Chapter 40

Sebastian

This is the first event Madelyn has hosted since the wedding, and I have to be honest when I say the place looks immaculate. It’s clear my new mom has always been good at planning.

I mean, with Gregory’s money, she’s able to bring her biggest party fantasies to life.

The moment I step into the convention center wearing the monkey suit my father insisted on, I instantly become speechless. The wedding was elegant and beautiful.

This is a whole different level of talent.

I find Madelyn instructing servers and smile at my stepmother.

“Oh, Sebastian, honey! You look absolutely dashing!” She gushes and reaches out her arms to bring me into a tight embrace.

It’s still odd getting used to having a mom. Madelyn has proven how much she genuinely cares about me and my well-being. She’s a great mom to Evelyn, and from what I’ve seen, she loves Gregory.

Her smile always manages to lift my mood no matter what's going on. Even during the first semester, she would send me little texts to show me she was thinking about me and wishing me luck on exams.

It’s nice.

It’s so different. I never really thought I’d find myself in this position.

And now that I’m going to Hawaii with Evelyn, she’s been extra insistent on making sure things go well for us.

“Thank you, Madelyn,” I reply as she pats my back, and we pull away from each other.

The suit I’m wearing hasn’t been worn often, but I knew that Gregory would throw a fit if I hadn’t put it on and showed up in any old pair of jeans.

Not only was I trying to avoid another argument about clothes, but my father is also becoming much more insistent about ending my racing career.

He tried to talk me out of going to Hawaii because I have “better things to do here.”

I had shaken my head and dismissed myself from the conversation.

I have my race coming up, and I’ve spent most days at the racetrack. Evelyn has come down a few times, but most of her time has been planning the trip.

She’s so excited to show off everything in her hometown that made her who she’s become today. And the fact of the matter is, she’s so bubbly and upbeat.

How am I supposed to leave her to her own devices when she’s so enthralled with our trip?

“Have you seen your sister? I texted her an hour ago, and she’s still not here.”

I look around the mostly empty convention center, surprised. “She’s not here? I didn’t see anyone else at the house.”

Madelyn bites her cherry red lip. “Oh God, I hope she’s okay.”

I pull out my phone and wave it around a bit. “Want me to get ahold of her for you?”

Madelyn sighs but then perks up and smiles, looking past me. “Oh, no need! There she is.”

I almost don’t even recognize Evelyn.

The young woman I met on our birthday is gone. Walking into the convention center with her long, black dress that sparkles against the lights, is a full-blown adult.

She has always been attractive and beautiful. I mean, obviously, because a lot of men have shown interest in her. But right now, I know what people are talking about when they talk about being tongue-tied.

Her thick curls are gone, and in their absence, is her hair silky smooth and done up into some type of bun? It’s all sitting on the top of her head, and she pushes a piece of loose hair out of her eyes as she takes everything in.

I’m trying to keep track of all the clichés that I’ve heard in literature. The girl who takes off her glasses and everyone sees how beautiful she is, the way a man loses himself to the otherwise antagonized protagonist?

None of those common tropes compare to the sparkle she hides behind those dark brown eyes.

Holy shit.

Her eyes find me, and Evelyn’s smile brightens, her a beautiful bubble gum pink that surrounds her stark white teeth.

It’s so strange how one look from her can propel me forward to talk to her.

“About time you got here, Princess,” I tease, winking at her as we meet in the middle of the building, no one within ear shot. “Thought I was going to have to drag you here myself.”

She smirks but doesn’t say anything.

“Your mom is incredibly talented,” I admit.

“Oh, I know,” Evelyn replies, waving to someone that I presume to be Madelyn.

“Do you have this party planning, event coordinating DNA?” I throw back.

“I wish!” She sounds so envious. “Mom got the creative and décor genes. I’m the smart one between the two of us.”

I actually gasp. “Did you call Madelyn stupid?”

“No!” she laughs back. “No, she’s so incredibly smart. But all I have is the smart gene.”

“That is absolutely not all you have, Princess.”

God, I really want to kiss her.

“Oh?” She asks, but I can see anxiety in that simple word.

“You’re smart, impeccably kind, funnier than most people I’ve grown up with, generous, and above all else, you’re beautiful. So beautiful.”

Her cheeks start leaning red, and she looks away from me. I let a small laugh escape as I breathe.

“You really mean all that?” She whispers, looking up at me through her eyelashes with genuine wonder.

Man, I cannot believe how much I want to kiss her lips right now. And on top of that, I want to take her to bed.

Who the fuck have I become?

“I do,” I finally rasp out, not realizing just how dry my throat has gone.

She looks down at her shoes, and we stand there in silence for a few seconds.

“Oh, my love!”

I roll my eyes at the interruption. God, Madelyn, you have the worst timing.

I back off to let the two women chat together, and I go off to find a place to be. I’ll have my time to talk with her later, I know that.

As the guests flow in and take up space in the convention hall, I find myself being forced to smile and play “Sebastian Cain: a Legacy.” This basically just means I don’t embarrass Gregory with my talk about being an F1 Racer and pretend that I’ll be taking over as soon as possible.

It’s an exhausting charade to play, but I’ve been doing this for years. If Gregory actually took the time to understand why I race and why I love it more than anything else in my life, then maybe things would be better.

Instead, as has become a habit for me, I lie.

I lie about school, racing, my aspirations, and Evelyn.

“Yes, school is going so well!”

“No, I spend most of my time doing schoolwork and participating in various organizations.”

“Oh, yes! His new wife is wonderful, and Evelyn is very kind and welcoming.”

She’s been meeting more of my father’s friends, and everyone immediately takes a liking to her and dotes over Evelyn like the child Gregory never had.

Good for her. She deserves that distraction.

Not to mention, this is the perfect world for Evelyn to fall into and learn to be in.

She should take advantage of it all because I know she’d thrive.

However, after another group of people walks over, I can tell she’s beginning to grow weary. So, as the wonderful guy I am, I grab two glasses of champagne and quickly make my way toward her.

Before she can open her mouth to the new set of people, I cut right in.

“There you are dear sister. I’ve been looking for you all night!” I turn to look at the people. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’ve been asked to find Evelyn here.”

She looks shocked but looks down at the drink and then at me. It takes her a moment to understand what I’m doing, but then she looks back at the people.

“I’m so sorry; how long have you been looking for me?”

“Not too long. But you’re needed.”

The people nod and state they’ll talk later.

After they walk away, Evelyn lets out the longest sigh.

“Having a good time?” I ask sarcastically as she takes a sip.

Evelyn smirks back at me, giving me an all-knowing look. “Thank you,” she says, sighing again. “That was so much.”

I look out at the crowd. “Welcome to this world, Princess.”

She huffs out a laugh, though I know she gets my drift.

“I still miss Ava,” she admits, her tone dropping lower.

I wish I could do something to comfort her, but I know now isn’t the time or place. She’s clearly still remorseful, and I haven’t been able to get a word out of Ava.

So, instead, I turn to look at her. “Remember our trip, okay? We’re going to do all the fun stuff you want to do when we get there.”

She sighs but doesn’t respond.

“We have a whole week, Princess, to do whatever you want. So, tell me, what’s the thing you miss most about Hawaii?”

That makes Evelyn perplexed as she shows the emotion on her face. “What?”

I throw my arms out wide enough to get my point across. “What do you miss?”

She thinks a moment before stating, “Honestly? The waves. I miss the crashing sound, the salty water in my hair, having a great tan.”

I nod once, lifting my glass slightly into the air. “Then we’ll surf all the best, highest waves around. We’ll go to all your favorite spots, and for the first time, we can just be together without any of this anxiety.”

Evelyn lets her eyes meet with mine, holding me there as she seems to study my response to her sadness. Does she know what I’m thinking, or am I just becoming paranoid at this point?

“You really want to do all of that?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

It’s like she lit a fire inside my chest as she asks me that simple question. Does she believe she doesn’t deserve any of this? After all we’ve gone through since our first day meeting?

“I do want that. Do you?”

Now she’s nervous. “It’ll be the first time we have ever been alone.”

I nod once. “And that’s why I want to go.”

“To finally have the ability to get me back in bed?” She teases, and I can’t help but smile at her for it.

“Because you want to go. Because all I wanted to give you for Christmas was something good. And now I have.”

“You didn’t answer my question though,” she throws back.

“About if I want to get you into bed? Do you wonder if that’s all of what’s inside my head?”

“If I knew what was going on inside your head, Sebastian, then I’d have figured out how to handle you a long time ago.”

Now I’m the one smirking, but I take a drink of champagne as I watch the rest of the room walk about and dance.

“Thank you for going with me.”

It’s almost as if she spoke the sentence on a cloud of wind, because it’s so fast and soft I nearly miss it.

I finish the rest of my drink, putting the glass down on the table.

“Come on. You owe me a dance,” I play, wiggling my eyebrows.

“No, not another dance!” She protests.

I take her hand in mine and kiss it softly, never breaking eye contact with her. It might seem weird to some, but hopefully, no one caught that.

She doesn’t fight anymore and let’s me lead her out to the dance floor.

My heart is positively screaming as it mourns Evelyn not being with me at the end of this night. But what am I to do?

It’s clear to me that I keep continuing to fall in love with this woman, but I know damn well I can’t say a word about it. And besides…what if she’ll never reciprocate?