Page 31 of Back to You
"You didn’t do anything wrong, Seba.” Her voice is quieter now, her fingers tightening around the rag she’s been holding. “I’m sorry if I’ve been acting weird. I guess I just don’t really know how to act around you. You have to admit, this is... a little awkward."
She shifts, her gaze darting away. The rag in her hands twists, her fingers gripping the fabric tighter than necessary.
"We haven’t spoken since high school,” she continues. “I know nothing about your life, aside from the fact that you’re a firefighter. And you know nothing about mine. I’m not even sure if you want to be friends."
I catch a glimpse of the girl I used to know—the one who never had to think twice before letting me in. The truth is, I don’t fully buy her explanation.
There’s something else, something she’s not saying, but I don’t push. Not yet. I want her to open up to me, and if I push too hard, she’ll run. And, shit, I’d be lying if I said my stomach didn’t flip a little at the idea of us being friends again.
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Hell yeah, I wanna be your friend. We are friends—doesn’t matter how much time has passed."
Mariana laughs softly, and damn if my stomach doesn’t flip again.
Before she can say anything else, I grin. “Let’s just forget the past, okay? It’s wiped from my mind. Clean slate.”
"Wiped from your mind, huh?” She arches a brow. “Not sure I like the idea of you erasing me completely, but okay... let’s be friends.” She smiles at me.
And fuck. It feels like home—the warmth, the familiarity, the way she looks at me, like maybe this doesn’t have to be as complicated as I’m making it.
Shit. I’m in trouble.
CHAPTER 11
Mariana
Iwake up to the soft chime of my phone, the sound slipping through the quiet of my bedroom, gentle but insistent.
My eyes are still heavy with sleep, my body warm beneath the covers, but I don’t even hesitate before rolling over and reaching for it. The glow of the screen illuminates the room in soft blue light, and the second I see his name, a smile tugs at my lips—Seba.
It’s been like this every morning since we made the choice to be friends again—since he called me out on my bullshit and told me he wasn’t going to let me keep him at arm’s length.
At first, I didn’t know what to do with it; I didn't know what to do with him being back in my life in a way that wasn’t tangled up in old wounds and unfinished feelings. Now, it’s become a part of my routine.
I shift onto my side, my fingers swiping across the screen as I open the message, my heart giving that stupid, traitorous flutter it always does when I see his name.
Sebastian
“Rise and shine, Mariana.”
I quickly scan the room and realize it’s still dark out. Huh, what time is it? I look at my phone to check the time and realize that it’s five in the morning. What on earth is Seb doing awake?
Mariana
“Seba, what are you doing up at this godforsaken hour?”
Sebastian
“Shit. Sorry, Mariana. I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought you’d see my text later.”
Mariana
“I guess I forgot to put my phone on silent last night. But, you still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing awake?”
Sebastian
“Besides jumping at the opportunity to talk to you? I’m at the station; we had to run some drills.”
I reread his last text, my fingers hovering over the screen, my chest tightening in a way that’s both overwhelming and impossibly light. A breath of laughter escapes me as I drop my phone against my chest, my smile stretching wide, impossible to contain.
