Page 81 of Please Save Me

My palms covered my eyes as I hid from Cameron the best I could without moving. Letting him in was a terrible idea.

Looking back on the terrible night, I could have easily overpowered Holly. I could have knocked the gun away and handcuffed her. But it’s impossible to think rationally when confronted with your own mortality.

I sobbed into my hands, waiting for a sound other than my labored breathing. Eventually, the couch shifted, and a warm, calloused hand appeared on my back.

I looked up to see Cameron was disastrously close. My lips tingled with a distant memory of his. I’d never admit it, but I didn’thatekissing Cameron. His beard was soft and not at all like my ex-boyfriend’s. Plus, I had a feeling that Cameron would give me a choice when it came to if I touched his penis or not. That was something Alex never did.

“You murder people for a living, why did killing someone like Holly bother you?” Cameron’s question halted my impure thoughts:Thank God.

My lips pressed into a thin line as I realized that he might not understand my situation as well as I hoped. There was no way to save my dignity and tell him I got caught. He’d never understand what it was like to walk into work after all that and be told it was either sell your soul to hunt murderers or rot in prison. So, I searched for the best way to describe what happened whilst omitting the terrible truth.

I drew in a breath as I gathered the courage to look at him.

“Monsters aren’t born…. They’re made.”

Chapter 26

Cameron

I stared at Sebastian for what felt like forever. Up until now, I’d viewed Seb as an annoyance at best. But… assuming he was telling the truth, Sebastian wasn’t some creep who just attached himself to Mason. He was a protector, a heroeven.

Mason didn’t owe him her hand in marriage because of his sacrifices, but I no longer had a problem with them dating.

Sebastian’s eyes were red and still rimmed with tears as he swallowed.

“Well, say something,” he commanded, his voice shaking as he did.

I cleared my throat and shifted around, trying to stop myself from staring at him.

“I, uh, I like your hair,” I mumbled, reaching over to touch the newly black strands.

Sebastian slapped me away.

“This isn’t a change foryouto like.” He glared. “I did it for me… and Mason.”

My heart flipped. After he left, Mason, Lucian, Sophia, and I settled in for our movie. Lucian casually let it slip that he and Mason were engaged. Immediately, I knew that’s why she really rejected Seb.

I pulled her to the side and asked her why she kept lying to the guy, and she told me it wasn’t a lie. She wanted to preserve his feelings and let him down as gently as possible.

But, as I stared at Sebastian, I didn’t think she did a good job. He seemed like a shell of the pompous asshole he normally was. Honestly, he almost seemed human.

“Well, that don’t matter none. I think it looks good. It makes your eyes super blue.” Like almost hypnotically so.

Sebastian turned away, but not before I saw the start of a shy smile on his lips. Again, I was struck by just how handsome Sebastian was.

My goal in coming up here had been to tell him about his brother and Mason’s engagement, but now I couldn’t stop staring.

He and Lucian shared most of the same facial features. However, where Lucian’s were sharp and almost feminine, the differences between the two made Seb’s face stronger and more masculine. Sebastian still had a youthful appearance, but he was one hundred percent man. And he was sitting before me in nothing but a pair of navy sweatpants.

“Between the kiss earlier and this, I’m starting to think you’re interested in me.” Sebastian’s words had an almost playful sort of tone. But that changed the second he looked back. “Do you think Mason will like my hair?”

A lump formed in my throat, and I realized I should probably do what I came up here for and go.

“You know she loves you, right?” I started slowly.

Sebastian eyed me for a moment before arching his back and reaching into his pockets.

The lines in his well-defined abs twitched, and I took a deep breath to remind myself that I was seventeen years older than him. And, also, it was Sebastian.

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