlfriend because that’s how it feels even if she isn’t on the same page yet.

I take a step closer, my hands reaching out to cradle her face. “Don’t say that. You know it’s nottrue.”

She doesn’t meet my gaze, her eyes fixed on the floor. I tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me. Tears are gathered in those beautiful eyes, one rebellious drop escaping down her cheek.

Fuck. Seeing her cry twists something inside me. I brush the tear away with my thumb. “Talk to me, princess. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

She shakes her head, a shaky breath leaving her lips. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry.”

“Hey.” I brush my thumb over her cheek, wiping away another stray tear. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Seeing you with her reminded me of Mike. And after what happened at the stadium, I thought… you’re annoyed by me…”

“Lil, listen to me. I could never be annoyed by you. Not in a million fucking years.”

“But at the stadium, after we—you seemed annoyed.”

I shake my head, a humorless chuckle escaping my lips. “That wasn’t annoyance, princess. That was me trying to control myself. Trying not to drag you off somewhere private and finish what we started.”

Her eyes widen, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” My thumb roams over the curve of her bottom lip. “You drive me fucking crazy. In the best way possible.”

Her lips part slightly.

“I don’t want Blake. I don’t want anyone else. Just you.”

“But why?” Her voice is barely a whisper. “I’m not… I’m not like her. Like them.”

My heart clenches at the vulnerability in her eyes. How can she not see how incredible she is? “You’re right. You’re not like them. You’re so much more.”

I press my forehead against hers, our noses brushing. “You’re smart, and funny, and kind. You’re strong as hell, even if you don’t always see it. And fuck, you’re so beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes.”

A small smile tugs at her lips, and it’s like I’ve won the fucking lottery. “You really mean that?”

“Every word.” My hand slides into her hair. “You gotta trust me, please.”

I want to kiss her so fucking bad, to show her how much I need her. How did I ever get by without her? But I hold back, waiting for her to make the move.

“I do trust you,” she says.

“Yeah?” I lean in, my lips hovering over hers. “Prove it.”

And then she’s kissing me, her arms winding around my neck, her body molding to mine like she was made for me. And in that moment, with her in my arms, everything else fades away. The party, the people, the bullshit. None of it matters. All that matters is her. Us. This.