Page 132 of Mr. Aster
“Seb?” I responded, knowing that Sebastian only let people close to him call him that. “Are you two friends, and you’re pretending like he’s your enemy?”
“Of course, Seb is my friend,” he answered, amused. “We’re only enemies when business is at hand. Other than that, I love the arrogant dick. I just wanted to thank you for helping him move out of that dark space he was in.”
“No problem,” I answered.
“He’s in love with you, you know?”
My heart raced in response, and everything that had been dark in my world since Sebastian left grew a bit lighter.
“Well, he has a shitty way of communicating that to me,” I said.
“Don’t be hard on yourself for allowing him in,” he said. “Seb is known for being a rock that women shatter themselves against.”
There went all the hopes and dreams.
“Well, I’m glad to know the rock I shattered myself against loves me, at least,” I laughed. “And if you’re here to ask me to date you, I’m going to have to pass.”
“You should do it,” I heard John say, walking up from behind Titus.
“I should do it?” This was all bad. The friendandthe brother of the man I loved were advising me to let Sebastian go and move on. If that didn’t tell me everything I needed to know…
“It would get his head out of the clouds and come after his woman,” Titus advised.
“Just don’t fall for this prick,” John teased, pointing his thumb at Titus. “He’s known for loving and leaving the ladies.”
Titus chuckled. “What can I say? I’m a lover, not a fighter,” he said, his accent thicker than before. “And I know how much the ladies love the love, even though they hate it when it leaves.”
“All of you wealthy, playboy bachelors are dirtbags, you know that?” I said, annoyed.
“There’s hope for us, though,” Titus said playfully. “If Johnny Boy here can be tamed, then we all can.”
“If word gets back to Seb that you went out with this chump,” John said, “you’ll have the Aster family jet landing at LAX at 0600 hours the next day.”
“If there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s play dirty games,” I said. “He either wants me in his life, or he doesn’t.”
“Oh, he wants you, beautiful,” Titus said. “You are all he could talk about when I was with him, and something about eating bugs?”
“Seb was talking about his woman all night andwith you?” John asked with surprise.
Titus laughed and took a sip of the beer he was holding. “I wanted to call him out for being so lovesick, but he seemed a bit fragile. Really, I’m just grateful he doesn’t look like death warmed over anymore. Melissa’s death fucked him in the head for too long.”
“Lovesick,” John said with a hint of humor and mystery. Then he looked at me. “Cheer up, buttercup. Let me tell you something about my brother you don’t know. He doesnotpine away for any woman—no way, no how, never in a million. The fact that he’s acting like a little bitch in front of Titus, of all people, tells me that he’s been working through some shit. Knowing him as I do, I’d say he’s trying to fix himself so he can be the man you fell in love with.”
“Look at you,” I smiled at John, “playing relationship expert for your brother.”
“And look at me, following John’s lead and asking you to go on one date with me,” Titus said.
“Wouldn’t that be cheating?” I answered.
“On whom?” John questioned. “Cheating on your ghost of a boyfriend who you’re not sure you’ll ever hear from again?”
“True,” I answered.
“Trust me on this. Seb is in his own shaken-up world. He knows what he wants since he was crying about it with Titus, andwhat he wants is you. Seems like my strong brother is a weakling when it comes to falling in love.”
“I never imagined the day I’d see Seb pining over a woman,” Titus said. “Let’s light a fire under his ass, you and me. Besides, I need a feel for what you West Coast girls are into.”
“I’m not the right girl to show you any of that,” I chuckled. “I just sort of fly by the seat of my pants and don’t follow the crowd.”
