Page 55 of The Heart

“You said international? Where are we going?” Ava asks.

Sebastian leans forward to answer. “Kathryn Hart’s cell phone went dead just off the north coast of Jamaica. So pack your passports, people. We’re going to the Caribbean.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

SEBASTIAN

“Hey Colt, you need a ride?” Jace asks as we’re leaving the restaurant.

“Ah, no thanks, Jace. I left my helicopter on their roof,” Colton says, jabbing a thumb toward the three of us who actually live there. Everyone stops to stare at him, except for me. I’m just glaring. This man is so fucking ridiculous.

Colton keeps walking, then notices the silence, and turns back to the group.

“What?” He smirks. I roll my eyes and keep walking, brushing past him.

Leena stops to hug everyone goodbye, and I give the group a little wave, so I don’t get shit from Luke later about not beingnice.

As I pull out onto the street, the people in my car are silent.That’s not fucking normal.

I look in the rearview mirror to find Colton clenching his jaw as he glowers out the window, not doubt discontented by this latest op.I get that.

Then my eyes trail over to Leena who is leaning up against the window, staring out. It looks like she’s about to fucking cry.I don’t like that.

I look over to Luke, he doesn’t look happy either.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” I run a hand over my face. “I think I preferred your goddamn singing,” I grumble, not sure what I’m supposed to do about this, but knowing I don’t like it. Luke glances back at Leena, just now noticing the pained look on her face.

“Leena? You doing alright, baby girl?” he whispers, urging her to speak. I hear her sniffle.Okay, I really don’t like that.

“I just… this will be the first Christmas that… that…” She sniffles again.Fuck.“That I don’t see Kat. We don’t really get along, but still. We always see each other on Christmas.” Her voice is barely a whisper. I run a hand over my mouth, my jaw tight.

I never got along with my sister Savannah either, but then I went and fucking left her behind, throwing away any chance at seeing her again. Not Christmas, not birthdays… never. That was my fault. But none of this is Leena’s. She shouldn’t have to go through this. The woman I love shouldn’t be sad on Christmas.

I have to fix this.

“We’ll get her back. You know we will. No more tears, darling. What do you want to do for Christmas Eve?” I reach back, placing a hand on her knee. She thinks for a moment.

“I don’t know, what do you guys normally do?” she asks softly.

“Seb and I have never done anything in particular, we just go to my parents’ for a couple days, then come home,” Luke says, shrugging as he glances at me.

He’s right, we’ve never been good at holidays. We’ve never even given each other a present. It just felt… weirdto do that before.

“What about you?” she asks Colton.

“I’m… I was going to… um. Sit at home, watch TV?” he says. And I realize how pathetic it sounds whenhefucking says it.

Maybe we should do something.

“Okay, that’s it. We’re doing something,” I grumble. Luke’s eyes shoot to me, and I give him a sideways glance.Yeah, I know, I know,I roll my eyes.

This woman is making me soft.

I glance in the mirror, and find Leena’s big, hopeful eyes staring at me, a little smile on her lips. It makes me all warm knowing that maybe I put it there.

Fucking soft as shit.

“What do you want to do?” she asks quietly, sitting up straight in her seat.

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