Page 25 of Heart Break Her

Sebastian walks past me, and I get a hit of his familiar leather scent. But this time it’s rolled with a distinct smell of marijuana, and I realize he wasn’t just outside making calls. His body rests into the spot beside Merry, but his eyes are as detached as the night I first met him.

“Give us a minute, will you, Merry,” Sebastian says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Sure thing, boss,” she says with a salute that’s almost mocking him, not that he seems to care. “I’ll check in with Adrian.”

When Merry first started working for Enemy Muse, she was brought on as a roadie, at the very bottom of the totem pole. Fetching waters, doing laundry, cleaning up puke, basically anything the band needed. But in the seven months she’s been there, they’ve started to discover her value. Now she’s Adrian’s assistant, and she’s busier than ever.

I just hope she doesn’t get so lost in them that she forgets about herself. Merry wants to be on stage someday, and she’s got the voice to support it. She just needs to align herself with the right people because she’s worth so much more than being an assistant for Enemy Muse.

With Merry gone, Sebastian doesn’t move or say anything for a minute. He’s either that high or irritated. I don’t know him well enough to read him. The deeper, softer sides I familiarized myself with the night I met him have all but faded in this kitchen, replaced with a man who is shut down and cold.

“Sorry about what I said.” I break the silence because I can’t stand it.

“Stop apologizing.” Sebastian shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair like he takes personal offense to it.

“I’m just—I’m not saying your intentions are bad, but I don’t need you pitying me.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.”

He’s too quiet; I can hear the hands ticking on the clock on the wall. I’m not sure why Merry needed to leave for this thrilling conversation.

“I didn’t offer you a job out of guilt,” he says in a cool tone. “When all that shit went down last night, I was in New York, so it was a long fucking plane ride getting here. Merry had your socials up trying to assess the damage, and I saw your page because I was sitting right next to her. You’re good at what you do.”

His statement catches me off guard. My illustrations are all over my social media accounts, but I didn’t know he saw them. And the compliment coming from him feels surprisingly good.

I avert my gaze to the ground. I’ve never felt so exposed to a person in every way.

The night a week ago was one thing. I’m pretty sure he pulled me apart one piece at a time until he buried himself in my soul. But even now, fully clothed with half the distance of the kitchen between us, he sees me in all the ways that count. And it has nothing to do with my body.

“You have talent,” Sebastian says, his golden-brown eyes meeting mine when I look up. “They’re dicks if they let you go over some bullshit, which I’m more than willing to tell them if you want me to. But if things do go to shit, just know the offer stands. Their loss could be the band’s gain.”

“Doesn’t offering someone a job have to go through your record label or something? Or the band, at least?”

Sebastian shrugs one shoulder and tucks his hands in his pockets. “Merchandise and tour art is freelanced out. All I’d have to do is throw your name in the mix as a recommendation. They wouldn’t say no.”

“Because you’re Sebastian Kane,” I lift an eyebrow at him.

“That’s what this girl Cassie keeps telling me.” He smirks, and it’s downright devilish.

I wonder if the shine ever fades. Like if you stare too long at Sebastian Kane, you’ll get tired of the sight. Doubtful.

My phone starts ringing and the lyrics from Revolve Her fill the room. I look down to see my mom’s name on the screen, and my stomach sinks. I’m not going to be able to avoid her forever.

“Thought your ringtone was Electric Hearts,” Sebastian says. His gaze drops to my phone.

“You remember that, huh?”

He bows his head once, not giving away much more.

“I changed it after the concert. Couldn’t get this song out of my head.”

Couldn’t get your voice singing it out of my head.

How he sang those lyrics like they were pulled straight from his DNA. I felt them in my core that night and every day since. I’ve always loved Revolve Her, but something shifted after I heard it live.

After I spent time with him.

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