Page 34 of When We Ignite

She gave methatlook—the one that made it clear she was disappointed in my lack of communication skills. Well, get in line.

“Come on, help me find something decent to wear,” I urged, grabbing her hand and dragging her back to my room.

As I rifled through my wardrobe, Maya kept up the questions, and eventually, I spilled everything. It was a relief to finally unload the Sebastian obsession on someone else.

By the time Sebastian called to say he was downstairs, I was dressed and fussing with my hair in the mirror. Maya gave me a thumbs-up, assuring me I looked great, but the nerves didn’t let up.

Taking a steadying breath, I grabbed my phone and headed out the door.

My heart lodged in my throat as I stepped onto the street, scanning for Sebastian’s car.

I jumped when a sleek black SUV slid up beside me, its windows tinted dark. The passenger window lowered, revealing him.

“Hello, darling,” Sebastian greeted me.

I opened the door and slid into the seat beside him. “Hey,” I said simply, buckling my seat belt.

His gaze settled on me as I adjusted myself, and the weight of it made me shift in my seat. When I glanced at him, he was leaning back, a small smile playing on his lips, watching me like he had all the time in the world.

“What?” I asked, unable to bear the silence.

“Is this for my benefit?” He gestured toward me.

My face burned instantly. “What?” I feigned ignorance, even though I knew exactly what he meant.

His deep-brown eyes scanned me slowly, from my face to my lap, then back to my hair. “You look fucking fantastic.”

I looked away. “Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Not that you don’t always look amazing, but I’ve never seen you dress up. It’s nice—you look nice,” he said quickly, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. It was almost funny seeing him unsettled for once.

“Are you okay?” I asked, unable to hide my amusement.

He chuckled softly. “Yes, I’m fine. Just exercising self-control,” he replied with a loud exhale.

I smiled, the tension easing slightly. “What happened to your car?”

“The windows are darker in this one. It’s Henry’s,” he said, starting to drive.

“So, he knows about this?”

“He knows.”

“You tell Henry everything,” I complained. “It’s a little problematic. He’s always making fun of me now.”

Sebastian laughed. “He makes fun of everyone—that’s just Henry. He might not seem trustworthy, but he is the least judgmental person I know. And anyway, he knows me too well to hide anything from him. Why try?”

“Do you think you could refrain from telling him about this?”

He glanced at me, stopping at a red light. “Tell him what?” he teased, his tone all innocence.

I shook my head and looked away. “You’re so fucking infuriating,” I mumbled, which only made him laugh again.

His hand landed on my knee, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. He tightened his grip before moving it to the gearshift. It seemed like an absent gesture, but it set my nerves on fire. Nothing Sebastian did was without calculation.

“I won’t tell him about it if you don’t want me to. But honestly, even if I denied it, he’d still think something was going on,” he said, glancing at me knowingly.

He wasn’t wrong.