“Remi, of course! I can’t wait to hug you and to meet this Sebastian. You’ve never brought many people to the house, so I know this means something.”
“Heissomething,” I say before I can stop myself.
Her voice softens. “The spare key’s still in the umbrella stand. You remember where everything is. We’ll be back tomorrow evening.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
“You’re welcome, love. Just let me be a mum every once in a while, okay? I know you’re strong and capable, you always have been. But you’re still my son. You can lean on me, too, you know.”
“I know. And I do. Enjoy your weekend, and say hi to Maude and Ben, too.”
I hang up feeling lighter. She’s always been a soft place to land.
I glance at Sebastian again. His mouth is still slightly open, a tiny smear of drool glistening on his cheek. He looks so peaceful. So heartbreakingly young.
A wave of protectiveness rises in me so strongly it nearly knocks the breath from my lungs. I ache to touch him, to smooth the hair off his forehead or press a kiss to his temple, but I don’t want to wake him.
Instead, I reach for my phone and record a quick voice message for the group chat, letting everyone know I’ll be in Cornwall for a few days.
Then I switch over to a Sam Smith playlist on Spotify and let the music, the road, and the steady rhythm of the car wrap around us, carrying us home.
SEBASTIAN
I wake up to the driving beat ofLike I Can, and the first thing I see is Remi’s head bobbing to the rhythm, his messy blond hair dancing across his forehead, eyes locked on the road, his expression intense.
I can’t help smiling as I stretch in my seat. Some of the tension I’d been carrying has vanished, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. And even though I know there are still so many things we need to figure out, for the first time in ages, I feel the faint spark of hope flickering inside me.
We’ll sort everything out, somehow. The two of us, together.
I know I need to tell him that. Just... not yet. I need to find the right words, and more importantly, the courage.
I give myself a few more seconds before letting him know I’m awake, just so I can admire him a little longer, this guy who comes off grumpy but is actually the sweetest, most vulnerable, strong, loving (and insanely hot) person I’ve ever met.
I still can’t believe that, out of everyone he could have, he chose someone like me, someone with baggage, with mistakes and scars. And even though he rushed all the way from London to help me, part of me wonders if maybe he’s changed his mind about us.
Maybe after meeting my parents, after seeing how they treated me, he realized I’m not someone worth turning his whole life upside down for. Not someone worth risking everything he cares about.
A lump forms in my throat. The thought that he might not want me anymore is unbearable, but before I can say a word, Remi glances over at me and gives me a smile so full of warmth and tenderness, it eases some of the fear coiled tight in my chest.
“You’re finally awake! How’re you feeling, sleepyhead?”
I pout slightly at the teasing, but I don’t hold it for long. “Much better, thanks...” I let out a breath of relief, because it’s true. “I don’t even know how to thank you for coming to find me, Remi. If I’d stayed in that house...”
“You don’t have to thank me, baby. Like I said, I just did what felt right in the moment. The real issue wasn’t that you weren’t replying to my messages... It’s going to sound a bit mad, but Ifeltsomething was wrong. Deep down, in my bones. I had to see you. I had to make sure you were okay.”
“Baby?” I tease, half-laughing, even though inside I’m melting. After all, the fact that he continues to call me that must mean something…
Remi frowns, flustered. “You’ve never complained before, but if it bothers you, I’ll stop. It just sort of... slips out when I think about you.”
“No!” I interrupt quickly. “I actually think it’s really sweet…”
His cheeks turn bright pink, and seeing him that shy makes something stir in my chest. I know how private Remi is, how rarely he lets people in.
“Alright then, I’ll keep using it,” he says simply, smiling at me.
I smile back, now fully awake, and turn to take in the view outside the window. I can’t stop myself from gasping softly, amazed by what I see.
Spread out before my wide eyes are towering, grass-covered cliffs plunging into a choppy emerald sea. On either side of the narrow coastal road, green fields stretch toward the horizon, wind-swept and open, while in the distance, little clusters of pastel-coloured houses huddle together in bold, mismatched harmony, cobalt blue next to ochre yellow, next to soft lilac, like they don’t care about clashing.
