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

Chapter 63

NICOLE

As I prepare for dinner with Sebastian’s family, there’s a gentle knock on my door. Haley’s voice follows, tinged with something I can’t quite place—unease, maybe.

“Nicole? Can we talk for a minute?”

Her tone is unusual, and instantly I’m alert. Haley isn’t one to be upset often. Folding my arms, I wait, watching as she quietly closes the door behind her.

“Don’t be alarmed,” she says quickly, probably sensing the concern etched across my face. “I just have a question for you.”

“Go ahead,” I reply softly, trying to sound reassuring. “You know you can tell me anything.”

She offers a faint, tight smile. “I was wondering… have you seen Roman again since… you know, after everything that happened?”

My breath catches. I pause, the question hitting me out of nowhere. Haley has never brought up Roman before; this is completely unexpected. My mind races, struggling to focus, but I manage to steady myself.

Instead of answering right away, I ask, “Why do you want to know?”

Haley looks momentarily taken aback, as if she didn’t expect me to turn the question back on her. “I just wanted to know,” she says quietly.

Why does this feel so heavy? I wonder. Is it me, making things tense with my hesitation? Or is there something else beneath her words? “No,” I finally say, choosing the simplest truth. “I haven’t seen him.”

She says nothing more, simply turning and leaving the room. I’m left blinking in surprise, heart pounding. What was that about? I don’t want to jump to conclusions or read too much into it, but I can’t shake the weird feeling settling in my chest.

I don’t want to be late when Sebastian comes to pick me up, so I finish getting ready quickly and step out into the living room. Mason and Haley are there—Mason with a cold beer in hand, eyes glued to the TV, while Haley sits beside him, nervously chewing on the skin around her thumb, her gaze distant and empty.

I’ve never seen her like this before.

Mason glances at me and grins. “Looking sharp. Going out with that guy?”

A small smile tugs at my lips. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

His eyes widen in mock innocence. “What did I do now?”

“You know his name. What I don’t get is why you seem to dislike Sebastian. He’s really nice, and for what it’s worth, he always asks about you. Wants to know how you’re doing.”

Mason wrinkles his nose like I just told him something unpleasant. “Why?”

I chuckle softly. “Because he wants to be part of this family.”

He takes a sip of his beer and says nothing more. I glance toward Haley again; she hasn’t reacted at all to our conversation like she usually would. It worries me deeply, but I’m unsure how to approach it.

At the door, his mother greets him warmly, pulling him into a tight embrace. “My son. It’s so good to see you.”

“Happy birthday, Mom,” Sebastian replies softly.

“Thank you,” she says, her voice full of affection. She accepts the box from him and looks genuinely pleased. I stand beside them awkwardly, sensing that this warm display is a performance meant to keep me at arm’s length, to ignore me as much as possible.

“Happy birthday,” I say, keeping my voice steady—not too loud, not too soft. Her eyes flicker to mine, but she doesn’t even bother with a smile. Instead, a curt “thank you” is all I get.

The look she gives me is icy, almost cutting.

There aren’t many people, just as Sebastian said. The dinner is meant to be intimate, which only makes me more anxious—there’s nowhere to hide here. Everything is out in the open.

Does that make sense?

As my gaze scans the room, it settles on a face I never expected to see. Sebastian stiffens beside me, and I know he wasn’t prepared for this either.

Daphne. His ex.

“Let’s get started,” his mother announces brightly. Her eyes lock with mine as she adds, “I’m sure tonight will be one we’ll never forget.”

I swallow hard. What on earth does that mean?