Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 71

NICOLE

A couple of hours later, the door opens and Sebastian enters the room.

I'm leaning against the balcony. I turn my head and make eye contact with him as he approaches. I've spent the last couple of hours thinking about what happened and I've been miserable because of it.

This is a mess. An unsolvable mess, at that.

I see a softness in his features that brings me hope. In the same breath, I remind myself that we had our first argument. It almost seems surreal.

Then again, I think I celebrated way too soon.

Sebastian moves to stand next to me, and I finally face the dark ocean instead. I thought that I'd be scared, looking into this vast nothingness. It does make me anxious, but at the same time, I feel untouchable out here. Like I don't have judging eyes on me. I was blissfully alone until his arrival.

"I saw you talking to my mother earlier," is the first thing he says to me.

I turn my head to look at him and irritation blooms in my chest. We didn't speak to each other the whole day and that's all he's worried about? His cynical mother?

"Yeah, I spoke to her," I say, trying to contain my anger but failing miserably. "What do you think she said to me? Just out of curiosity."

Sebastian turns his head to look at me. I feel a tugging sensation in my heart when I realize just how sad he looks. "Nicole, if you're going to be so negative about this whole thing—"

"I'm not being negative!" I snap. Every time I think about being calm and handling this situation like an intelligent, stable adult, I lose it because he says the most ridiculous things sometimes.

I refuse to believe he's this naïve. It can't be.

Not a man of his caliber.

"How can you say that?" I ask. "Do you really not know how she treats me? Do I have to tell you every word that comes out of her mouth for you to realize that this vision you have in your mind isn't going to come true? Your mother will never accept me! She doesn't give two shits about me! She thinks I'm an impostor who doesn't deserve you! Come on, Sebastian. Don't do this to me. Don't stand there and act like you don't know this!"

Sebastian rubs his forehead. "She told me she was going to apologize."

"And you believed it?"

He turns away from me entirely. I stare at the back of his head and for a moment, I see it. Our breakup. How we would never last, not in a million years.

He's a good man. A dream of a person. But sometimes, some differences can't be overlooked. It's not a lack of trying from my side that's the reason we're breaking up—it's because of how perfect he expects the world to be sometimes.

"She told me she apologized," he insists.

I nod, annoyed. "Right. So I'm lying now. I'm a liar."

He finally faces me again. "Something's off with you, Nicole. To tell you the truth? It feels like I walk on eggshells around you!"

I scoff. "That's rich, Sebastian! Seriously? You should've told me that a long time ago. I didn't know I was such a bore to be around!"

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before calling my name, but I'm already headed toward the bathroom, and without meaning to, tears gather in my eyes and spill down my cheeks.

I'm so angry at my display of emotions that I could punch myself in the cheekbone.

"Nicole," he says, exasperated, following me.

I shut the door in his face and lock it. I can't. Dealing with situations like this always brings out the worst in me.

Sebastian just isn't listening to me.

I always know when something involves him.

I look up and I'm startled when I notice Sebastian's mother watching me closely. The look on her face is suspicious, and I know instinctively that she saw me receive the letter.

And of course, she'll tell her son all about it.

Before that happens, I'd better find out what's in this damned envelope. I turn to Sebastian, tell him I'll be right back, and head to the bathroom as quickly as my legs can carry me.

I'm so angry right now.

I lock myself in a stall and rip the envelope open. There's a single folded page inside and there isn't much written in it.

He wants to meet me. Later. It's something about Haley, and he claims that it'll explain everything.

That's it. That's all there is to it.

A time. A place. A reason.

My first thought is to ignore it, but then I think about Haley again. Though guilt is twisting my insides to mush, I have to find out what he has to say.

If he's lying and it's something super ridiculous, I'll know, but until then, I have to be sure of what I know.

So, how can I not go?

Dammit. Roman has me right where he wants me.