Page 137 of Please Hate Me

“Can I help you…?”

Sebastian had a way of staring me down as if he could learn my secrets simply by analyzing the way I held my breath before talking. Should I tell him I didn’t feel like I was part of the chaos downstairs? I wanted to be, but it felt like if we left tomorrow, nothing would change. They would all go on and live their lives just as they had for years, and I would be the only one with a heart that needed to mend.

“Do we have orange juice?” I squeaked.

His expression tightened before he stood and made the short trek from the dining table to the fridge.

“It’s orange-mango. I thought you might like it because Lavender—”

Oh, no. I didn’t tell him we changed her name. Fuck. Should I tell him now? He deserves to know, I can’t keep it from him forever, but—

“Princess, did you hear me?”

“Y-yeah.” I choked on my pulse.

“Is that ayeahyou heard me, or ayeahto the question I asked?”

“Both?” That seemed like a suitable answer, but Sebastian shook his head and sighed.

“You should really stop sleeping downstairs. Atleastbring a snack to bed. It seems like you’re always nauseous when I get you back.”

His lecture ceased as he placed a cup full of orange liquid in front of me. Up close, I could see bits of white powder clinging to the edges.

“What did you put in here?” I tried to keep the disgust out of my tone as I sloshed the liquid back and forth.

Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“If you had been listening, you would know I put vanilla protein powder in your juice. It’ll sit in your stomach a little better that way. I asked you if I could.”

I shot him a glare, fighting the urge to tell him not to talk to me like that. He was trying to help, I knew that, but the short, matter-of-fact way he spoke pissed me off.

I decided it was best to leave him alone before I ended up snapping at him.

“I need to get dressed.”

I pushed myself up and walked into the bedroom to root through the drawers of stretchy pants and loose shirts that Cameron had purchased for me. It was a nice gesture, but I ended up with a lot of blacks and grays. I wished he would have taken me shopping like Sophia did. He was probably embarrassed to be seen with me, not that I could blame him.

I decided on a pair of leggings and one of Sebastian’s blue shirts, hoping that seeing me in his clothes would put him in a better mood. He was the one person in the world who actually wanted me around; I couldn’t afford to lose that.

As soon as I pulled my hair into a claw clip, the bedroom opened, and Sebastian walked in with his newspaper. I watched him from the full-length mirror as he drew closer, a coy smile dancing on his lips. He set the paper on the bed before wrapping his arms around me. Warmth emanated from him, seeping into my chest, and for a moment, the sinking feeling vanished.

He kissed my cheek and gently rubbed my distended stomach. I was glad he wasn’t mad at me for walking away from him.

“Now where do you think you’re going, dressed up like that?” His sultry whisper was laced with mischief as his lips tickled my neck.

A pleasant shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn’t help but giggle at his antics. Sebastian’s presence was a much-welcomed distraction from the doom and gloom infesting my mind.

“I thought I’d go to a bar,” I breathed, putting my hand on his. “Or maybe skip the alcohol and just buy a hooker.”

He bit back a chuckle as he nuzzled against me. “Do you think it’s a good idea to tell a man of the law you’re getting a prostitute?”

“Only if I tell you I’m going to kill her after.”

Sebastian’s laughter filled the room like sunshine, warming every surface it graced. His golden hair swayed as he shook his head. It was getting a little shaggy, allowing his natural waves to show. I knew he’d probably get it cut soon, but I really liked it like this.

“Before I have to arrest you, can I get your help with something?”

“Arrest me?” I gasped. “What happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?”

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