Page 4 of Bared Betrayal
Sebastian waves to the paparazzi, and I anxiously wipe my sweaty palms down the fabric of my black dress, wanting nothing more than to get away from the media frenzy. I wish I could melt boneless into the smooth leather seats, disappear from sight and away from the obnoxious media mob.
My door opens, and Sebastian reaches for me, helping me get out of the car. The photographers are relentless, swarming around us and shoving cameras in our faces. They’re shouting at us, asking a thousand questions at once, but all I hear is the fast beating of my heart that drums between my ears. It’s violent, terrifying, and I’m holding my breath, hoping I don’t get swallowed by the flock of vultures.
“Sebastian Stone. Sebastian, over here!” The constant screaming and yelling are deafening, the frenzy causing me to lose focus, and I feel my hand start to slip from Sebastian’s.
No. No. No.
“No one is coming for you.”
“No one will save you.”
“You’re the lost girls who will never be found.”
Panic surges. Adrenaline floods my system as fear grips my bones tightly, stealing the air from my lungs. A familiar sense of hopelessness crashes down on me, and all I can do to keep myself from drowning is to try to hold on to Sebastian’s hand.
“Don’t let go,” I whisper to myself. “Don’t let go.”
Abruptly, I’m yanked to the front, and Sebastian pulls me close against his side, then waves at the crowd, posing for a mob of flashing lights.
“Sebastian, tell us about your new project!”
My fingers tingle with anxiety that begins to circulate from my arms to my neck.I hate this.This is the part where I have to remind myself of a time before our lives became nothing more than glass boxes. A time when what Sebastian and I had was just ours.
Sebastian is a good man. He’s kind, gentle, loving. He’s never pried deeply into my past or pushed me when I’m unable to answer a question. It’s like he knows where to tread lightly and where not to go at all. He’s the first and only man who’s made me feel safe. But with cameras flashing in my face, I’m not sure for how long that’ll last. We’ve already had more disagreements in the last few weeks than we’ve had during our entire time together as a couple.I tell him I’m not comfortable with the media attention. He tells me it’s the price of fame.I voice my concern about the pressure it’s put on our relationship, and he reminds me that the least I can do is support him. When he’s feeling ramped up on his newfound fame, he becomes someone I don’t know. When the high passes, he is back to being the same sweet guy I’ve known for so long.
“Sebastian! Sebastian!” The shouts continue as he puts his hand on the small of my back and ushers me into the restaurant.
Relieved breaths exhale quickly from my chest as we are shown to a table set with sparkling silver and candlelight, a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. A strange sense of unease skitters down my spine, the shift from chaos to romance feeling almost…unnatural.
Sebastian, ever the gentleman, pulls my chair out and helps me settle into it before seating himself. I don’t notice a server take the champagne, and a yelp is caught in my throat when he pops the cork, causing me to jolt.
Sebastian reaches for my hand, his green eyes staring at me worryingly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” I swipe at a strand of hair brushing my cheek. “Just a little rattled from the mayhem outside.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I doubt it.”
“Just give it time, Kallie.” He lets go of my hand and leans back. “I promise you everything will work out in the end.”
“How do you know that?”
“Have I ever let you down? Have I ever broken a promise to you?”
I shake my head, and his hand tightens over mine, giving me a brief sense of security.
“I want to give you the world, Kal. And all this,” he gestures to the windows where the media is still huddled up on the outside, “all this is me working on doing just that.”
I look down, my stomach knotted and insides coiled. “I don’t want the world,” I whisper, but Sebastian is already distracted, flipping screens on his phone.
The server places our glasses in front of us. Light reflects off the sparkling gold of the champagne and the million tiny effervescent bubbles.
Sebastian thanks the server and clears his throat before settling his gaze on me again. “Kallie, you know how much I love you and how good we are together. You’re my best friend. My partner.”
Something heavy twists in my gut.
“And I can’t imagine my life without you.”
