Page 106 of Hollywood Undercover
Chapter 42
SEBASTIAN braced himself,waiting for Clint to go at himagain.
“When you said the girl of your dreams was off limits, I never would have guessed you were talking about Lexxi Rock,” Clint said, cackling withlaughter.
“I wasn’t.” Sebastian moved his chess piece and hoped his gruff response would deter any further conversation on thetopic.
By lunch yesterday, Sebastian was in an empty house. Sometime that morning, Alex Roberts ceased toexist.
I really should have known this would be the onlyoutcome.
He spent the rest of the day with little direction, moving through the guestroom where Alexandra had stayed, trying to collect memories and lock them away in his head. She left the bed neatly made. The drawers were cleared. It was like she had never been there. In a way, she hadn’t. In retrospect, getting close to Alex Roberts to get to know Alexandra Storme was a badidea.
I should have told her I knew from thestart.
Like it would make any differencenow.
Clint rapped the tabletop with his gnarled knuckles, dragging Sebastian’s attention back to thegame.
“Your move,” Clint said, head tilted as though he had been studying Sebastian for sometime.
“Getting there. What’s thehurry?”
“You’ve been somewhere else since you walked in, bud. What’s thedeal?”
Sebastian blew out a sigh and leaned back in the chair,drained.
“You know what, Clint? Maybe we should call the game now. I’m not in the mood to play today. I’m just not feelingit.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that. First of all, you don’t usually drop by on weekends, and second, the minute you walked in the door I figured something was up. Do you want to talk about it or what? I’m betting it has to do with the dinner, sospill.”
Sebastian looked away, already uncomfortable about discussing Alexandra with anyone. Her personal life was her business, and he wasn’t in any hurry to tell anyone else about what had happened between them, or where he leftit.
Clint scratched his shiny head, looking at Sebastian curiously. “Well, buddy, I’m no psychic, that’s for damn sure. I can’t read your mind, so either spill it or let’s watch some TV orsomething.”
Clint grinned and shook his head. For some reason, it reminded Sebastian that he could talk to Clint about anything. The man was a vault, except perhaps with Beth, and maybe it was time to bounce some ideas off him, in spite how complicated and embarrassing the whole story would probablysound.
“All right,” Sebastian said slowly. “This stays here. Gotthat?”
Clint leaned forward. “That goes without saying, Bash. Fireaway.”
Sebastian started at the beginning, from the day he left Clint’s place and spotted what he thought was a teenager sitting out front of Max Storme’s house. He spared no details, even admitting that he allowed Alexandra to wade around in her own incorrect assumptions that he was gay. Just as he thought, laying out the chain of events was embarrassing as hell, especially when the burly tattooed firefighter laughed his ass off as Sebastian related some of the unusual incidents. Yet, it was also cathartic to let it out. Clint listened patiently without interrupting until Sebastian wasdone.
Clint leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. “Okay. This is where you’re at now. So, what do you hope to gain out ofthis?”
Sebastian shrugged and scratched his head. “I don’t know. At first I just wanted to get to know her. I could see us being friends at one point, but after where I left it yesterday, I’m doubtful there’s anything either of us can gain if she’s doing the Lexxi Rock routine. I…I justwon’t.”
“Sounds like you got that, but it doesn’t look like you’re too happy about the way things arenow.”
“Of course I’m not happy, but what choice do Ihave?”
“Let me ask the question another way. Why aren’t you pushing harder for what you reallywant?”
Clint studied Sebastian’s face with a knowing look. He rolled away from the chess table and out of theroom.
“Do you need some help?” Sebastian called out when he heard Clint in the kitchen rummaging around in thefridge.
Clint still didn’t answer. He came back into the living room with two beers, and passed one to Sebastian. With a casual and relaxed tone of voice, Clint told him, “First off, you have some luck working for you man, getting a second chance with your high school crush like that. Fate saw fit to give you both a chance to make something happen, but you both blew it. I don’t know Lexxi Rock, but as far as I’m concerned, you let her walk right out the door, Bash. In fact, it sounds like you just about booted her out.” Clint paused and shook his head. “It sucks, but it’s not over yet…She’s still in town, isn’tshe?”
