Chapter 25
Emma (Two months later)
“Eli!” I sift through the pile of magazines stacked on my nightstand, looking for People. “Where’s my bible?”
“You mean that stupid magazine you’re always carrying around?” He’s lying on the couch in the living room, watching some game. “Check the toilet.”
“If you took my precious into the bathroom, you’re buying me a new one!” I peek into the bathroom we’ve been sharing for months, afraid to see how he might have defiled my favorite gossip rag. Thankfully, it’s not there.
On the way back to my room, I see a red edge poking out from behind my headboard. Oops. It must have fallen. “Never mind.”
“Whatever.” He hits the mute button on the TV, blessing me with a few seconds of quiet, then turns the sound back on. “Sebastian wants you to meet him in the lobby.”
“What?” I walk out to the living room and stand over my brother until he hits pause on his show. “What are you talking about?”
“Sebastian just texted and wants you to meet him in the lobby.”
“Why did he text you?” I go to the front window and look down at the street, trying to catch a glimpse of his bike. Unfortunately, my view is completely obscured by a huge truck parked where Sebastian usually parks. “Why isn’t he coming up?”
“I don’t know.” Eli resumes his show and looks over my shoulder. “Just go see what he wants.”
I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m not in the mood to deal with Eli. I just head straight out my front door, barefoot and makeup-free, and into the elevator.
When I get to the lobby, Sebastian is standing at the front door with a bouquet of roses and a wrapped box. It’s not my birthday so I don’t know what he’s doing, but I let him inside, happy to see him after a long day apart. “Hey, babe. What’s this for?”
Sebastian hands me the roses then wraps his arm around my back. “Just wanted to give you something beautiful, like you.”
“Aww, thank you.” I hold the roses out so he can press me close to his chest and kiss me like I love being kissed. Hard and needy and with so much promise of what he plans to do to me when we’re alone. “I love them.”
“I also have this for you.” He steps back and holds the present in front of his chest.
“Oh, thank you. Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll open it.”
He holds the box as I try to take it from him. “Actually, can you open it here?”
I look around the empty lobby, confused as to why he’d want me to open a gift here. But I indulge him and pull the lid off the box. Buried under some teal blue tissue paper is a four-inch rose gold key. “Oh, this is pretty.”
“It’s a key,” he says proudly, carefully watching my face.
“I can see that.” I turn it upside down and look at the front and back. “It’s heavy.”
“It’s symbolic.” He seems to think I know what he’s talking about. I don’t.
“Um, okay.” I look at the key again, noticing the small Tiffany & Co. imprint on the back. “Symbolic of what? Like, is it the key to your heart?”
Sebastian’s grin grows, and his eyes light up. “Well, yes, but that’s not what it’s for.”
I sigh and hold the key out in front of me. “It’s pretty, babe, but you need to just spit it out. You know I’m not good with these riddles.”
He laughs and finally decides to put me out of my misery. “It’s a key to my place. Well, not exactly since my house is all electronic, but it’s a symbolic key to my place. I want you to move in with me.”
“Oh.” I inspect the key more carefully now, taking the time to let his statement sink in. “Like, soon?”
He shakes his head then motions to the moving truck parked in front of the lobby. “Like now. I’ve been patient for months, but I can’t wait any longer. I want your skin to be the last thing I touch every night and your face to be the first thing I see every morning. Will you move in with me? We can have you packed up within the hour.”
“Sebastian…” I’m not sure what to say. Of course I want to move in with him, but I can’t just leave my apartment…in an hour. “What about my lease? And Eli?”
“Your lease is paid off, and Eli will put it in his name at the end of your term. If you want to do this, there are no excuses to stop you.”
I look at the key one more time then lean into Sebastian for a soft kiss. “I want to.”
“I’m glad.” Sebastian wraps his arms around me and pulls me off the ground, giving me a little twirl as he kisses me hard, smiling against my mouth. “Because if you said no, I’d have to send these guys to my place to move my shit in here.”
~**~
When I first saw that Sebastian had paid off my bills, I was mad. Like fire coming out of my nostrils mad. But Eli and Mercy both talked me off the ledge and reminded me that Sebastian wasn’t trying to buy my affection or control me by helping me out. He already had my affection. He just didn’t have much of my time. And when I thought about it logically, I realized that time with him was what I wanted most out of life too. So I didn’t try to return the money or pay him back.
For once in my life, I let it go.
And by letting go of my past mistakes, I’ve opened myself up to a future I never dreamed could exist for me. It’s surreal, but I can see it with perfect clarity in my mind.
A future in which the man I love loves me back just as fiercely.
A future with Sebastian James is the dream I never thought would come true.
A future where I can have everything I want and everything I need…and I never have to choose Oreos over tampons again.