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CHAPTER EIGHT

ETHAN

B eing in the Hamptons with Sebastian and his family felt surreal.

I was used to them separately by now, but seeing them together in their own home—with all their family dynamics—was not what I’d imagined.

Everyone knew about their family history. Sebastian’s mother had passed away when they were kids—a sudden, rare medical condition that had blindsided them. Since meeting them, I had assumed that was why they were so close. But introducing his dad into the mix painted a far more complicated picture.

Sebastian’s father was an intimidating man. He was shorter than Sebastian, resembling Henry in build, but that’s where the similarities ended. He was silent and cold in a way I hadn’t expected after knowing his sons, carrying an air that altered the vibe of the entire house.

He’d arrived that morning for breakfast, and though they all sat together, subtle shifts in their energy were immediate. The three brothers instinctively drew closer to one another. Sebastian took a seat beside his father, physically shielding Oliver and Henry.

The usual banter and teasing were replaced with tension. Sebastian’s spark dimmed. Henry’s transformation was even more striking—typically, the life of the party, he became quiet, detached. Watching him jump at his father’s slightest glance was unnerving. It was so unlike him.

Their relationship with their stepmother was polite, cordial even, but distant. Even with Charlotte and my mom present, every interaction felt like a well-rehearsed script, the conversations polished but hollow.

After breakfast, Sebastian’s father asked to see him in his office. The door clicked shut, and that was it. Sebastian didn’t look at me once before he left.

I’d spent the morning dreading how I would face him after what had happened in the kitchen the night before. But now, my anxiety seemed ridiculous. Whatever weighed on Sebastian was far bigger than our unfinished moment.

Also, I was still dodging my mother, and the inevitable What are you doing with your life? conversation.

Thankfully, Henry whisked me away to pick up some friends before heading to the marina. His “friends” turned out to be three girls—gorgeous and barely dressed in bikinis. By the time Sebastian showed up an hour later, they were already deep into their first bottle of champagne.

Sebastian didn’t look like himself when he arrived—tense and serious, his usual effortless charm buried beneath whatever had happened in that office. His expression hardened further when he noticed the rest of the party. He poured himself a glass, took a work call, and drifted to the other side of the boat, keeping his distance.

I kept waiting for him to come back, but after an hour, I went looking for him.

He was on the deck, sitting alone, smoking and scrolling through his phone.

“Hey,” I said softly.

He turned, the crease between his brows visible even behind his sunglasses. “Hey.”

These past two days had been a crash course in navigating Sebastian’s moods. Before last night, I had only known the teasing, smiling Sebastian. I had no idea how to deal with him while he was this serious.

“Still working?”

“Not really.” His voice was sharp, clipped.

“Are you okay?”

Clearly, being with his dad had soured his mood. At least that was something I could relate to.

He sighed, dragging from his cigarette. “Not really. I shouldn’t have come out today. Don’t think I’ll be much fun.”

“Did you fight with your dad?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Not a fight, exactly. More of a…difference of opinion. He’s supposed to be retired, but he keeps showing up. It’s like a catchy song you can’t get out of your head.”

“So, yes,” I said.

He chuckled—a small but welcome break in his bad mood. “It’s hard enough being my age and running a multimillion-dollar company. Being treated like a child on top of that? It’s infuriating.”

I couldn’t imagine that kind of pressure, so I said the only thing I could think of. “If there’s nothing you can do about it right now, why not let it go for a little while? Maybe try to have a good time?”

The corners of his lips lifted, just barely. “Are you offering to show me a good time?” he asked, his voice warming slightly. Much better.

“I think Henry’s got that covered. They’re already drunk,” I pointed out, nodding toward the others.

He laughed, a softer sound this time, and reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine and resting it in his lap. “I’m fairly certain you’d make me feel better than my brother could,” he said with a smirk.

I scrunched my nose. “That sounded terrible,” I teased, and his laugh came louder, freer. “Are you going to come over?”

“Yeah.” His smile widened, but before he could move, Henry’s booming voice cut through the moment.

“Why the fuck are you holed up here?” Henry called out, a bottle dangling from his hand.

I pulled my hand away instinctively, guilt searing through me. “Sorry,” I muttered.

Sebastian’s expression shifted in an instant. His jaw tightened, his smile disappeared, and he stared at his now-empty hand, frowning. “I’m going inside. I have a headache,” he said abruptly, standing and walking away before I could stop him.

“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 a Sebastian Langley kind 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…”

His lips brushed against my skin as my heart pounded. “That’s exactly right. Now, just ask me to kiss you.”

Nerves shot through me, and I tensed, trying to push him back. “Ash,” I repeated.

His hand moved to my waist, holding me gently but insistently. “Or do you want me to touch you again? Warm you up to it first?”

Panic began to swell in my chest. I wanted to ask him to stop but didn’t want to upset him again.

“Come on, darling. Tell me what you want,” he coaxed.

I pressed my lips together, turning my face away.

Sebastian pulled me back by my shoulders, causing me to fall onto the bed. Fuck.

He slipped his hand under my shirt, running it up my back, breathing against my neck. He wasn’t on top of me, but he was one move away from it. My body overheated in a matter of seconds, and I could feel it pooling in my groin. As I grew harder than fucking steel, my embarrassment skyrocketed. I couldn’t handle it.

Pushing against his shoulders, I tried to create some space between us. “Sebastian, stop. I don’t want to do this. Let’s go outside.”

He froze, his breath catching. Exhaling heavily, he pulled back, standing and pacing a few steps away, his hands on his hips.

I sat up, running my hands through my hair, frustration and embarrassment burning through me. I cussed under my breath, willing my erection to die down.

Sebastian turned, his expression unreadable. “Maybe you should leave, Ethan.”

I stopped cold. I shook my head. “I just need more time.”

He laughed without humor. “It’s not about time. You keep changing your mind.”

“I’m not. It’s just a lot and…” I tried to explain.

“I know it is, and maybe you can’t handle it—not now, at least.” He looked away again.

A flicker of annoyance went through me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe you’re too young for this, and I’m not blaming you. This is my fault. I should have listened.”

My heart sank. “You knew all along, Sebastian. It’s not like you just found out how old I am,” I pointed out.

“Yes, I know, but I thought it didn’t matter. But all these things—it’s because of that, and you can’t decide,” he said, the crease between his brows deepening.

“What things?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe I was asking. “You say you want to see me, then you want to pretend we don’t know each other. You agree to see me again, then you don’t want me near you. You wear the bracelet, then tell me you want out. You call me in the middle of the night to say you like me, let me get close, and now you’re telling me to stop again. You can’t make up your mind, Ethan,” he said in a rush.

My cheeks burned. “I told you I wasn’t easygoing!” I snapped.

“Yeah, no kidding,” he shot back. “This is the third time we’ve fought in two weeks. What the fuck even is that?”

“We’re not fighting.”

“No? What the hell do you call this?”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sebastian,” I said, standing abruptly.“I’m sorry I don’t live up to your expectations. Maybe the next time you decide to fuck with someone’s head, you’ll get to know them first—to see if it’s actually worth it.”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I didn’t say you weren’t worth it,” he muttered, but I was already walking out the door. I shut it behind me with a snap.

* * *

The rest of the boat ride was a complete nightmare.

I found myself stuck with Hanna and Felicia again, forced to listen to them chatter about their lives while pretending I wasn’t still spiraling over Sebastian. Every word he’d said earlier played on a loop in my head, feeding my worst fears. He regretted this—regretted me .

And now I was screwed.

All I could picture was a lifetime of family functions, catching glimpses of him across the room and remembering how close I’d been, how badly I’d messed it up. It would be excruciating.

Eventually, Henry and Sebastian came out, talking and keeping their distance from us. Sebastian was chain-smoking, and Henry was oddly serious. The girls—Hanna and Felicia—invited me to a party they were attending at a friend’s house. I declined, but they gave me their numbers, asking me to reconsider.

By the time we got back to the house, things had only gotten worse. Sebastian disappeared into the office with his father and brothers while I found myself drifting—reluctantly—toward Charlotte and my mother. I tried to focus on the wedding planning and whatever else they were discussing, but my mind was elsewhere.

It was on him.

I replayed everything, over and over, analyzing every word, every glance—wishing I could take it all back.

But even if I found the courage to talk to him and apologize, what could I possibly say? “Sorry for freaking out again. I swear I’ll stop being a walking contradiction”? That would only confirm what he’d said—that I was just some kid who couldn’t make up his mind.

And if I did apologize, wouldn’t that mean letting him kiss me? The idea sent my nerves into overdrive. I thought I wanted it—I did want it—but what if I hated it? I’d never kissed a guy before. What if my attraction to him was just because of who he was, and the reality didn’t live up to the fantasy?

If that happened, he’d hate me, and things would be even worse. We’d be stuck awkwardly avoiding each other for years.

By late afternoon, Sebastian and the others had moved to the terrace. I could see him from the living room, his posture stiff as he stared out at the horizon. The distance between us felt insurmountable, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until I found Hanna and Felicia’s numbers.

“Hey,” I said when one of them picked up. “About that party…I’m in.”