Peace, solace, and warmth.

As we basked in each other's warmth, these are the feelings that wrapped my heart.

Only the sound of our breaths and foreheads brushing against each other could be heard in the serene silence. I kept my eyes closed because I didn't want reality to catch up with us.

While an incomparable sense awoke in my veins, he kissed my forehead, both of my eyes, and my nose.

Vulnerable, that's how I felt. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I kept them closed.

I wasn't sure if he reciprocated, but I couldn't deny how I felt right now. Not any longer.

But reality is harsh, and it has always been so.

"Open your eyes," he murmured, fanning my face with his warm breath as he slid my tendrils behind my ears.

I shook my head, shutting my eyes tightly.

"Open them, baby."

I opened my eyes and looked into his ocean blue eyes, which returned my gaze with adoration and yearning.

He kissed away a tear that had fallen.

"Shh," he said into my ears as he drew my face into his chest. His musky expensive light scent engulfed my thoughts.

"What exactly we doing?" I sighed, clutching his shirt.

"I don't know."

When I heard that answer, rage engulfed my soul.

Why didn't he know?

"How come you don't know?" I asked, my teeth clenched. I averted my gaze from his chest.

"Ells-" I interrupted him,

"Answer me, how come you don't know?" I'm not sure why his response enraged me so much, but it did. And the ache pierced right through my heart.

He sighed, "I just don't fucking know."

In annoyance, I gritted my teeth and pushed him back.

" Don't lie to yourself, Seb. You know what this is, you know what you want, but you're too much of a coward to accept that " I said this with a smoldering rage inside of me.

He clenched his teeth and took two long, fast strides to reach me.

"Believe me, you don't want to hear my fucking response." I closed my eyes in frustration as he said that quietly, inches away from my face.

"I-"

"We can fight later if you want, but now go to my room and freshen up, you look like-" his lips curled into a smirk, while my cheeks flushed pink on their own.

"Don't finish that sentence," I grumbled.

He chuckled lightly before luring me into his arms and kissing me briefly.

"We'll figure it out," he murmured in my ear and kissed my forehead.

I'm hoping we did.

"I'll tell them you're on the phone with your parents and needed some privacy, so I offered my room, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," I said, nodding.

He kissed my forehead one last time before exiting the restroom with my hands in his.

When we were in the hallway, I tried to pull my hands away from him, but he didn't budge; instead, he silently tightened his grip.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

We walked for two minutes across the empty hall and quickly strode upstairs before anyone noticed us.

As he ascended the stairs, he tightened his grip and passed through 5 bedroom doors before reaching his.

How do they remember which their room is?

He stood in front of his room, gently pushing it open, and motioned for me to enter.

I entered the room and looked around. Grey walls, a king-sized bed with green silk sheets, and pictures and medals adorned the walls.

"Did you play football in high school?" I inquired, not turning around and admiring his high school years.

"Yes," he replied quietly.

"Which position?" I asked.

"Captain"

I turned around this time, an impressed expression covering my features. A gentle smile on my face.

"You've done well, Captain."

He smiled, a genuine smile coating his lips, almost as if he was pleased to share that vital information with me.

I cleared my throat and turned away from him.

I can lose myself just looking at his gorgeous smile.

I became nervous again as I looked around the room.

"How did you find out I was using the restroom?" I inquired, my gaze fixed elsewhere.

"As I was walking down the stairs, I noticed you leaving the table."

Did he- follow me?

"I followed you," he replied, without explaining why.

As butterflies fluttered in my stomach, I nodded and didn't probe any further.

"Are you going to stay?" I asked, not looking at him.

"As much as I'd like to, it won't end up good for us." He replied quietly before taking two long strides, pulling my hips against his, and kissing me long and hard.

"Fuck," he groaned and walked away as I exhaled heavily.

"Wow," I muttered, then softly chuckled.

My cheeks were crimson, and I could feel the heat oozing from them.

My heart was still racing as a result of our kiss.

Everything appeared to be in disarray. We made a huge botch.

My breaths danced in sync with the soothing sound of the air conditioner. After five minutes, all of my sweat seemed to evaporate, restoring my smooth skin.

I sat on the bed, feeling the soft felt silk sheets beneath me. I groaned, bringing both palms to my face. I wanted to run down into the mountains and dig a grave for the introverted girl who lived inside of me.

"Oh god," I mumbled, staring at myself in the mirror in front of me.

M

y hair was out of place, and my lipstick was smudged; it appeared that my waterproof lipstick had failed in his kisses. Apart from that, my eyeliner and mascara were fine.

That made me grateful to the Lord.

I walked over to the dressing table and combed my hair with the comb that was there. I looked at myself in the mirror and took in the beauty she held; despite the smudged lipstick on my lips, I thought my reflection looked good, even sexy.

I couldn't believe I got down on my knees and blew him up, but I did.

And I shouldn't overthink things.

Which, obviously, I am.

While applying my makeup, one question arose in my mind, along with a thousand others: where did Sebastian and I stand now?

Will we revert to our previous state? I hoped it would.

Liar.

Okay, I guess I didn't. The mere thought of it made my heart ache.

But that's not a problem, the problem is we've just made so many things more complicated. I can't be with him for a range of reasons, and there's no guarantee he won't break my heart.

I've had more than enough heartbreaks. But when I look into his blue eyes and see how tenderly and softly they look at me, everything else fades away.

I want him.

Yes, I am aware.

But it's not that easy. It's never the case.

With storms raging in my mind, I had no idea I had already fixed my makeup and looked normal not -

You know what I mean.

As the memories of the restroom flashed through my mind, my cheeks turned pink.

Oh my God.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, everything is fine. All I need to do is to calm the hell down.

A small knock resounded in the room from the door, and my heartbeat quickened when I assumed it was Sebastian.

But it was quickly killed when a familiar voice softly asked, "Can I come in?"

"Please, yes." I responded. My heart rate did not falter, but it did slow down slightly.

Grizelle stood in front of me as I opened the door, a soft smile on her lips.

I greeted her with a smile of my own.

If she was suspicious, her face didn't show it. If there's one thing Grizelle and Sebastian have in common, it's how well they hide their emotions. Grizelle Henderson is the queen of disguising her emotions.

My heart raced for the fact that she might know what her grandson and I had been doing in the bathroom.

And a big part of me felt guilty about it.

"I hope you're finished with your call and I'm not bothering you?" She asked, smiling as she approached the bed.

I nodded, agreeing with the tale.

"Thank you for the privacy; I appreciate Sebastian's offer," I replied, a tight smile on my face.

Oh, you so took advantage of his offer.

"Come sit here," she said, patting the side of the bed beside her.

I nodded, approached and sat.

"Is there any problem at home?" She inquired, looking elsewhere.

"Nope," I replied in a single word, mainly because I was becoming agitated.

What made her invite me?

She raised an eyebrow at my question but did not elaborate.

"May I ask you a question?" I inquired.

"You already did," she said, smiling but nodded.

Okay, this will be fine; I just need to relax.

"How come you invited me?" When I asked, she looked surprised for a second but quickly covered it up.

"As I previously stated-"

"I don't believe that," I said, becoming frustrated.

"Young lady, watch that mouth of yours, don't interject me," she warned, raising her brows.

"If it's about me, I'll do it. I'm curious as to why you invited me; it's not because I caught your eye."

Her eyes glowed with something before dimming.

"It's the fire, isn't it?" she murmured more like to herself.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't get you."

"First and foremost, speak to me politely. I am the owner of the company where you work, and I owe you nothing" With venom dripping from her voice, she said calmly. Her gaze was fixed on mine.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Henderson, I am not some damsel in distress who would refrain from asking you a question about myself because you could fire me. Without a doubt, you can. But, despite the fact that my resume may be tainted for my first job, I am still young and have a lot of potential. I believe in myself and I know I can still reach for the stars with the help of another company."

I couldn't believe I just said all of that, but rage makes me brave. And it's a shame because she has the authority to fire me at any time.

Well, fuck it.

She locked her gaze on me for a split second, the same sparkling rose in her eyes with a hint of anger on the edges.

"You are your own woman," she stated.

I remained silent.

"I know you," she sighed.

Of course, she does.

I stared at her with a questioning look,

"I knew you dated Luke, I've known you since you two started dating."