Page 21 of Inconvenient Marriage
“He has an older brother. Some guy in finance. I don’t know what Bas does, but Deirdre says that he’s some kind of, I don’t know, trouble-maker. But, then again, he’s also, like, sweet.”
I blink. “Sweet?”
“Yeah. Like… really sweet, Annie. He’s reckless, but he treats people well. Especially women.”
My chest tightens unexpectedly. I remember the man at the bar, sitting by himself with his motorcycle helmet and his beer, locking in on how distraught I was even when I told him not to be kind to me. He was anyway. Sure, his kindness ended with me fucking him in a bathroom stall, but that’s becauseIneeded it.
I neededhim.
“So, get this. He hangs out with the Used all the time, but not for the reasons people think,” Miranda continued. “I mean—yes, he sleeps with them. But everyone says, despite his rep, he’s respectful. He listens. He pays tabs. He fixes things. He’s not a dick even if he thinks with his.”
Not a dick… that’s definitely a point in his favor. Sleeping with the Used… I don’t have to like it. It’s how things are done in Harmony Heights, and how can I be that much of a hypocrite? Isn’t that what I am? Eric made me his Used, but while he was good to me for a while, he’s a dick now.
At least I’m not going into this in love with Sebastien. I don’t want love. I want protection.
Besides, I met him at the Court last night. Even more notably, our first meeting ended with me on his lap. So he’s a playboy. I’m not looking for loyalty.
I can handle this.
Miranda drops her voice. “Colton say he’s a good man who doesn’t know he’s allowed to be one.”
I close my eyes, remembering how he held me in that bathroom like I wasn’t broken. Like he didn’t need anythingfrom me except me in his arms for as long as I wanted to be there.
“Look, Annie… he’s trouble, but he’s not scary. And he’s definitely not like Eric. So if, you know, you did bang him… you could’ve picked worse.”
She has no idea how much that helps steel me toward going through with my plan. “Thanks, Randa. You were a big help.”
“I try. Besides, you’d do the same thing for me.”
She’s right about, too. Everything I’m about to do… I’m doing it for my sister.
“Love you.”
“Love you, too, Annie.”
Once Miranda is gone, I return to my contacts. I look at the most recent entry, heart thumping a little bit wilder when I see how Sebastien entered the number in underHUBBY. I know he’s teasing. I know he’s not taking this seriously.
Still, my heart skips a beat as I press down on it.
One ring.
Two ring.
Three—
“Bas here.”
I close my eyes. “Hello? It’s me. It’s Annaliese.”
“Hello, love,” he says, the nickname he gave me that night in the Last Prayer turning my stomach into knots. “I was waiting for your call.”
Oh, God. “Right. Anyway, if you’re still agreeable to my proposal, I’d like to meet with you this evening and talk it over. Would that be all right?”
“Sure. Now that I have your number… it is your number, isn’t it?”
“Um. Yes.”
“Good. I’ll text you the address. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
