Page 78 of The Heart

When I finally collect myself, I tell them everything. Even the parts about who my father is and about me getting shot.

It’s strange, telling this story in its entirety, because I never have. Sure, I’ve told bits and pieces of it to the team, most of it to Colton, but I’ve never told anyone who cared about my relationship with my men as much as they cared about the op. More, in fact.

I, of course, didn’t go into too much detail about the safehouse, only that we were cooped up there together for nearly a week with literally nothing to do, and that’s when we all first got together. I told them funny stories about living with two men, which they laughed and related to, seeing as both of them have been married for longer than I’ve even known the guys. It was nice to know that some of the strictlymanthings that go on in a household are just as bizarre to them as they are to me. And some of their horror stories make me grateful for how tidy my men actually are, and that neither of them snore.

When the front door opens, Chelsea quickly puts out her cigarette and tosses it down by her feet, dragging the box and lighter off the table and into her lap while Jessica and I both burst out laughing at her sudden panic.

“What the fuck is going on out here?” I hear Sebastian’s deep voice say as he steps out onto the porch. I smile, because hearing him curse for the first time since we got here means he’s comfortable around Luke’s sisters too. He sits down across from me, eying me with a grin that could be considered friendly to anyone who didn’t know we were together. “Chels, give me a cigarette.”

“I don’t–” she starts to say, but he just gives her a look and drops his large arm across the table in front of her and opens his hand. She huffs, then slaps the box and lighter into his palm. “How long have you known?”

“Since you were seventeen,” he mumbles, smiling around the cigarette as he lights it.

“You don’t smoke,” she throws back at him.

“I do tonight,” he grumbles, letting out a breath of smoke, then stares between the three of us. “Did I interrupt something?” His eyes narrow as he studies us.

Shit.

The three of us burst out laughing again, right up until Sebastian casually rests his arms on the table, resting one hand on top of the other, the cigarette between his fingers. Smoke trails up between us in long wisps as he leans forward to stare at me.Reallystare at me. I grow quiet, meeting his gaze, my heart racing from the intensity of it.

Fuck.How does this man know me so well?

I try to continue this little stare-down for as long as possible, but I’m so tired. We hardly got any sleep last night, the drive was long, not to mention the rest of the day. I suppose the alcohol doesn’t help either, so it’s not too long before I crumble under his gaze.

“I didn’t justtell them,Chels guessed!” I say quickly, and his death stare glances over at her slowly, before he brings it back to me.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he growls, then leans back in his chair, taking a long pull on his cigarette without ever taking his eyes off of me. “Lu’s going to be fucking pissed.”

“Sweetheart?”Jessica says. “Fuck, Leena. You broke Seb. I think he just used a term of endearment.”

“He does that a lot.” I try not to smile as I take a long sip of my wine.

“Keep it up, sugar,” he says in warning, giving me a pointed look.

I blush, then shut my mouth immediately. But then my eyes find his, and he’s staring at me with this look that’s all love, relief and adoration. I smile, taking in the sight of him in the low light of the porch.

“Holy fuck, you guys! I’m glad they put you in separate rooms, Jesus!” Chelsea says, snatching her cigarettes from the table and lighting another one.

“This isn’t the first time, is it? That’s why Lu’s never brought a girl home before?” Jessica asks and I look at her, surprised she picked up on that. Then I look at Sebastian, curious how he’ll respond.

“No. Not the first time. But Leena’s different. So she’s here,” he says with that calm, lazy smile of his, and my heart melts all over again for this man.

Because when he saysdifferent, what I really hear isworth it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

SEBASTIAN

Iknow Luke is going to give Leena shit for telling the girls, but I don’t blame her. If she didn’t tell them on that porch, I probably would have.

Luke’s sisters are nosy as fuck, they would’ve figured it out sooner or later. And even though they annoyed the fuck out of me when we were teenagers, they’ve turned out to be good people. They each have their own families, they’re happy and happy for the three of us.

Then here’s Luke… still losing his fucking shit over the day we’ve had.

I look over at him, watching the man pace back and forth across our room, tapping the screen of his phone, looking at it, then pacing. He’s been at this for ten fucking minutes and I’m about ready to tackle his ass so he sits the fuck down.

“She’s in the shower. She probably doesn’t want to get her phone wet,” I say, turning my head to look at him.

---