Breakthrough

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

HARPER

"You what?!"

"Shh!" I hissed, picking up a balled up napkin and tossing it at Lennox across the table. It hit her straight in the chest before falling to her lapl, though she paid no attention as I glanced around the restaurant. We were sitting in a side booth for two people at Panera, and I had just told her about what the hell almost happened last night between me and Sebastian. Better to tell her in a public setting than in the apartment where anyone could overhear. I had dragged her here after dropping some groceries off at the apartment that Mom had wanted me to do. "Stop yelling, you're so obnoxious!"

Lennox's jaw dropped, momentarily affronted before narrowing her eyes and leaning forward against the table as she countered, "I think I have right to be obnoxious after you just told me that you and Sebastian almost kissed!"

I slightly sank down in my seat, dropping the spoon into my half eaten bow of macaroni and cheese with a clang as huff escaped me. "I don't know what the hell happened," I shook my head, staring at her with wide eyes. Her expression of disbelief mirrored mine. "One second we were hugging because I thanked him for my gift, and the next we just stood there, looking like we were about to kiss but just never doing it."

Desperately, I tried to keep the disappointment from my tone towards the end of the sentence, failing to do so as my lips tugged downwards as I thought of what happened last night. Sebastian and I had been so close to kissing, but neither of us were ready to make the first move; I think he was hesitating for the same reason as I was—we weren't sure if the other wanted it as much as we did. How fucking stupid of us.

When I had gotten back to my room on buckling knees and with a racing heartbeat, I really wanted to tell Lennox then and there of what had almost happened. But I still needed time to process it, so I figured I'd just confess to her after taking her out to eat, away from Sebastian and the possibly prying ears of my family. God, if any Sinclair was to find out I almost kissed a Hartford, shit would hit the fan, nevermind if I actually did kiss him.

Lennox was staring at me with her dark eyes wide and pink lips parted, the incredulous expression never wavering from her face. She was processing this just as I was last night, looking utterly befuddled. That made two of us. "I don't know how you two went from hating each other to almost kissing," my best friend scoffed, shaking her head as she also leaned back in the seat.

I flushed. "You're missing the part where we became friends first, Len," I reminded her with an arched brow.

She waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes. "Details." For a moment she stirred her own half finished tomato soup, before letting out an exaggerated breath and meeting my gaze once more. "So, like, what? Do you have feelings for Sebastian?"

An expression that could be deemed a mixture of exasperation and confusion took over my face as I gripped the edge of the table in front of me, pushing myself farther into the seat of the booth as I truthfully answered, "I mean, yeah, I guess."

Lennox quirked an unconvinced eyebrow. "You guess?"

I bit my lower lip, brows scrunching upwards slightly as I thought for a moment, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess that was my mind. Did I like Sebastian? At the thought of him, his face popped in my mind; sharp jaw, full lips, the right amount of facial hair, and green eyes that admittedly made me swoon. He was a handsome boy, that was a definite, but what made him even more attractive was the kind of person he was.

Sure, I more or less hated him before, but that was because I didn't know what he was really like—not to mention the damn familial issues we have. But the more I got to know him, courtesy of Lennox and Caleb, the more I got to see the true Sebastian Hartford; the guy who stood up to people in bars for me, who loved photography and was exceptional at it, was slowly becoming my drinking buddy, held back his own brother from hitting mine, and stuck by my side when I busted my ankle. Hell, he even proved to be a good friend by hanging out with the person who he disliked the most—me—because his best friend was dating mine. And, yes, I did the same thing but it showed me that Sebastian was also willing to put our differences aside for someone he cared about.