Page 29 of From Fake Dates to Forever Goals

“I like the Sebastian I see when no one is around,” Ava says. Her words hit home, cutting through the layers I’ve built around myself.

“What do you mean?” I ask, though I think I already know.

“I don’t know what happens to you when you’re around other people, but you’re just someone else completely,” she explains, her gaze steady and sincere.

She’s right. Being in the spotlight for so long made me feel like I had to be a performer, whether on the field or off. I’d become so accustomed to playing a role that I forgot how to just be Sebastian—the guy who loved soccer for the game itself, not for the fame it brought.

I let the wrong things take over. The fame, the money, the constant need for validation—it all pushed me toward people who weren’t really there for me. They were there for their own fleeting moments in the limelight.

And it blinded me. It turned me into someone I don’t like.

“You’re right, and I’m sorry,” I finally tell her, my voice low but firm. “About everything. I was an asshole to you in the past. Betting my teammates I could sleep with you was a dick move, and then calling you an entitled brat just made it worse. I shouldn’t have done any of that.”

I can see my words catch her off guard. She wasn’t expecting this, and honestly, neither was I. But it’s been weighing on me for far too long, buried under layers of denial and arrogance.

“Thank you,” she says after a moment, her voice soft but steady. She takes a deep breath before continuing. “It hurt when I overheard all that because, admittedly, I liked you back then. After that, you just became another—”

“Arrogant asshole?” I interject, offering her a small smile. Those were her exact words when she confronted me back then, standing tall and refusing to let me off the hook.

She laughs, the sound light and genuine. “Well, you were.”

“I was,” I admit, nodding. “But I’m trying to be better.”

“You are,” she says, her expression softening. “And you’re getting there. Sebastian Kane can be redeemed yet,” she adds playfully, giving me a gentle shove.

What started as nothing more than a façade is transforming how I see myself and the world around me. Ava has become my mirror, showing me parts of myself I’d buried or ignored.

It’s strange how quickly she’s changed everything. Though I cherish every moment with her, I can’t shake the insecurity gnawing at me. Does she feel the same way? Or am I the only one falling in too deep?

nine

Ava

Sebastian apologized. Something I never thought would happen.

I was hurt by his words for so long that I held on to them, letting them cloud my vision of who he was or who he could become. Now, the more time I spend with him, the more I realize he isn’t at all like the person he pretends to be.

It feels as if my whole world has shifted in the last few days. Seeing this side of Sebastian is refreshing, but at the same time, it stirs unexpected feelings for him. I promised myself I wouldn’t fall for him again after what happened, but being so close to him and getting to know him—both emotionally and physically—is making that promise harder to keep.

Whatever I’m feeling for him, I’m not quite ready to name it just yet. Our fake relationship, which I initially thought was just a ruse, is beginning to blur the lines of reality. I’m starting to wonder if I’m the only one feeling this way.

Only time will tell if our feelings are mutual or if I’ve just fallen for the guy I never expected to.

When Annie returns from her honeymoon a few days later, she wants to meet for drinks. We haven’t seen each other since the wedding, and there’s so much to catch up on. We meet at our favorite bar. I arrive earlier than expected, waiting for her.

Annie comes rushing through the door with her arms open wide. She wraps me in a warm hug, and I can see she’s glowing with joy.

“I missed you so much,” she says, settling into the chair beside me.

“I missed you too,” I admit.

Both our lives have changed over the past week.

“So, how was the honeymoon?”

Annie rolls her eyes with excitement. She’s like a boiling pot ready to spill over.

“It was the most romantic time of my life.” Her giddiness is contagious.

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