Page 163 of Please Save Me

But the second the words left me, I realized just how little of a right I had to cry. Sure, I’d gotten Mason pregnant, but I’d only known her for a few months total. And while Mason changed my life in ways I could barely comprehend, I didn’t have a claim on her, not in the way everyone in the house did.

She was Lucian’s wife, Sophia’s partner in crime, and Sebastian’s soul mate. She’d been living in their minds and hearts for over adecade. And while I could kick and scream and pitch a fit about just how awful I felt, it had to be a million times worse for them. But I also genuinely couldn’t fathom feeling worse than I did right now.

“Does Seb know?” I choked out, trying to prepare myself to be an anchor for everyone else when I felt like a pebble.

Sophia shook her head and wiped her eyes, composing herself just enough to speak. “No. Lucian freaking hates him, and I have no idea how to even start that conversation, considering he literally hasn’t spoken in weeks.”

I swallowed my misery and squared my shoulders. He may not have been talking to Sophia, but he and I spoke almost every night. “I’ll tell him.”

Her bloodshot eyes widened as she took me in. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I’m takin’ him to his PT today, I’ll talk to him after.”

Sophia seemed to collapse under the weight of relief, leaving her to fall onto my shoulder. “Thank you, Cameron.”

We stayed like that for God knows how long. She cried, and I denied my tears as I patted her back like I had Rosie’s. I knew he’d probably take it the best from me, but that didn’t make it any easier. I just had to hope Sebastian could hold it together, but I had a deep-seated feeling that if Mason died, he’d never be the same.

We stepped out of the physical therapist’s office and into the dirty snow that hadn’t melted since the car accident. I offered to help Sebastian to the truck, but he pushed me away, electing to force himself through the ice on his crutches.

I needed to tell him about Mason; he deserved to know what was going on. But the selfish part of me needed to make sure he’d be okay. I needed to make sure he felt supported like he was okay coming to me, and that his life didn’t need to end just because Mason’s did.

“You’re gettin’ better at using those,” I commented, pretending like I wasn’t one wrong move away from grabbing him so he didn’t fall over.

His icy eyes shifted toward me. Recently, they’d seemed more gray than the piercing blue I’d come to adore. Sweat beaded along his brow. It was hard to find the man Sebastian was in who he was presently. His once bulging biceps and broad shoulders had thinned out because of his inability to exercise and his refusal to eat. His once well-tailored clothes now hung from him, almost mockingly.

“Shut the fuck up,” he strained out.

I bit back the urge to fire back. Hopefully, he and I would have a good number of years left. We could poke fun at each other later,nowwasn’t the time. We finished our walk to the truck in silence, and I opened the passenger side door for him.

He braced himself on the door frame, angrily tossing his crutches toward the back.

“I don’t need your help,” he grumbled, hoisting himself into the seat.

“I know you don’t,” I admitted as he buckled himself in. “But, I like offerin’ it.”

Sebastian sighed as he looked at me, his gaze softening just enough to let me know his anger wasn’t meant for me; he just didn’t have anywhere else to release it. He gave me permission to shut his door if it’d make me feel better, and I did before jogging around to my driver’s seat.

Sebastian wasn’t big on car rides anymore, so I knew I had to tell him everything before we left the parking lot. I took a deep breath, wrapping my fingers around the steering wheel as I arranged my thoughts.

First things first, I needed to make sure he knew how I felt.

“Can we talk about us?” I asked softly.

His head lazily lolled in my direction as he rested against his seat. “What? Are you going to break up with me because of my crushing inability to put out?”

Sebastian didn’t normally offend me anymore, but something in that statement cut me deep.

“Actually, it’s the opposite,” I admitted, reaching over to put my hand on his shoulder. “I know the timing is bad… but I think I love you.”

“You… love me?” Shock overcame his exhaustion as he stared at me with wide eyes. “Like love-love?”

I nodded.

Sebastian stiffened as a shade of pink I hadn’t seen for a while crept up his neck, flooding his cheeks with a glow that almost made him look like the man I’d begrudgingly fallen for.

“I–Really? Why?”

“Why not?” Despite the looming conversation, I smiled. “You’re smart, you’re handsome, you’re protective, and also, you’reyou.”

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