Page 50 of When We Ignite

“Shit,” I whispered under my breath, watching him go.

Once again, I’d managed to piss him off.

* * *

I quickly learned that Sebastian and I had something else in common—neither of us was easygoing.

At all.

I left him to stew in his bad mood, figuring he’d work it out better on his own. Meanwhile, I tried to hang out with Henry and his friends. But Henry was already glued to a curvy brunette, the two of them making out like they were auditioning for a music video. That left me with the other two girls, Hanna and Felicia. They were nice enough, but every time I spoke, they giggled like I was some adorable puppy. They weren’t exactly what I’d call engaging company.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Sebastian through the window, watching us. Just for a moment. Then he disappeared again.

An hour later, I was bored out of my mind and decided to find him. Truth be told, I still didn’t know how to handle him. I wanted him to like me, but part of me kept expecting him to change his mind. I couldn’t even figure out why he was so into me in the first place—not because I didn’t think I was a catch, but I wasn’t aSebastian Langleykind of catch.

As I approached his room, I saw Henry leave, grinning and shaking his head. He’d been talking to Sebastian, one hand gripping Sebastian’s shirt as he spoke quickly. Sebastian had shoved him back, clearly annoyed, and Henry had just laughed. I’d never seen Sebastian genuinely pissed at Henry before.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked lightly on the doorframe. Sebastian turned toward me, his expression stormy.

“Can I come in?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really?” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I thought you couldn’t stomach being in an enclosed space with me.”

Pressing my lips together, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. “See? I can be in the same room with you.”

A flicker of a smile tugged at his lips.

“Why are you so upset?”

He exhaled sharply, his hands on his hips. “I’m in a mood. I told you yesterday I was frustrated, and now everything’s piling up.”

“With work?”

He nodded.

I moved further into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. He glanced at me but didn’t move. I patted the spot beside me. He hesitated, then finally sat down.

I held out my hand.

The corners of his lips twitched. “What are you doing?”

“Apologizing. What do you think?”

Sebastian looked at my hand and smirked. “It’s cute,” he said, chuckling.

I shook my head, and before I could react, he swung an arm around my neck and pulled me closer. I tried to stay relaxed until he rested his face in my hair. That was when my brain caught up, reminding me that I’d willingly invited him to bed with me.

“You’re not mad anymore?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

“I’m not mad,” he murmured, his free hand reaching for my face, essentially enveloping me. Sebastian was so much bigger than me and he covered me so easily. It felt great, but at the same time, it made me want to run for the hills.

“Good. Let’s go back outside.”

“Or,” he whispered, tilting my chin upward until his lips brushed my cheek, “we could pick up where we left off last night.”

A shiver ran through me, his warm breath sending heat racing down my spine.

“Ash…”