Best Friends Don't Sleep Together - A.H. Series #1

Chapter 29

"You don't realize it, do you? I'm in love with you, Vivian." He said it so calmly, so matter-of-factly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the most regular announcement he could ever make. I'm in love with you, Vivian. How many times have I dreamed about hearing those exact words? Not from him, though. Funny how a love declaration can have such a different effect depending on who makes it.

"That can't be." I blurted out without thinking, or rather thinking he was playing me again. This man lied to me throughout the whole 5 weeks we've been together, why would I believe he loves me?

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, his quizzical gaze fixed on my face, as if he truly couldn't understand why I didn't believe him. It's not like our entire relationship was a lie and he only used me for his alibi to kill Julia Woods, right?

Regardless, I preferred to be honest. I looked away and sighed softly. "You don't know me enough to love me, Sebastian." I should have probably started using his real name, but I couldn't make myself. Calling him Tyler felt like admitting that I was talking to his criminal self, while Sebastian was just the charming man that helped me through my heartbreak and made me truly believe that not all men are trash. The truth was, even though I had time to come terms with it, I still had troubles letting go of the man I thought he was.

Taking me off guard, he tilted my chin up with one finger, making me look into his eyes. "Maybe not but it doesn't take long for a heart to formulate an inescapable desire." He said simply. "I won't pretend you're my first love. And I will not deny that the first one didn't end well either."

That reminded me of his confession a while back, what he said about his ex-girlfriend dying in unfortunate circumstances. "She was killed, wasn't she?" I couldn't help but ask.

Sebastian remained quiet for a long moment, then eventually heaved a deep sigh, pulling back again. "Just because I wasn't able to save her, doesn't mean I won't save you, Vivian."

"Save me from what? You keep deflecting, Sebastian, never giving a full explanation as to who you really are." I finally blurted out, tired of his games. "Granted that I have been told who you are, but I wanted to hear it from you. I wanted to give you the benefit of doubt." I stood up so fast that he didn't catch me, but he didn't try to make me sit again either. I started pacing around. "They told me you're some kind of drug lord, Sebastian. That you're a highly dangerous man, that you were coming after me and ..." I left a hand on my belly, "him."

Sebastian looked up, surprised. "You know it's a boy?" He wondered, seemingly excited.

"Not yet, I will know in a week. But I kind of feel like it's a boy." Before he could say anything about it, I shook my head, resuming: "The point is, I was sent here because they said you would come after me, that you were dangerous and I was supposed to expect you to kill me or-"

"I wouldn't." He cut me off, standing up so abruptly that I unconsciously took a step back in fear. "I would never hurt you, Vivian." Sebastian repeated, pulling me into his arms. He may have meant well, but I couldn't relax in his embrace like I used to. "I've done many horrible things and yes, I lied to you in the beginning. But I would never hurt you. I never meant to, not even when I planned to use you as alibi."

"So, it is true," I pulled back, feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, "you tried to kill Mrs. Woods."

His jaw clenched at the sole mention of that woman. "She got what she deserved." He spat, his voice returning ... criminal, so to speak. "You really think a woman like that, so powerful, so rich, never once wronged anyone? Never once used her resources to stomp her shiny heels over some innocent soul that didn't know better than to cross her road?" He scoffed, going to sit on the bench again, yet stood up a second later. "She killed my mother! Julia Woods killed my mother even when she posed no threat to her!" He barked so loudly that I took a step back in fear and the birds in the trees flew away.