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“You know what, princess? We don’t even need to go in there.” His hand grasps mine, and he turns to leave. “Let’s head to the mall. I’ll buy you everything you need. I mean, I still have to buy you new underwear from the time I ripped them.”
Instantly, my mind reels back to my wedding day when Sebastian ripped the expensive lace off in a frenzy of lust.
“That’s—” My cheeks flush hot.
“Are you remembering it?”
“I—” Damn him for knowing me so well, for being able to push all my buttons like this. “Is it not boring that you can read me like a book?”
“Boring?” He leans closer, his eyes locking with mine, the playful edge in his voice softening. “Lil, if you were a book, you’d be the kind I could never put down. The kind with layers, secrets in every chapter. I’d spend every second of my life getting lost in your pages, learning something new every time. It’s not about knowing you—it’s about discovering you over and over again. Like watching your favorite movie and noticing all the little things you didn’t before.”
I bite my lip to hide the smile threatening to break through. Damn him. He always knows just what to say. But when I look back up, the smile wins. It’s small, nervous, but real.
“Glad to see that smile back,” he says.
I glance away, pretending not to care. “Let’s just get this over with, okay? I want to grab my stuff and get out of here.”
He chuckles softly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand as we step into the apartment, glass crunching beneath our feet. He moves through the chaos with ease, heading straight for my bedroom. I follow, avoiding the destruction, focusing instead on a mental list of what I need.
Clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, makeup… “My book.”
He stops. “What?”
“Oh, I-I just was thinking about what to pack.”
“Only you would think about a book at a time like this.” He continues walking, tugging me with him.
“Hey, don’t judge. Reading helps me relax. Besides, it’s a really good book.”
“I’m sure it is.”
We arrive at my room, where the damage seems to be the worst. Drawers hanging open, clothes strewn across the floor, and the mirror shattered, shards of glass littering the floor. My stomach churns at the thought of strangers pawing through my things.
“Fantastic.”
“You okay?” Sebastian squeezes my hand.
“Yeah. I mean, no. But I will be. Eventually. Let’s just do this.”
“Alright. Where do you want to start?”
I survey the room, trying to prioritize. “Closet, I guess. I’ll need clothes.”
We work together. He pulls a suitcase from the top shelf while I start grabbing hangers. Jeans, t-shirts, a couple dresses. The basics.
I’m reaching for a sweater, my hand brushing against something soft and lacy. I freeze, my cheeks heating. It’s the red lingerie set from Gemma’s collection. She gifted me one. I’d forgotten it was even there.
“What’s that?” he asks.
Quickly, I shove it back into the depths of the closet. “Nothing,” I mumble, ducking my head. “Old stuff.”
“You sure you don’t want to pack it? Never know when you might need it.”
“Pretty sure I won’t be needing it anytime soon.” I shoot him a glare, but there’s no real heat behind it.
“Right.” He chuckles and wanders over to my bookshelf, which is crammed with novels. “Want me to grab some of these too?”
“I just need one. I don’t think they’ll all fit. Not unless you’ve got a magic suitcase.”