Page 31 of Forever His Favorite
Her throat tightened as she reached for another.
"Every time you looked at someone else, jealousy burned through me. I wanted your eyes on me, and only me, even when you didn’t know it."
She picked up the third letter, her hands trembling slightly.
"I regret every second I stayed silent."
Her chest tightened with each word, each confession bleeding through the ink. And still, there were more—hundreds of them, stretching across the corridor, her door suffocated beneath his confessions.
Emily took a shaky step back, colliding with Sebastian’s chest. His hand immediately came to rest at her stomach, steadying her. His body was tense, his jaw tight, every muscle drawn taut.
“Don’t worry,” he muttered, voice low and controlled. “I’ll have it all cleared away tonight.”
Emily turned her face toward him, searching his expression. She gave him a small nod, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
Then, with unsteady fingers, she entered her password at the door and stepped inside her apartment.
Outside the door, Sebastian didn’t follow Emily in. He stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes scanning the sea of letters plastered across the walls and door. Each word he read made his blood boil hotter, his jaw tightening with every line.
One particular letter caught his eye.
“When Dillon said over the phone that you were in a car accident, I regret that I didn’t think as much of it as I should have. Even if you weren’t injured at all, I should have been more worried about your safety instead of uttering those useless words to Dillon—asking him to tell me when you die. The most regretful words I have ever spoken in my entire life. Words I will remember until the day I die. I am filled with guilt, Emily, more than I can ever express to you in words.”
Sebastian’s fingers curled into a death grip, his knuckles white, veins straining against his skin.
His eyes slid to another letter.
“I didn’t believe you when you told me Amelia stole from you—even though I knew you were a talented designer. That doubt destroyed everything. I still remember those first three years when you created magnificent designs. But as soon as Amelia entered the company, the first time you told me they were stolen, I didn’t believe you. After that, you slowly stopped designing… little by little, everything faded away. And I didn’t even notice. I can’t believe we lived under the same roof for five years, and yet I was blind to your pain. Instead of supporting you, I grew frustrated and cold when you needed me most.”
Sebastian’s jaw clenched. His entire body shook with the effort it took not to tear every letter down with his bare hands.
The sound of the door opening snapped him out of his trance. Emily stepped out, her hand brushing against the letters taped to the door. A few slipped free, fluttering to the ground, but she didn’t so much as glance at them. Her heels crushed the pages underfoot as she walked straight toward Sebastian.
His heart settled slightly at her indifference, though the storm inside him didn’t calm. Without a word, they left the apartment together and started down the stairs.
Emily carried folders in her arms—old designs she had taken back with her. Sebastian reached over and took them from her, his hand brushing against hers as they descended the stairs together.
As they stepped outside the building, Emily suddenly halted, her steps freezing.
Her gaze froze on the familiar car parked in front of the building.
Lucas stepped out.
Sebastian stopped with her, his eyes immediately narrowing.
“What the hell is he doing here again?” Emily whispered, her voice laced with exhaustion.
Sebastian turned his head toward her, jaw tight. “Do you want to talk to him?”
“No,” Emily answered instantly, her voice firm. “I don’t have anything to say to him.”
Far ahead, Lucas slammed his car door shut. “Emily?” he called out her name, his voice echoing down the street as he jogged toward them.
Sebastian’s expression darkened. He reached into his pocket. “I’ll call someone to get rid of him—”
But Emily’s hand shot out, grasping his wrist to stop him. She shook her head firmly. “No. If I don’t face him today, he’ll just keep chasing after me.”
Sebastian couldn’t stand it. The thought of Emily giving Lucas even a sliver of attention twisted something raw and ugly in hischest. His jaw tightened, and without another word, he turned away, his shoulders stiff, refusing to look.
