Page 26 of Finally Forever
“Do you know anything about Nathan’s life?” I murmur, afraid of the answer.
“Like?” We stop at a red light. Now that we’re closer to the city center, we’ll be stopping at a lot of lights.
“Who he’s dating?” That sounds so petty.
“He’s engaged.”
“What?” I slap my thigh. “Omigosh—to Harper?”
“Who?”
“Harper?” Am I ready to be around her again? It’s been so long. I shouldn’t care what she thinks. She can’t treat me like she used to, but she’ll know I was with Sebastian when she asked me, and I refused to tell her the truth. She’ll know because I’m with him now.
“He’s engaged to a woman named Kensington.”
“Kensington?” Never heard of her. I’m glad it’s not Harper. But now I’m wondering why he broke up with Harper and what happened to her.
Stop it. I need to focus on Sebastian, not a friend from my past. I don’t like how easily I can slip back into old habits, worrying about Harper—what she thinks and where she is. I’m older and should be wiser.
“Have you been able to find Riley?” I ask to shift my thoughts. Last Sebastian told me, he was still in hiding, his whereabouts unknown.
Riley enters my mind from time to time. He went through the kidnapping with me. Marina abducted us both. What she wanted…what she threatened… It was a horrible night that turned worse when we learned that Sebastian’s car crashed and he died—for a little while, anyway.
“Riley has emerged in California. He’s also engaged.”
“Wow. To whom?” And how did he end up in California? Maybe the same way I ended up in Europe.
“Nova Allen.”
“The celebrity?”Holy shit! “Does Sebastian know?”
“Yes.”
I nod. Of course, he does.
“Everyone has moved on and seems to be doing well.” I smile, even though I’m dying inside. “That’s good.”
“You’re a kindhearted person, Ainsley.” Xavier gives me one of his sincere smiles. He didn’t share those smiles with me when we first met him. But then we were all getting to know each other. Now, he feels like family. “You’re coming with us, right?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” I don’t know what I’d do if he weren’t with us. Especially now that he’s my only lifeline to Sebastian.
We park at the hospital and check in at the front desk. Xavier relieves the security guard who’d been stationed outside Sebastian’s door.
Before I enter the room, I pause and ask Xavier, “Did you need to talk to him? If so, you can go first. I might be awhile.”
“If he asks for me, I’ll come in. For now, do what you need to do.”
“Thank you.”
My palms grow clammy as I push open the door. Sebastian lies on the bed with his eyes closed. His phone rests near his hand. I can’t help but wonder what he used it for: Googling information about his friends, scrolling through videos and pictures of us? He has plenty, even a naughty video that I swore I’d never let him take but gave in to, anyway. At the time, it seemed like a fun idea.
I tiptoe farther into the room, not wanting to wake him. His beautiful face looks so at peace, even with the head bandaged. As quietly as possible, I set the bag of food on a nearby table and stop at the side of his bed. The urge to kiss him slams into me. Without thought, I bend down and brush his lips with mine.
His eyelids spring open, the look in his gaze so chilling, I stumble back a few steps.
“Sorry.” I swallow deeply and wait for those brown eyes with the unique blue starbursts to soften.
