Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 63

NICOLE

As I'm getting ready for dinner with Sebastian's family, Haley knocks on my door.

"Nicole? Could we have a word?"

From the sound of her voice, I can tell that she's upset. I turn my full attention to her, worried. What's going on, I wonder? Haley is rarely in a bad mood. I fold my arms and wait for her to speak while she closes the door behind her.

"I don't want you to be alarmed," she claims, probably because she can see worry written all over my face. "It's just a question I have for you."

"Go ahead," I say softly. "You know we can always talk about anything."

Haley flashes me a small, thin-lipped smile. "It's just that I was wondering if you ever saw Roman again after...you know...that whole thing."

I inhale sharply and think about my answer, but the truth is that it's hard for me to think clearly when she's asking me something so out of the blue. Haley has never asked me anything about Roman—so this is random. The question took me completely off guard.

Instead of answering her questions, "Why?"

Haley appears almost stunned that I would ask her that. "I just wanted to know."

Why is this conversation so charged? That's something I also want to know. Is it me? Am I the one adding tension with my hesitation when there is none? "No. I haven't seen him."

That's the easiest answer, so it's the one I settle with.

Haley says nothing else as she turns on her heel and leaves my room. I'm genuinely wide-eyed at this point. What on earth was that? I don't mean to be suspicious or attach more meaning to our conversation than there was...but I'm weirded out. Like seriously.

I don't want to be late when Sebastian picks me up, so I finish getting ready and step out of my room. I find Mason and Haley in the living room. My brother has a can of cold beer in his hand, and his eyes are glued to the TV. Haley is seated beside him, her thumb in her mouth as she chews on the skin there, but her eyes are empty.

I've never seen her look this way before.

"Looking sharp," Mason comments, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Going out with that guy?"

A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. "You're impossible, you know that?"

His eyes go wide and he feigns innocence. "What did I do this time?"

"You know his name. What I don't understand is why you don't seem to like Sebastian. He's really nice, and for the record, he always asks me about you. He wants to know how you're doing."

Mason's face scrunches up like he smelled something bad. "Why?"

I chuckle. "Because he wants to be a part of this family."

Mason sips his beer and doesn't comment. I glance at Haley and she hasn't reacted at all to our conversation the way she usually does. Dammit, I'm really worried, but I don't know how to approach all this.

At the door, his mother greets him warmly. She throws her arms around him, pulling him close and murmuring, "My son. It's so good to see you."

"Happy birthday, Mom."

"Thank you," she says, her words laced with affection. Sebastian hands her the box, and she seems delighted. I stand awkwardly beside him, knowing instinctively that she's putting on this show so that she can ignore me for as long as possible and maybe even get away with not saying a word to me.

"Happy birthday," I say in a normal voice, not wanting to sound too loud or too quiet. Her gaze flickers to mine, and she doesn't even bother smiling when she replies with a terse 'thank you'.

The look she gives me...is withering.

There aren't a lot of people, as Sebastian mentioned. It's truly supposed to be an intimate dinner, and that makes me extra nervous because there's no room to hide here. Everything's out in the open.

Does that make sense?

As my eyes scan the people in the room, they settle on a face I wasn't expecting to see here at all. The way Sebastian stiffens is also an indication that he wasn't expecting to see her.

It's his ex. Daphne.

"Let's get started," his mother says, delighted. Her eyes meet mine when she adds, "I'm sure this evening will be one we'll never forget."

I gulp. What the hell is that supposed to mean?