Chapter 317

Those years of bottling up her feelings—man, they’d been rough, weighing her down. She’d never let it show. Now, with one sentence, he’d brushed it all away.

He teased her on purpose, his voice warm and playful. “Oh yeah? Down about what?” He knew exactly what, but he grinned down at her, waiting for her to fidget.

Tears rolled down Stephanie’s cheeks, quick and hot. She gave his waist a sharp twist, not holding back. “You’re still screwing with me!” she huffed, her voice breaking with a sob. First acting like he didn’t notice when she played drunk, now pretending he didn’t get her feelings—she felt totally called out.

“You knew the whole time, didn’t you? Tell me—did you know how I felt all along?” She stared up at him, pushing hard. He’d known she was into him, and he’d felt the same—she was more sure of it every second.

Sebastian grabbed her flailing little hand mid-attack, his tone soft but firm. “You were just a kid back then, you know that?” A teenage girl, all crushy and dreamy—who’d have thought it’d stick around this long?

Stephanie’s face went red. She dropped her eyes, too shy to look at him. He cupped her cheeks, tilting her face up, and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “What, you’re barely grown and now you’re quizzing me about old times?”

She mumbled under her breath, wiggling defiantly in his hold. Mid-squirm, the box slipped from Sebastian’s hand, hitting the floor with a quiet thud. Stephanie glanced at it, muttering, “Hello? THAT THING dropped.”

Sebastian’s laugh was easy, one eyebrow raised. “Want me to use it on you?” Stephanie choked on his words. “Is it chill to just ask that?” Her head spun, totally thrown. She babbled something random, too flustered to reply, and just clung to his waist, hiding in his chest again.

Elliot walked in from outside, crossing the foyer, and stopped dead—Sebastian holding Stephanie close. And there, right by their feet, that box sat on the floor, screaming without a sound. Elliot’s brain shorted out. Fast as lightning, he turned and bolted down another hall, shoes scraping in his rush.

Stephanie caught it, though. She pinched Sebastian’s side and hissed, “Elliot!” Sebastian glanced back, but Elliot was already a ghost, disappearing around the corner. He shrugged, voice calm. “Told you, no need to hide anything.”

“It’s not hiding,” she whispered back, “but not everyone needs to see this—it’s embarrassing.” All those people staring? She’d rather sink through the floor.

Sebastian’s laugh rolled out again. In one smooth move, he scooped her up into his arms and turned, carrying her straight back to their room. As Sebastian leaned in, the room’s soft glow washed over them, throwing warm shadows across the walls.

Stephanie pushed at his chest, her voice all jittery. “That thing’s still out in the hall! What if someone spots it?” Her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

Sebastian waved it off like it was nothing. “Doesn’t matter—it’s useless anyway.” She blinked, thrown. “Huh?” He dropped his voice, all casual. “Size’s pathetic.”

Stephanie’s eyes went huge. Her face lit up red again, and she dove for the blanket to hide, but Sebastian wasn’t letting her off that easy. He grabbed her cheeks gently, his tone softening. “Still hurting?”

“Not as much today,” she mumbled. Macro’s meds weren’t half bad, she thought, giving him a grudging nod. Sebastian’s lips quirked into a little smile, catching her reply. She saw that grin and backtracked quick. “But it’s still an injury, you know!”

He raised an eyebrow, teasing. “You’re saying no?” Stephanie locked up, no words coming out. ‘Seriously—is it normal to just throw that out there?’ Her brain spun into a flustered mess.

“Did Macro’s caveman energy rub off on you?” she whined, half-pointing the finger. Her eyes got watery, red around the edges as she stared at him. Sebastian’s laugh turned light and playful. He kissed her forehead softly. “Chill, not right now.”

She shot him a pouty glare, relief sneaking in even though she didn’t want it to. She wanted to pinch him again, but his phone buzzed, cutting through the vibe and breaking the silence. “Phone,” she said, nodding at the nightstand.

He shrugged, all lazy. “Let it ring.” “Pick it up already,” she nudged, giving him a little shove. She needed a break—let him take the call so she could catch her breath.

Sebastian sat up, snagged the phone, and glanced at the screen. The second he answered, his mother, Mrs. Luca’s voice blasted through, sharp and pissed. “You little brat!”

Sebastian’s brow twitched. Stephanie’s jaw dropped, stunned. Mrs. Luca was on fire, practically snarling. “Tell me Stefi’s okay with this. Did you push her into it?”