His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. For once, the usual warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced by pure panic.
"I think…" His voice cracked, almost a whisper. "I messed up."
My breath came in short gasps. "What do you mean you messed up?"
"You know… I was just trying to be a good groom. But I guess…" Sebastian trailed off, a bead of sweat slipping down his forehead.
"Okay, you know what, Seb? Let's just pull over for a while." I glanced at the road behind us.
Thankfully, the street was quiet that night. No angry honks, no traffic.
Sebastian gave a small nod and steered the car to the side of the road.
For about five minutes, neither of us said a word. The silence pressed against me, heavy and uncomfortable. His expression was a mess, and I didn't dare ask what was on his mind.
"Seb, I'm just gonna grab some drinks," I muttered at last. He only nodded.
Inside the convenience store, I scanned the rows of bottles and cans until my phone buzzed. Juno.
Beep.
"What's up, Jun?"
"Hey, Val. How's your date with Mister Killer? Going well?" Juno teased, laughter spilling through the phone. The chaos of background voices followed.
I sighed. "No. He's not coming." My voice dropped. "His friend, also my coworker, came instead. From what I heard, he's one of the people the Rhys family trusts the most."
"What? Who is it? Does he look like someone reliable? Like… an informant type?"
"Well… he's not bad. Cheerful. Way too cheerful. But I think I can work with that, slowly. I'll try to be his friend." I reached for a can of milk coffee.
"Wait…? Don't tell me you're falling for—"
"Oh, come on, Jun. Don't start sounding like Max. His name's Sebastian. And I don't know… something feels off about him." I muttered, irritation in my tone.
"What's off about him?" Juno asked, clearly intrigued.
"I can't tell you now, he's in the car. I just stepped out to buy drinks. I'll probably be home late tonight."
"Fine. Just tell me everything when you get back." She hung up.
When I returned to the car, Sebastian greeted me with a warm smile, as if all that panic from earlier had evaporated into thin air.
I handed him the can of coffee. "Not sure if you'll like this brand, but I remember you said you liked milk coffee."
He chuckled, taking it from me. "Wow, I'm touched. Don't tell me you love me already?"
I rolled my eyes, annoyed. Still, a thousand questions swirled in my head. He must've sensed it, because his smile faltered.
Sebastian exhaled, his voice softer. "I don't know how to explain this… or even if I should. But I feel like I need to."
I stayed quiet, watching him carefully.
"Matthew. I saw him at a gay bar. Not that I go there often, it was actually my first time." Sebastian glanced at me, then hesitated. "And yes, I'm gay. But please, don't tell Leo or anyone else. Nobody knows. I don't even know why I'm telling you this now." His face flushed as he covered it with his hands.
…What the hell was I supposed to do in this situation? A guy I barely knew just randomly came out to me.
"Uh, you know… I'm pretty open-minded," I said, trying to sound convincing, like this was no big deal.
Sebastian burst out laughing. "Sure you are." He reached over and patted my head.
His laughter faded, but his posture relaxed. "Last night… we kinda had a thing." He sipped his coffee. "We were making out. And the worst part is, I told him I was single. Then today, I showed up as your groom." He lowered his head.
I gasped. Totally blindsided. The situation was… a complete mess.
"Well… do you at least have his number? You could explain things," I suggested, panic edging my voice.
Sebastian shook his head. "Nope. It wasn't that serious anyway. Pretty sure he just wanted to hook up. The night didn't exactly end well either." He set the empty can on the car door.
I sat frozen, words failing me.
Sebastian turned back to me with a gentle smile. "It's fine. I was a little disappointed, but honestly, I don't think I was his type. So… shall we head home?"
I nodded faintly, forcing a small smile. That night, I felt like I'd gained a new friend.
~~~~~
The next morning, I went to work as usual.
Last night, after that long, exhausting evening, I ended up telling Juno and Max everything about Sebastian, about what I'd learned, and how, strangely enough, I'd started to like him as a friend.
Unfortunately, today meant facing Leonardo again.
The sharp click of familiar shoes echoed toward my desk, and instinctively, I stood up straighter.
Leonardo and Sebastian walked side by side toward Leonardo's office.
My lips curved into a smile the moment I saw Sebastian.
"Good morning, Mr. Leonardo. Mr. Sebastian," I greeted politely.
"Oh please, Em. Just call me Seb," Sebastian said with a grin, stopping by my desk and dropping a piece of ginger candy into it.
My smile widened. He remembered.
We had talked last night about how I love ginger candy because it was the only kind I ever found at my grandmother's house.
"What is this? The hell is 'Em'? Since when do you sound like some old married couple? And ginger candy? Really?" Leonardo's voice cut sharp, his hand already reaching to snatch it off my desk.
But I was faster. I slipped it into my pocket and met his glare. "Sorry, Mr. Leonardo, but there's only one."
Sebastian burst into laughter at my response. Without hesitation, he hooked an arm around Leonardo's neck and started dragging him toward the office. "Of course. Don't let this guy steal your ginger candy."
~~~~~
LEO'S POV
Sebastian dragged me along until we were finally out of Emily's sight.
"What the hell is going on between you and her? Didn't I tell you to—" My words cut off as Sebastian slapped a hand over my mouth.
"Shut it, unless you want Emily to hear," he hissed, dropping himself onto the sofa in my office like he owned the place.
I exhaled sharply, frustration clawing at my chest.
For some reason, this whole situation was sickening.
"To ease your paranoia, relax, I won't lay a finger on your wife," Sebastian smirked.
My shoe flew across the room at his face.
"Whoa, damn, it was just a joke!" he yelped, tossing it back at me with a laugh.
"Not funny," I snapped.
He fixed his tie, expression softening. "No, seriously. I think it's more effective if I approach her directly, as a friend."
I let out a bitter chuckle. "Friend, my ass."
"Come on, man. I need her to trust me if we're ever going to find out whether she's trustworthy herself."
Before I could retort, a knock sounded at the door. Emily stepped in, carrying two empty coffee mugs.
Ever since the night of the contract signing, she'd made it a habit to offer coffee, even though I always turned her down.
"Just leave the cups, Emily. I'll make my own," I said flatly. I don't trust anyone with my coffee.
She hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"Actually, a cappuccino would be lovely. Do you mind making one for me, Emily?" Sebastian suddenly chimed in.
My head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing.
What the hell is he playing at?
Minutes later, Emily returned with a steaming cappuccino. Sebastian beamed like a child at Christmas.
"What the…? Do you have magic hands or something? This is the best cappuccino I've ever had!" he exclaimed, and judging by his expression, he wasn't faking it.
Emily smiled back at him, a smile that grated on me.
I clenched my jaw.
"Mr. Leonardo, I actually prepared coffee for you too," she said carefully, her eyes steady on mine. "But I wasn't sure if it would taste the same as what you usually make yourself…"
"Bring it over. He'll like it," Sebastian interjected before I could say a word.
Emily moved quickly, setting another cup in front of me.
I glared at Sebastian. Of all people, he knew exactly how obsessive I was about what I drank. He knew better than to push this.
"Come on, Leo. Just try it. It won't kill you," Sebastian said, voice deceptively casual but with a sharp edge.
I lifted the cup, hesitated, then took a sip.
…
What the Fuck...?