Page 85 of Strings

He hands me a mug and I use it to motion toward her. “Right there.”

“Right where? Talia, do you see someone in the room with us?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m talking to Stella, my plant. She’s in the pink pot right in front of you.”

I throw back the tequila and start to pour myself another.

“Wait…thisis Stella? This is your ‘friend’ that you need to take care of and the reason you need to get home?”

I shrug as I take another shot. “She needs me sometimes.” I start to pour another shot and Sebastian takes the bottle.

“So let me get this straight. You talk to it?”

“Her. She can hear you, you know. If you piss her off and she doesn’t like you, you’re going to have to leave. Now give me the bottle.”

He stands with the bottle in his hands and walks over to Stella. I try to reach out for it, but I miss it.

“My apologies, Stella. The last thing I would ever want is for you to not like me.” He faces me and grins at me like I’m insane.

“Don’t make fun of me. I needed a friend when I moved in here and she’s a really good listener.”

“I bet. It’s always good to have a friend that can’t talk back.”

“Yes, unlike you who is always spewing from the mouth.”

“Oh, I’m your friend now?”

“If you don’t give me back the bottle, you’re not going to be anything but out the door.”

“You’ve had two shots. I haven’t even had one yet.”

“You’re slow.”

He sets the bottle next to Stella. “I think now would be a good time to talk.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t have anything to say.” I pause for a moment. That’s not exactly true. “Well, except thank you. And I mean that.”

“I know you do. Your text worried me. I called for a break and went looking for you. But before we get into that, I need to know why we didn’t tell the cops what Mercer did. I need you to explain.”

As soon as I start to think about Mercer and the elevator, I feel gross. “I need a bath. I want to get the feeling of his hands on my thighs off my skin.”

Sebastian scowls. “He touched your thighs?”

“Yes. He pinned me to the glass and slid his hand up my skirt.”

“That mother fucking son of a—”

“He really is. I’ve known a lot of men in my life that treat women like they’re pieces of meat, but he takes the cake.”

Sebastian steps over to me and sits on the coffee table directly in front of me. “Are you okay? Can I do anything for you?”

“Do you mind if I go take a bath? I feel disgusting.”

“Of course not. I really don’t want to leave you alone, though.”

Gazing up at him through the tops of my eyelashes, I realize how much better I’ve felt since he came along. Not just today, but since the first day I met him. “I don’t want you to leave either. Will you stay? Can you? For a little while, at least? I know I act all tough and like I have it all together, but I like having you here. I feel… I don’t know… safe.”

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to. I’m not going anywhere, Talia. And I mean that.”