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“Of course,” I murmur into her shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Sleep well.” She gives me one last squeeze before disappearing into her room down the hall.

I slip into mine, closing the door behind me. It’s pitch black, the shadows swaying and shifting in the darkness, and I probe along the wall for the light switch.

Suddenly, a hand clamps over my mouth. I shriek, muffled by the palm pressed to my lips, and thrash against the arm winding around my waist, yanking me back against a firm chest.

“Shh.” A familiar voice murmurs in my ear. “Calm down, princess. It’s only me.”

Sebastian. I sag against him as he removes his hand from my mouth, keeping his other arm firmly around me.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” His breath ghosts over the side of my neck. “I wanted to see you.”

My pulse begins to slow, steadying in my veins as I turn in his arms. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a guy check on the girl he cares about?”

Wouldn’t he have texted me at least, if he cared about me?

“I…” How do I say this without sounding needy or clingy? “How was the dinner?”

“It was fine,” Sebastian says. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time.”

His words sound sincere. I chew my lip. What if he’s telling me what I want to hear?

“Really?” I hate how small my voice always sounds. “Because you seemed pretty tense on the drive here. And your dad…”

His arms tighten around me. “That had nothing to do with you, princess. It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

He cups my face in his hands, his thumbs stroking over my cheekbones. “This isn’t the time or place to get into it. I promise I’ll explain everything when we’re back at college.”

“But why can’t you tell me now?” I demand, frustration bubbling up inside me. “I thought we were past keeping secrets from each other. I thought we were… I don’t know, something.”

“We are something. There are things I need to figure out first.”

“What things?” I search his face, trying to read the emotions flickering behind his eyes. “Sebastian, please. I want to understand.”

“I know you do. And I want to tell you, I do. But not here. Not now. This isn’t just about us.”

“Then what is it about?” I take a step back.

He closes his eyes, exhaling slowly. “My family. My father. It’s… it’s a fucking mess, Lil. And I don’t want to drag you into it. Not yet.”

“I can handle it, and wouldn’t it help you to have someone to talk about it? I want to be there for you, just like you are for me.”

“I know, princess. And I appreciate that, I really do.” He reaches for me, and I let him pull me into his arms again. “But let me handle it my way, okay? Let me protect you from this shit for a little while longer.”

I want to argue, to demand answers. But something in his tone stops me. Something raw and almost… afraid.

So instead, I nod against his chest, breathing in the scent of him. “Okay. But promise me, as soon as we’re back—”

“I’ll tell you everything. Ipromise.”

I capture his lips with mine, and he responds instantly, his arms tightening around me.

“I should probably go,” he says. “Before someone catches me in here.”

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