“I need help,”I grumble as I pace in front of my bed.
“Help with what?” Sebastian asks, eating my mom’s blueberry muffins on my bed, his face full of delight. Clearly, he loves them, and if he keeps this up our united front will be cracked. My relationship with my mother is fairly new. She needs to know that I’m not over the shit she put me through for years. That she has a lot to make up for.
My mind is brimming with anxious thoughts, otherwise, I would’ve said something about it or the fucking crumbs falling off his mouth and occupying my duvet. I don’t like mess.
“I asked her out on a date,” I announce.
He stops eating. “Really?”
I give him a curt nod.
Closing his eyes, he lets his head fall back. “Finally!”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I feel so happy.” He sounds so dramatic.
“Will you just tell me?—”
“It took you months to ask her out when you should’ve done it after a while meeting her. You were down bad for her since the first day.”
My face tingles with heat. “That is not true.”
“It is,” he asserts.
My lack of response makes him grin. He is right. I was goner for Rose the first time I saw her. I just didn’t know about it until later.
I turn my head to look away when my gaze locks on the bookshelf that is lined with romance books. If I pick out one of the bunch, I’d be able to get all the help I need to plan the date. But I want to do something special. Something that makes her happy.
“Wait a second.” Sebastian gets up from my bed and makes a beeline towards the bookshelf. “When did this get here?”
“While you were busy eating those damn muffins.” I mock.
He throws me a look over the shoulder. “Be serious.”
“Yesterday. I built it for my girlfriend.”
“What the fuck?” He gasps. “You’ve never built me shit.”
My eyes roll at his comment.
After a long moment he says, “This looks good, Heath.”
“Hope liked it too.”
“I’m sure.” He smiles. “Also, there are romance books. I bet she can’t wait to get to your room to see her books.”
“Do you know why I built it?” I ask, my chest getting tight as I remember the reason.
“Why?” He looks back at me.
Anger burns through me like a scorching trail of fire as my fingers curl into fists by my side.
“Her father ripped apart her books,” I grit out.
Sebastian goes rigid and his face turns stone.
With a scoff, I continue, “That’s not even the fucking worst part. He took away all the money that she made from selling bracelets and hurt her. He hit her so hard that he split her lip”
