Sebastian had never allowed any of the other girls he had been with to wear his clothes. In fact, no other girl had shared that bed with him; he had made sure to keep his house clean of those kinds of acts. Still, Aline had managed to break both of those rules. And Sebastian didn’t regret it one bit.
She looked absolutely breathtaking in the oversize shirt that barely reached her midthigh. Her curves weren’t visible but every time she moved, the material would cling to the right places. The color suited her too, but what made Sebastian heart stop, was the fact that she was wearing nothing but his shirt.
“I kind of like the shirt more now.” He whispered under his breath.
“Did you say something?” Aline asked, as she untouched her hair from the back of the shirt.
“I was just wondering where I left my phone last night.”
Minutes later, Sebastian found himself seated in a kitchen stool. His eyes followed Aline around as she moved to prepare the coffee and cereal bowls. He had insisted to help, but she stubbornly declined. In his mind, he was already trying to figure out how to open the subject, and what to say. Of course, he had finally settled upon how he was feeling. At least he was done with that matter. All that remained was to see how she felt.
“There you go. Black, like your soul.” She joked.
As she ate her breakfast, none of them spoke. They kept quiet, bathing in the silence that lingered around them. Unfortunately, this time around, there was tension between them, lingering in the air, foreseeing the discussion that was bound to happen.
“Listen, about last night…” Sebastian began, his finger playing with the handle of the mug. There was a pause after those words, where he tried to remember what he was about to say.
“Look. You don’t have to explain. I get it, you were drunk, we were both caught in the moment-”
Sebastian shook his head, her lips sealing as a response to his gesture.
“That’s what I am trying to say, none of it was because of the alcohol, or because of a sudden impulse.” Sebastian was good with words; everyone admired him for the ease with which he was able to speak to people. If only they could see him with Aline, how his words vanished in front of her. “I don’t know about you, Aline, but I am done pretending. I like you. I think I’ve liked you for longer than I would like to admit. I don’t know if it started the first time we kissed or way before that, but it doesn’t matter anyway.” He took in a deep breath, his eyes still glued to hers, studying her very soul. “My point is, maybe, we can give this a shot? See where it will take us?”
Aline’s lips were parted, and she seemed like she wasn’t breathing either. She blinked a few times, before eventually answering:
“I think I would like that.” Her voice was low, affected by the intensity of the moment. But that was fine; the message had been loud and clear.
Smiling, Sebastian nodded, and stood up, moving around the table so he was now standing beside her. Gently, he cupped her face, lowering his head so that their lips met. The kiss was short lived, but it was sweet and meaningful, a perfect seal for the deal they just made.
Chapter 10
Sebastian was sitting at his desk. In one hand, he held the file with the proposal he had prepared for the company that was meant to expand him beyond US borders, in the other, he held his mother’s necklace. Usually, whenever he held that old piece of jewelry, Sebastian would feel a pang of sadness. For as long as he could remember, that necklace had been associated with a cruel past; with guilt, sadness, and misery. Now, the necklace represented a new beginning for him. Whenever he looked at it, he no longer saw a reflection of his own mother, instead, he envisioned Aline. Her hazel eyes seemed to shine on the rocks hanging from the chain, teasing him.
It must have been past midnight, he wasn’t sure, he had lost track of counting the minute he had stepped inside that office. He probably should have postponed it all to the next day, and just spent the night with Aline, they had, after all, just decided to take things to the next level. But how could he do that, when the days were ticking by, and he was mere steps away from taking a decision he never thought he would force himself to take?
The closer they got to the party, the more Sebastian doubted his plan. Instead of excitement, he felt terror, he wanted time to stop, and for them to remain there. All his life, Sebastian had known what he wanted. He never set back from a plan, nor did he cower away. He prided himself in those traits. Of course, just like everything else, when it came to the young woman, things got complicated.
Even before Aline had agreed to their relationship, Sebastian had been contemplating whether or not to go on with the plan. Of course, now that she was actually his girlfriend, Sebastian knew he should take into consideration quitting the plan altogether.
But how? Was he willing to risk his company, for the sake of a girl? Was he truly ready, to go against everything he had ever believed in, because of feelings he barely understood?
Afraid as he was, he knew the answer was yes. He was. He had been ready for a long time now; he just needed something to push him from behind.
His own father had neglected everyone he loved for the sake of the company, including his wife and son. Even after his wife’s death, his father never once stopped to look around. Instead of being there for him, his dad had buried himself even further into work, and he never got out, not until his death bed.
Maybe that was the reason why Sebastian was the way he was. That kind of working and dominant character had been all he ever knew. Maybe, as a young boy, he had unconsciously taken his father as an example, and followed onto his footsteps until the path had become a part of him.
Luckily, Sebastian was now old enough to be his own idol. After days of thinking, he had finally come to the conclusion that he refused to be his father’s replica. Yes, he loved his job, he loved the power he felt whenever he lead his employees, and he adored the taste of success. But he now wanted to balance those pleasures with newly found ones. He didn’t want to condemn the people around him to the life of shadows his father’s loved ones lived, nor did he want to suffer of the same loneliness his dad’s eyes had reflected.
The decision hadn’t been easy to make. There was risk Sebastian didn’t know he could handle. But in moments like that, leaps of faith were needed. He trusted his own abilities, and hopefully, they would be enough to lead him down the right path when it came to business.
Now, all that remained to be deciphered was his capability to have a stable relationship. Those were waters he hadn’t tested before, but he was eager to see.
As if he had heard him call, Aline peaked through the office door right that second.
“You’re still awake?” He asked as he closed the folder, hiding the necklace beneath the papers.
“Yeah. I’m not sleepy. The nap I took this afternoon kind of messed with my sleeping pattern.” She confessed.
Sebastian looked at her through his lashes, following her body as she walked around his desk. Silently, she leaned against its edge, her eyes grazing once over the surface of the table, before they looked right back at him.
“How about we go out?” Sebastian suddenly said, taking them both by surprise.
“Now?” She frowned, looking past her shoulder towards the clock on the wall.
“Yeah. Why not? We can call this our first date.” He smirked, the last part coming out more like a whisper.
Aline had been clearly caught by surprise. Although they had talked about giving things a chance, she obviously hadn’t expected him to take things so fast. But he was; his excitement pushed him to.
“Okay! Give me half an hour. I’ll be ready by then!”
By the time Aline had finished the sentence, she was already halfway out the door, sprinting up to her room. Sebastian was left behind, chuckling at how much enthusiasm the girl could express. He was about to get up too, but before he got the chance too, his phone started ringing. Frowning, he picked up, his cousin’s voice greeting him from the other end of th
e line.
“Jonathan! I was about to call you, man,” Sebastian said, “There’s been a slight change of plans.”
It took Sebastian exactly half an hour to sort things out with his cousin. The two talked about everything that had happened after Jonathan had left, including the feelings Sebastian had labored for Aline. But the relationship hadn’t been the focus of their conversation. But rather how that affected their chances of beating Marie when it came to the expansion project.
Of course, just as Sebastian had expected, Jonathan was too caught up in his own work to think of anything else. His uncle seemed to have gotten worse, and the fact caused a lot of chaos and commotion when it came to business. Jonathan’s most prominent suggestion was for him to follow his heart and do what he deemed best. It hadn’t been an original opinion, but it did help a bit when it came to the guilt Sebastian felt.
Eventually, the conversations regarding their plan had ended, and Sebastian found himself walking along Brooklyn Bridge, hand in hand with Aline. Despite the late hour, the city was still alive, with the buildings lit and the cars passing by.
The night was beautiful too. The sky was clear, few stars scattered around the horizon, their light fighting to survive the light pollution. The moon was crescent, a thin semicircle, glittering across the sky. It was warm; they had both managed to get away with wearing one single layer of clothing.
For a long while, they walked in silence. They enjoyed each other’s company, their souls feeding off of the peace that radiated around them. Smiling, Sebastian took in a deep breath, welcoming the fresh aroma of the air.
“How is Jonathan doing?” Aline eventually asked, her pace slowing until it had vanished at all.
“He’s fine. He is trying to manage the matters of the hotels and casinos. It’s hard, with his dad and everything.” Sebastian pursed his lips, as he walked towards the edge of the bridge, leaning his body over the railway. “He’s a strong guy. He’ll manage things, though.”
“I hope so.” Aline sighed as she closed her eyes. Slowly, she went to stand beside him, she threw her gaze over the edge of the bridge, but couldn’t hold it for long. She immediately closed her eyes and took a step back from the railway.
“Are you afraid of heights?”
Aline shook her head. “I’m afraid of water.”
“No way, really?”
“Yeah, I never learnt how to swim, so the fear just came with it, I guess.”
Sebastian was silent for a while. His mind was already casting images of his past, remembering his own childhood. Truth be told, after knowing about Aline’s troubled childhood, he shouldn’t have been so surprised after hearing she couldn’t swim. Who could have taught her?
“I’ll teach you, then,” He said. “The only memories I have with my mother are those by the sea. She taught me how to swim. I hated her for many years, you know - but I never gave up on swimming. I guess it was mostly because subconsciously, I believed that was the only way I could be close to her.”
Aline didn’t answer to that, she just squeezed his hand and held onto him. Smiling, she rested her head on his shoulder, looking up to the sky. He wished she could know what she was thinking, to know what lay beyond those hazel eyes. He wished it wasn’t pity. He didn’t want anyone’s pity. He was thankful for his past, in a way. It made him who he was.
“What are you thinking about?” He blurted out.
“My mom.” Sebastian could taste the feelings that lingered in her voice. He knew their bitter flavor all too well.
“Do you ever feel like searching for her?” Surprised, Aline raised her head slightly to look at him through her lashes. Her eyes lingered over him, and he almost took back the question, regretting his own bluntness. However, before he could do any of it, Aline answered:
“No.” The answer had been plain at first. The word echoed around her, its emptiness mimicking the look she held in her eyes. “She never cared about me, why would I care about her?”
The explanation had been simple, and it completely made sense. He could understand her feelings better than anyone else.
“I struggled for so long, you know, and she never even showed up to see how I was doing. I feel like my heart would burst with anger if I see her.” She chuckled drily, her eyes now set on the horizon.
Just like him, Aline was bearing the weight of the ghosts of her own past. They were heavy, affecting her every day matters, but just like him she was strong enough to manage them. He was glad that they had found each other; maybe they could learn to heal together.
“Well, you don’t have to struggle anymore. I’m here now.” His breath caught in his throat at the thought of having someone. Now that he had Aline, he finally acknowledged how lonely he had been, and he doubted he could go back there again.
“I know.” She whispered, after a long minute of silence.
“By the way, I need to tell you something.” Sebastian had had that news to share for a long time. However, he had never found the right time to share it.
Aline seemed worried, it was clear to him that she was only used to bad news. Little did she know, her luck had changed. That the second he met Sebastian, the stars had aligned in her favor. With parted lips and wide eyes, she looked at him, worry flashing through those hazel orbs, those beautiful eyes that resembled the sand, forest and sun, all at once. For a second, Sebastian got lost in them, his own mind exploring the world within them.
“I paid your debt. It happened shortly after Jonathan left.”
Silence. Aline looked at him as if she was seeing a mythical creature, a mixture of doubt and awe. She smiled, and then pursed her lips again, clearly unsure of how to react. Her expression amused Sebastian; it made him feel good and happy.
“You- Really?” She breathed out, a wide grin spreading across her face.
Sebastian smiled and nodded. His answer was followed by a scream of excitement, the sound of ecstasy echoed into the night. Aline’s eyes were closed, tears trailing down her face, as she faced the sky. Maybe to him, the debt had been a simple matter of money, but it seemed that to Aline, it had been so much more. The debt itself had represented a pair of chains that glued her to her past that forbade her from flying and reaching her goals. He was glad he had been the one to get rid of those chains. She deserved to fly as much as anyone else.
“Sebastian,” She eventually whispered, as she came to stand in front of him. Her hands grasped onto his, holding them tightly, “I’m sorry.”
The words confused him. They certainly weren’t what he had envisioned.
“What for?”
Aline smiled sadly, her thumb brushing over the surface of his hand, drawing random patterns against his warm skin.
“You gave me so much. You went out of your way more times than I could count. You trusted me even after I tried to steal from you, you took me in, and you paid my debt. And in return, I gave you nothing.” Sebastian was about to say something, but she stopped him, “I promise, I will get you those information, if it’s the last thing I do.”
Sebastian shook his head. He meant to tell her how he did it all from his heart. How something inside him just needed her to be safe and happy. But he didn’t say those words. It was too early for feelings that were so intense; he feared he would scare her. So instead, he brushed a hand over her hair, and smiled.
“Let’s not think about that now.” He had been thinking about it for too long. In fact, he had been so eager to get out of the house so he wouldn’t think about that matter anymore. It seemed like the universe had other plans, however. It kept throwing the subject straight in his face.
Slowly, she rose on her tiptoes, reaching for his lips. Just as their lips were about to touch, Sebastian spotted something behind her. Through his parted lashes, Sebastian saw the figure of a woman holding tightly onto something. Without as much as a warning, he walked past her, and towards the shadow, leaving Aline completely and utterly alone.
He could tell how startled she must have been, but in
all honesty, he liked the tease. The confusion that crossed her eyes the second he walked past her made him chuckle and smirk. Aline was still with her back towards the woman, and she didn’t turn even after Sebastian had walked past her and towards it. Of course, it had all been in Sebastian’s luck. Because Aline didn’t understand what was happening up until the point where he returned, with his hand behind his back, and a goofy smile hidden behind pursed lips.
“I am not usually this romantic,” He trailed off, “But here.”
At the sight of the rose, Aline remained stupefied. She gazed between him and flower, with wide eyes. Sebastian swore he could see a few tears staining them. Her hand slowly reached for the rose, guiding it towards her nose before smelling its beautiful scent.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
Chapter 11
The sun had just begun to set when Aline walked through the front gate. With one hand, she firmly held onto the paper bag, while with the other, she held onto the yellow umbrella she took from Sebastian. The sound of rain as it hit against the material above her head echoed in her eardrums, loudly. The rain was refreshing, however. The drops were small and rare, and the clouds weren’t as dark as they had been on previous days.
She wondered if Sebastian was home; he hadn’t been answering his phone the entire day. She tried peeking behind through the windows ahead, searching for any kind of motion behind the sheer curtains. She saw nothing, not even a trace of light bulb. There was a trace of disappointment in her heart. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t had hoped for him to be home once she returned. She tried, however, not to think too much about it. She knew Sebastian was a busy person; he wouldn’t be at her side at all times.
They had only agreed to take things seriously two days before, but Aline was already wondering if they could last. Up until that moment, they have been trapped in a kind of bubble, created by the fake relationship they had been portraying. She would lie if she said she wasn’t afraid of what will happen once she stole the information and the bubble would snap.
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