“Open your eyes,” I hear Sebastian call over.
With a deep breath, I do, promising myself it’s only for a moment.
“Look at me, Amy.”
I roll my head to the side and see him. He’s huge in the seat. A man of his stature is practically ridiculous, squeezing into this thing, yet he’s smiling. I watch as his hands, which are resting on his thighs, rise up. He nods to me to do the same.
I shake my head.
Let go, he mouths.
I grip the chains harder as I look down, hoping for the ride to be over soon, thinking if it is, I suppose I could take a chance. Glancing over at Sebastian again, I use him as my strength, my confidence to do as he asked.
Slowly, I release my hands from the chains and bend my arms at my sides, barely lifting them up. With a deep—very deep—and shaky breath, I lift them higher. I pull them back for a beat before fully committing and launching them above my head.
Eyes open, shoulders high, and mouth parted, I inhale the eastern summer air and stare out at the world around me.
To my surprise, I feel okay. No, I feel better than okay.
I spit-laugh as I let out a smile, looking out at the city that is passing by in a blue blur. I can see the bridge and the riverbanks that line the city, past the highways and roads, and into the green hills in the distance.
I lose control and give it up, relinquishing myself to whatever might be. The rise and fall of the ride now do nothing for my nervous heart. Instead, I search forward to the next movements because I know I can handle it.
It’s freeing. It’s addictive. It’s magnificent.
The ride starts to lower, and we swing our way down to the ground. My legs are a little wobbly as we exit, but I do so with a laugh and a smile. As I trip slightly on the ramp, Sebastian takes my hand and weaves me back to the massive crowd that’s gathered by the main stage.
I text Charity to let her know where we are. She says she’s good with Jeremy and chooses a meetup spot in case we don’t find each other by the end of the night.
The sun is starting to set, and off in the distance, there’s a vendor selling glow necklaces. Sebastian jogs over to purchase two, one for my neck and another as a crown, which he places on my head.
I run a finger over his cheekbone and down his freshly shaven jaw, rubbing my thumb over his lips. He kisses it and then my wrist, holding my hand as the music for the next band starts to play on the main stage.
The band is playing a Coldplay cover, and Sebastian’s head swivels at the opening chords of the song. With a wide, beaming smile, he listens to one of his favorites, “A Sky Full of Stars.”
“You’re such a heavenly view,” he sings along as he watches the lead singer.
Meanwhile, my full attention is on him.
The sunset is casting a pink and gold haze in the sky that makes him seem ethereal. From the curve of his brow to the straight line of his nose, each facet of his face is illuminated.
He’s a beautiful man—that’s for sure.
Yet it’s not just his impossibly handsome face, that swagger, or the expensive things he treats me to, nor is it his career, high-priced clothes, or his townhome in the city.
No, what makes Sebastian the most beautiful man is his mind. It’s brilliant and thoughtful, steadfast and dedicated to everything he does.
It’s the Leo in him.
He’s carefree and king of the party, yet he’s focused and successful, always sticking to his goals. Loyal to his family, friends, his love. He’s the fire that life needs.
He’s what I need.
I’ve been successful. I’ve hung on to my ideals, and I do everything on my own. Yet this feeling of Zen, of flying high in the sky with my hands up in the air and letting go of some of that control because I know I can handle whatever life throws at me, is completely freeing. No, I’m not talking about the carnival ride. It’s life. Life is about taking leaps, yet knowing when your feet hit the ground, you’ll have the wherewithal to handle wherever you land.
Sebastian taught me that.
I told him I loved him, and it was sweet, but—fuck—I didn’t mean it like I do now.
In my entire life, I’ve never truly meant it when I said it to a man. People say it all the time because it feels like the right thing. It’s a passionate response. It’s powerful.
I know that because right here, right now, as I look at him in the middle of this dusty festival—smiling brightly, singing his songs, and holding my hand—I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I am in love with Sebastian Blake.
With a tug, I pull him close with my arms around his neck, soaking in his words as he sings and drowning them in a kiss. He wastes no time in seizing the moment, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and lifting me off the ground.
I kiss him with passion.
I kiss him with fire.
I kiss him with my entire being.
“I love you, Sebastian,” I say with my eyes wide open.
He opens his and stares at me for a beat. His head tilts slightly as his eyes narrow a touch, looking at me, staring at me, searching me.
As if the answer to his unanswered question has been found, he lets out a breath, and his eyes crinkle. His lips brush mine again.
“Of all the things you could have given me for my birthday, that is the best one yet,” he says with a big smile.
Now, it’s my turn to tilt my head. “What’s that?”
He grins. “More of you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I hear my phone ring, and when I see Sebastian’s sexy face filling up my screen, I swipe on the call with a huge grin on my face. “Hey, handsome.”
“Her water broke,” he says frantically as I hear him rustling around.
“What? Isn’t it too early?”
“Yes.” He pauses, and I hear more movement. He’s most definitely talking into his AirPods and using his arms to search for something. “Shit, where are my keys?” he says more to himself than anyone around him.
“They’re in your coat pocket,” I hear Miles say in the background.
“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you,” Sebastian responds. “Cancel everything,” he yells, and I can only assume it’s because he’s out the door and Miles is still standing in his office.
“Sebastian, what’s going on?” I ask after I hear him breathe a few breaths into the phone.
“Oh God. Sorry,” he responds like he forgot I was on the line.
Hearing him so frazzled has me standing from my desk, where I was doing paperwork, and wondering if I should meet him.
“Lauren’s water broke. She’s at the hospital—has been for a few hours. Why she didn’t call me earlier, I have no clue. Now, I’m racing around like a maniac, trying to get there in time.”
“Just breathe. You have plenty of time. Labor can take hours. My sisters were in the hospital for days it seemed like.”
“She’s already eight centimeters.”
“Or not …” I say in shock.
“She’s only thirty-five weeks. This is too early. What if something happens to my son?” The panic dripping from his voice makes me grab my chest in pain.
“Don’t think like that. If she’s been in the hospital for a while, then everything is going smoothly. If there were problems occurring, she’d be in the operating room, getting a C-section, so don’t worry about anything. Hundreds of women give birth every day. Things are going to be just fine.”