I knew I had to get out of there. Immediately.
Honestly, I want to slap myself.
Since the moment I opened the door, I’ve been a complete disaster, stammering like an idiot, fumbling my words like my brain isn’t even connected to my mouth.
And to top it all off, I managed to yank my guest straight to the floor before he’d even stepped properly inside.
Brilliant first impression.
Thank God he didn’t hurt himself.
If anything had happened to him because of me, Maddie would never forgive me...
And the worst part? I don’t think I could blame her.
Sebastian is, there’s no other way to put it, adorable.
He’s small, delicate even, but there’s something effortlessly sweet about him. There’s this instinctive urge to protect him, I imagine most people feel it.
But behind those stunning green eyes, there’s something else too. Something wilder. A flicker of mischief just beneath all that softness.
I don’t know if he realizes how much power comes from the way he looks, but even after just a few minutes, I can already tell there’s more to him than meets the eye.
He’s not what I expected.
Sure, he’s slight, almost feminine like in Maddie’s old photos.
But fragile? Not even close.
There’s strength in the way he moves.
A quiet control that suggests he takes care of himself.
The way he hauled that massive suitcase up four flights without a single complaint?
Yeah, this guy definitely works out.
There’s a strange mix of confidence and vulnerability about him, and I can’t quite make sense of it.
It’s unsettling. And weirdly compelling.
I sit down at the table, open my laptop, and try to focus on the stack of essays waiting for me…
But my thoughts drift, against my will, back to earlier.
To that moment when he fell against me.
When we ended up tangled on the floor, limbs everywhere.
His soft black hair had fallen over his face, brushing against my cheek, and there was this faint scent of vanilla on his skin…
For a moment, we just lay there in silence, caught in something I can’t quite explain.
Then, with a few graceful movements, he got to his feet.
While I was still trying to process the whole thing, he offered me his hand, and that’s when I noticed his nails.
Short, bitten, painted black.
