“I just want you to know that Sebastian was the only man I ever saw at that club, and I was never romantically involved with Brandon. It was all a big misunderstanding. Brandon is a wonderful person, but he misread the situation. I know that it probably doesn’t matter to you anyway, because if I were you, I would have already made up my mind of what I thought of me, too.”
She glares at me.
“But I love Sebastian. I would do anything to make him happy.”
Her eyes hold mine.
“I know you’re still friends with Helena, and I understand your animosity toward me.”
“I’m not friends with Helena. I tolerate her.” She huffs. “Barely.”
Shit, she wants to fight. This is going bad.
Bad, bad, bad.
I nod, unsure what to say next.
“I just want someone to love Sebastian like he deserves to be loved,” she says.
I nod again. “I want that, too.”
“If you hurt him…”
“I won’t.”
We stare at each other.
“I’d like it if we could be friends,” I shrug.
She looks out over the other people here.
“I only want what’s best for him,” I say.
“And you think that’s you?”
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation. “Nobody could love him more than I do. If we’ve gotten over all the obstacles we’ve had thrown at us and still feel like this about each other, I know it’s special.”
She exhales heavily, conceding defeat. “Don’t make me regret giving you a chance, April.”
“I won’t.”
“You need to talk to Brandon.”
“I know.” And I really do know. It’s been on my mind lately. “I was going to call him, but I don’t know what to say.”
“You start with hello.”
“Good advice.”
She gives me her first genuine smile. “It is nice to finally meet you. You’re not what I expected.”
Relief fills me. I think it’s going to be okay. “Thank you. You, too.”
The night has been fun, and people are just starting to leave. Brielle and I are tidying up the kitchen, and Charlotte is sitting at the kitchen counter.
Sebastian walks into the kitchen, talking on the phone.
“Thanks for calling, Son. I love you.” He smiles as he listens. “Yes, I’ll put her on.” He holds out the phone to me. “It’s Brandon. He wants to speak to you.”
My eyes hold his, and he raises a brow. I know this is it. If I want a real future with Sebastian, which I do, I need to fix things with his son. I can’t hold a grudge for the pain he caused me. I have to let it go.
No ifs or buts about it.
I take the phone from him. “Hello, Brandon,” I say, hopeful.
“Hi… April.”
I close my eyes at the sound of his familiar voice. I hold my finger up to the girls and walk out into the backyard for some privacy.
“How are you?”
“I’m good,” he replies. “Long time, no speak.”
I close my eyes and smile as hope runs through me. It feels like things are finally falling into place.
It’s just gone midnight when we finally get up to the bedroom. The night has been filled with cheers and happiness. Sebastian must have received at least thirty phone calls from people congratulating him.
Seb puts his phone on charge on the beside, and his eyes find mine across the room.
“You look tired.” I smile.
“Delirious.” He sighs, taking his jacket off. “Shower and bed.”
He walks into the bathroom and turns the shower on.
“Come on, babe,” he calls.
I smile as I undress. What is it with us two? We never shower alone anymore.
Always together.
I walk in and get under the hot water. Sebastian takes me into his arms. I close my eyes against his warm shoulder, his big arms wrapped around me.
“I could go to sleep right here.” I smile sleepily.
“Same.” We both lean on each other, warm, safe and relaxed. Alone for the first time today.
“I like your family.” I smile up at him.
He soaps up his hands and begins to rub them over my body. “They like you.”
“It was a good day, huh?”
He kisses my lips. “The best.”
The phone lights up the darkened room from the bedside. It vibrates on silent with an incoming call.
The sound of April and Sebastian chatting in the shower echoes throughout the room.
The phone rings and then stops.
It begins to vibrate again, the name lighting up the screen:
Helena
29
Three months later
Mathew holds the back door of the black Mercedes wagon open for me, and he gives me a kind smile as I walk out of my building.
“Hello, Mathew.” I smile.
“Good evening, Miss Bennet.” He closes the door behind me after I slide into the backseat.
He gets into the driver seat wearing his black customary suit and earpiece. He looks every bit of the handsome bodyguard.
We pull out into the traffic, and I glance behind me to see the second security car following us.
My life has changed dramatically.
I’m dating the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
My beloved Sebastian Garcia.
Security guards are ever present, his work schedule is ridiculous, and we live between two houses. Staying at my place is completely out of the question now. Security risks are things I can no longer ignore. Not that I can actually call it my place anymore. It’s more like an empty apartment with furniture in it. I haven’t slept there in three months. Depending on our schedule, sometimes I go weeks without even calling in. My pot plants live at Sebastian’s place, along with all of my clothes and personal belongings. He keeps asking me to end my lease and fully move in with him, but I just want to wait a little bit.
We’ve only been together for a few months, and even though I know that this is forever for us, I want to try and at least act a little cool.
Not that I can.
I’m completely and irrevocably in love.
The traffic whizzes by as I stare out of the window, and I smile to myself. If only I knew back then what I know now.
My marriage breakdown…
The darkest and most horrible days of my life when I thought that dying would be easier to get through than live another day in pain…
They were all just stepping stones to him.
He was always my grand plan—the man I was supposed to find.
I’ve never known a love like this. So pure in all its essence.
This man owns my body and soul. He’s my best friend, my confidant, my protector.
The love of my life.
And we’re not perfect. Far from it.
To the outside world, I’m sure we appear to be.
The Prime Minister who dates the lawyer… both madly in love.
On paper, the perfect duo.
But we have deep psychological flaws, both damaged in our own way. He’s insanely jealous of any man who looks my way, and he’s so innately sexual with me that it borders on being a sex addiction.
And I… well, I have nightmares where he goes back to his ex-wife.