Page 30 of One Love
Devin
Ten minutes has never seemedlonger. So much is riding on this search coming up clear. While I want Veronica’s man to come up empty-handed, it also means there’s no signal for him to trace back and locate whoever is terrorizing us.
On the other hand, a clear search could mean the possibility of talking to Sebastian. I’m sure there are ways we could have talked in the last couple days, but the fear was too high. This person managed to get photos of us having sex without us noticing. Who knows what else they are capable of.
I don’t remember what it was that I wanted to finish when Madison came in. I’ve been too busy staring at the clock as it slowly ticks. As if he has a direct line to my thoughts, Sebastian’s name lights up the caller ID on my office phone.
“Hello?”
“Can you come to my office, please? But leave your phone in yours. Mario is coming to check your office.”
“Okay.”
If I were ever called to the principal’s office in school, I’d imagine this is what it would have felt like. My palms sweat and my stomach tosses like the sea in a storm. Sebastian gave no indication of what Mario found in his office. If things keep up like this, I’m going to have an ulcer before this is over.
Madison is sitting in front of Sebastian’s desk when I arrive, wearing a smile on her face and dimples on her cheeks.
“Well?” I ask when entering.
“My phone and office, as well as this side of the hallway are clear of any devices,” Sebastian answers, and Madison’s grin grows wider.
“Thank God.” I sigh, my shoulders relaxing from the reprieve of tension weighing me down. “That’s good news.”
Sebastian stares at me while Madison nods and rises from her chair. “It is. I’ll give you two some time to talk while Mario finishes.”
The tension in the room is stifling as she leaves the two of us alone for the first time in days. There’s so much to say, but with Sebastian keeping his emotions locked up tight, I don’t know what to expect.
Now is not the time to be a coward, though. This man is doing everything to save what he thinks is the most important thing to me—my reputation. Leaving me with no other choice, I have to say something—tell him I’m sorry and he matters.
Pulling up my big girl panties, I take a deep breath and cross the office, preparing to say the words I know I need to before any others. “I’m sorry for what I said, Sebastian. I was panicked and scared, and I said things I didn’t truly mean.”
He blows out a long, deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair, but doesn’t say anything in return, and my heart drops into my stomach like a fifty-pound bowling ball.
“I’m guessing you’re still pretty angry with me. You have every right to be.”
Sebastian pierces me with his gaze but speaks stern and clear. “I’m not angry with you, Devin. I was never angry. I’m hurt.”
An ache throbs through the center of my chest hearing the pain in his voice caused by me. There’s no denying I’m the reason for it all—from the look in his eyes and the falling of his face.
I’ve broken a part of him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I try to contain my emotions by stuffing down the urge to cry. “Do you think this—we are fixable?”
The pregnant pause in the air slices through me like a thousand sharp blades—not that I can blame his hesitation, but fuck, a part of me was hoping his answer would be a quick resounding yes.
“I’ve never known what it was like to be hurt like this, Devin.” His voice is thick with emotion. “I’ve never done this. I’ve never had to deal with these feelings because I’ve never cared about someone enough to let them hurt me the way you did. Your first instinct was to worry about yourself and dismiss what we have, while mine was to try and save you. I don’t think you can understand how badly that cut me to the core. I’m doing all this with Arianna to save you, even after you broke a piece of me, and you didn’t once stop to think about me.”
“I can’t change how I reacted,” I say. “All I can do is try to convince you that you mean more to me than just some affair or fling. I just need you to let me. Actions speak louder than words.”
My voice is pleading. I’m begging him to give me another chance. I’ll get on my knees if I have to.
“You have a lot to prove,” he says after a moment. “But let’s work on cleaning up one mess at a time, princess.”
He reaches up, tucking a loose tendril of hair back behind my ear as the sound of the stupid nickname I hate so much washes over me like the salve to my open wounds. All I want to do is bathe in his attention and the way his touch calms the storm inside me.
But the other mess I’ve created bursts my momentary bubble of contentment. “I have to go, Devin. Make sure you and Madison leave together. I’ll walk you down to your office.”
I don’t want to let him leave, but he’s already given me more than I could have hoped for today. He’s going to let me make this up to him. I’ve never looked more forward to proving myself before.
