The One Awakened: Book 1 in The One Trilogy (67 page)

I walk out into the hall, visible to both parties but keep my head focused on my exit. Unfortunately the sound of my heels on the wooden flooring alerts him to company and looking over his shoulder he sees me, frowns when he acknowledges it’s me, and then rushes forward arms outstretched.
 

“Lu? Wait. Thank God you’re still here. Please hear me out.” His voice is pleading.

Great he hadn’t even noticed I’d left.

“No Sebastian.” My voice could, cut glass. It’s lethal and threatening and off enough to raise the neatly arched brows, of Ray.

“But you’re not allowing me to explain.”

“For once in your playboy life, you are not going to get what you want. I’m leaving.

“Who
is
she Seb?”

“Yes Sebastian who
am
I?” I mimic her cutesy tone and look at him directly, willing him to use this chance to put this right but he isn’t given the opportunity.

“Lu. Lu?” Rachel is racking her brain for where she knows my name. “You’re not Lucia are you his mate from Uni - Ah I’ve heard about you from Seb and Chris?”

I bite my lip and nod my head through gritted teeth.

“Yep. That’s me - Sebastian's mate, from University. That’s all, just a friend. We’ve never been more than friends.” I look right at Seb at this point, willing him to fight for us.
 

Why is he just letting this happen?
 

“Oh Hi - I’m Ray - his girlfriend.”

I purse my lips tightly together and nod, giving a sarcastic
you don’t say
expression.

“Lu - this isn’t what you thin…” He finally grows a pair and intervenes but I don’t allow him the courtesy of finishing.

“
Pretty much
got that one too.” I ignore him and direct my reply solely at her.

Shame I didn’t know that a few weeks ago before I bared my fucking soul.

Sebastian actually buries his head in his hands.
What the fuck?

“Well, that’s nice for you, Rachel but you’ll excuse me if I don’t stick around for the niceties and introductions as I said I’m late to collect my son.”

“No problem. I’m sure we’ll meet up soon.”

I wouldn’t say she was nice, but she wasn’t a bitch either. Just straight to the point.
 

“I don’t think that likely.”
 

If she is surprised at my distinct lack of warmth, she doesn’t show it. Instead, she shrugs her shoulder, in a whatever kind of way and wanders off around the hallway, commenting to no one in particular about the decor and how lovely everything is. My shoulders raise a degree if that is even possible. Any higher they’d hit the ceiling.
 

Seriously love - She’s like the female version of Chris.

Sebastian and I lock eyes.
The pain in mine is reflected in his. But he does nothing.
Nothing!
Doesn’t move. Says nothing!
I
will
him to speak - rush forward and claim me as his; to thrust Ray to one side and drag me back to his bed. Please let me go back to sleep and have this all be a horrific nightmare.
 

Breathing through my nostrils, my jaw tense and cheeks hollowed; I break into a million pieces for the second time in a week but find the ounce of resolve I need to make it out of the doors in one piece. This man has taken my heart, ripped it to shreds and handed it back on a silver platter and I had no one to blame but myself. He had only ever been what I had feared.
 

He’d never promised me anything but monogamy
whilst we were together
.
 

More fool me.

The pain is physical, slashing through me, knifing through my heart for both my loss of him as a lover and my best friend. We couldn’t ever be friends like we were, after this. He was no better than Niall.

My chest is burning; it feels like I have a tight band of steel wrapped around it, making it hard to breathe. I look at his beautiful face once more; his own chest is rising and falling in desperate waves.
 

Why had I told him I loved him?
Why had I given myself to him so freely; so completely? Why had I risked fucking everything?
 

Fuelled with all types of emotions I angrily yank open the door and pause, I needed to give him this last chance to explain. I owe it to him as my friend; deep down I should but I can’t be here anymore. The pain is sheer agony. I feel broken.

I watch his face, a montage of the past two weeks sexy moments, flickering in front of mine, and grit my teeth, as a hot tear, makes its descent down my cheek, plopping onto my shoulder. I knew all this was too good to be true.

“You knew the type of woman I was Seb – I’m
not
a one-night kind of girl. That’s your thing. You’re the bloody whore. Sorry, man-whore!” I correct myself, the contempt in my voice evident. “It took everything I had to ask you to spend these past few weeks with me. It was amazing - everything I’d hoped it would be. But there are too many secrets and I simply don’t trust you. First Toni, now… her!” I lift my arm out in Ray’s direction.
“I never thought that
you
of all people would make me feel so used, so worthless... so cheap! You don’t seem to have taken my feelings into consideration nor had any kind of respect for our friendship. I can’t see how we can ever be friends after this.
I stare long and hard at him, trembling with anger, despair and loss - the pearls at my back, swinging and holding me prisoner to memories of that monumental night at Scarlet House. Biting my lip I take a deep breath.
“ I love you Sebastian but this is goodbye.”
I rush out, desperate to escape him, the silver heart at my wrist jangling alerting me to its presence. I yank hard on the chain, wincing as the links catch the fine skin there. The break reverberates close to my ears with a forceful snap and I feel the heavy heart drop and raise my palm to catch it. The warmth and smoothness comforts me for a split-second, and I allow myself to remember when he gave it to me; allow myself that one memory. With a last glance I throw the treasured heart backwards, over my shoulder and don’t look back to see where it lands - then climb into the waiting getaway car.
 

I’d jumped into this far too quickly. Messed up the one true friendship I’d ever had with a member of the opposite sex. Seb had never pretended to be anything other than a lover of woman. He was the ultimate player.
 

Bugger
-
isn’t that why I’d gone to him in the first place?

This had to have ended at some point and whilst I’m utterly distraught, it was better now than in another couple of weeks, when I’d fallen deeper.

I love him. I need him. I ache for him.
I fucking hate him.

This beautiful sexy man, had done
what it said on the tin -
showed me a great time, got me back in the saddle, with no ties and no commitments. The only rule we hadn’t managed was to retain our friendship. My heart clenches painfully; that wasn’t possible, not when I feel like this.
He was it.
He is the one.
The one who I’d been waiting my entire life for but I hadn’t been enough for him - not enough for him to commit to one person. Not enough to fight for.
 

I flick on the TV, in the hope that it will drown out my tears - last thing I need is Finn hearing me, then pick up my work pad and pen. I’ve so much to sort for tomorrow’s big week at The Ashton and I half-heartedly, draft out a to-do list. I feel raw - vulnerable - used but at the same time back in my comfort zone - here I was safe and in control.

A bright light glints outside the window, interrupting my tears and I glance up, rubbing my eyes spontaneously. Its hard to see out into the blackness and I presume its a neighbour and settle down under martyr duvet. Just another hour and I’d head of to bed. Tomorrow I’d start my week without Sebastian - just that thought rips at my heart.

He’d been watching her for 30minutes now, more or less and he was hard, his cock straining against his jeans, palms sweaty. Moving to alleviate his numb behind, in the driver’s seat he puts down the handheld scanner and slips out his earpiece. She must have put the boy to bed, he thought as he licked his lips watching her, nestled on the sofa – her long dark hair curling over her shoulders and fuckable mouth nibbling on a pen.
I know what those lips should be wrapped around and it doesn’t spill ink.
She looked like she’d been crying!
Don’t cry my Lucia - not unless I make you.

He takes a bite of his chocolate bar and settles in for the next few hours. She’d probably be sitting there on her laptop for a while… working on some project or another.
 

Hmmm. She is a busy little bee, full of creative ideas - wish she’d turn that bloody TV off, can’t hear anything though.

From here he had a great few of her fantastic tits in a tight vest top, nipples peeking through just enough to darken the fabric. He licks his lips in concentration, and breathes deeply. He continues to appraise her body as she wriggles tanned toned legs underneath her, encased in shorties PJ bottoms.
I wonder if she’s wearing anything underneath them - why bother, they were barely there now? Slut.
 

Whether she liked it or not he was going to show her that
he
was the one. Sebastian Silver could come and go for all he pleased but he was going to be there for the long haul. The little lad was OK and would be with the grandparents mainly anyway. He clasped his phone in his hand, the glass front warm to touch, from being inside his jean pocket.

Should he call her?
Was it time… finally?
He’d been more than patient.

He was itching to connect with her properly. Touch her. Smell her. Be inside her. Let her know how he felt and how right they were for each other.
 

He shook his head vehemently, as though fighting against his own viewpoint.
No… not yet, but soon.
 

Soon the games would start. Soon the fun would begin. Soon he’d be in there with her, surprising her in the dark, slipping into her bed, whilst she slept and fucking her hard from behind. He’d be the one showing her whose boss; wiping that
‘sorry I’m not interested’
smile off her face. She’d thank him eventually.
His jaw twitches, teeth grinding down hard in his focus but his wildest dreams are interrupted and narrowing his eyes, he grunts in anger, as he spots the bright lights of an oncoming car, in his rearview mirror
.
Fuck. It was that bitch of a sister of hers.
She wasn’t keen on him and he sensed it.
Ducking down, to ensure he isn’t seen from his prime viewing position, he puts the car into gear and takes a last lingering look at Lucia’s front window, thoroughly annoyed his time with her, had been cut-short.
Until next time then my love.