Page 53 of An Acquired Taste

“No. You’re alright.” I close my eyes, take a deep breath. Declan being here is going to make this harder, but that’s fine. It’sfine. I just need to start telling the truth and then the words will flow, I’m sure of it. “I’m the one who fucked up. I haven’tbeen honest with you, Maisy, I’m sorry. Declan and I broke up a few months ago.”

“Six months,” Declan says. “Next week will be six months.”

Shit. He’s right. I lost track of time, but it is awfully close to that, isn’t it? Which means my contract with Sebastian…

I yank my thoughts back to the present as Maisy’s eyes go wide.

“Oh… oh, no, Amelia, I’m sorry, I had no idea.” She looks between me and Declan, who is still fucking standing here for some reason. “Was it because you had to travel for your new job?”

“You got a new job?” Declan asks, giving me a puzzled look.

“Yes, I did, but not the job you think, and that’s not why we…” I pause, leveling a look at Declan. “Hold on, first of all, you need to get the fuck out of here.”

“Wait.” Declan takes a step toward me, giving me that puppy-dog look that has worked far too many times in the past. “I need to say something first.”

“You really don’t,” I say through gritted teeth, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

“I made a mistake,” he continues. “I didn’t mean any of those things I said, and you left so quickly, it—”

“And what about the other girl?” I snap, unable to take that self-pitying tone of his, like he’s the victim here. “Did you meanthat?”

Maisy gasps, then slaps a hand across her mouth.

“That… that was…” He stutters, looking uncomfortable. “It’s over, I swear.”

I roll my eyes. “Let me guess, she dumped you and that’s why you’re here.”

He stares at me. I get the sense this is not how he thought the conversation would go. Because of course it isn’t. He expected me to be a doormat, like I have been many times over the years.

Maisy slides over to my side and takes my hand in a show of support. “You heard her, Dec. Leave.”

“But it isn’tfair,” he says, his voice taking on a definite whine. It makes my ovaries shrivel just remembering that I used to have sex with him. “Just hear me out, Amelia. I still love you. I realized how much I needed you when you were gone. It’s always been us, and I don’t want that to end over one mistake.”

“Onemistake?” I ask, taking a step forward. “Declan, you took advantage of me for years. You let me support you through school when you had no intent of returning the favor. You bailed on me last minute and were willing to let me and my sister pay the price for it. And even before that, things were…” I wave a hand. “Fine. They were always justfinebecause I thought that was the best I could get. But now…” My thoughts drag me unwillingly toward memories of Sebastian. His dark eyes, his stubble under my fingertips, his lips against mine, his hand between my legs— I pull my mind away, but still, it helps me find the words I want to say. “I deserve better, Declan. I always have. We aredone.”

“Amelia?”

For a moment, I think my vivid memories summoned the voice from the depths of my mind. But no. No, the truth is much worse. As I turn slowly—along with my sister, and Declan—I see Sebastian standing just outside of the still-open apartment door.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ithink I’m in shock. It’s hard to make sense of Sebastian standing in an LA apartment complex, dressed in one of his usual mouth-watering suits. I’ve never seen him outside of a vampire ball or his own estate before, and it’s like a man photoshopped into a painting he doesn’t belong in.

“Sebastian?” I turn toward him, away from Declan and my sister. “What are you doing here?” I pause. “How did you know where to find me?”

“Ellen told me that you left, and this was the address we had on file for you,” he says. “I’m sorry, I realize this is inappropriate, but I was afraid that you weren’t going to come back, and…” He takes a step toward me. His eyes flit around, almost as panicked as I feel, but then his gaze lands on me and steadies. “I wanted to apologize.”

I blink. Blink again. I still can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact this is actually happening.

“For leaving without warning,” he continues when I don’t speak. He takes another step forward. I can see tension in the line of his shoulders, and I know how much effort it must take for him to be doing this in front of strangers, considering his reserved nature. It melts my heart, despite his atrocious timing. “It was a foolish, selfish thing to do. When I was told you planned on leaving the estate, I thought… I wasn’t sure what tothink. So I came looking for you to make sure you know…” He trails off as he finally seems to register that Maisy and Declan are both staring at him wide-eyed. He glances from them to me. “I’m… I’m sorry. I’m interrupting, aren’t I? Could we step outside…?”

“Absolutely not,” my sister butts in before I can get a word out. She steps forward, grabs my arm with one hand. “Amelia! Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Her fingers are trembling. She must have never been around a vampire before; I almost forgot the effect they have on humans. Still, she whispers, “Please tell me this is your new, hot boss-slash-boyfriend.”

“This is my sister, Maisy,” I say. “Maisy, this is my…” I shake my head. “This is, um. Sebastian.”

“How do you do?” Sebastian says with a formal little nod. “Lord Sebastian de Celeste.”

Maisy lets out a strangled sound like a kettle releasing steam. “You’re a… a…”

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