I nodded once, unapologetic. “Yeah. You think he’s going to bankroll your dreams forever? One day he’s gone, and then what? You’re left with nothing but wasted time. You’re better than that. I’ve seen it.”
For a long moment, silence stretched between us. Then she exhaled, slow and shaky, and leaned back against the couch. “Damn, Sebastian. You’re really breaking up with me with a pep talk?”
A wry smile tugged at my lips. “I guess so. I don’t want to hurt you, Candi. I actually care what happens to you. And I don’t want to be the reason you don’t chase the life you deserve.”
Her eyes softened, and for once the giggles were gone. “No one’s ever said that to me before.”
“Maybe they should have.”
She gave a small, rueful laugh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re a good guy, Sebastian. Just… not my guy.”
“Exactly.”
“Is it Jilly?”
I smiled at the floor. I knew she was perceptive and had good instincts. “It’s Jesse, actually. And… I don’t know. Maybe.”
She got to her feet, slipping her shoes back on with surprising composure. “Well, at least I can say I got dumped by a gentleman. She seems nice, very competent and confident.”
I stood, taking her hand to my lips and looking her in the eyes. “You’re just as nice, competent, and confident. All you need is to be more focused, and you can do anything you set your mind to do.”
She didn’t believe me.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks for saying that.”
I pressed her hand hard. “I mean it.”
She kissed my cheek, quick and light. “Friends?”
“Always.”
“Goodbye, Sebastian.”
When the door clicked shut behind her, I stood in the silence, my chest hollow and strangely heavy. I’d cut ties with the chatter, the sweet perfume, the easy company. With an uncomplicated woman who never asked for more than I wanted to give.
What the hell was I doing?
Candi was fun and available. She didn’t expect commitment or deep conversations. She didn’t challenge me or make me question myself. With her, I knew exactly what I was getting—and what I wasn’t. No pressure, no risk, no chance of getting hurt.
And I’d just walked away from it. For what? A woman who’d made it crystal clear she wasn’t interested? Who’d slammed her door in my face less than an hour ago? Jesse Nielsen was prickly, guarded, and about as accessible as Fort Knox. She’d probably laugh in my face if I tried anything serious. Hell, she might punch me.
I could call Candi back right now. We could pretend this conversation never happened and go back to the way things were.
Candi was easy.
Jesse was impossible.
But for the first time in decades, I wanted the impossible.
I walked to the window, looking out at the city lights. My chest still felt tight, but now it was anticipation more than regret. I’d done the right thing. For Candi, sure, but mostly, for myself.Because I was tired of easy and shallow. I was tired of women who didn’t challenge me, didn’t make me want to be better.
Now all I could think about was a fiery redhead whose studio smelled of paint and turpentine, whose every word left me off balance. Damn the woman! I wanted her now more than ever.
Chapter Six
Jesse
I paced my apartment, still simmering with frustration. Why had I even started that whole conversation about relationships, acting like I had the moral high ground? Sebastian had turned it around effortlessly, calling out my own questionable taste in men. It was like looking into a mirror—the Sebastian mirror—and I didn’t like the reflection staring back. Sure, I had reasons for not trusting men. Valid ones. And Sebastian had only confirmed them by flirting while his not-girlfriend was literallyen routeto his apartment. Whether or not he called it a relationship, if you’re sleeping with someone, you owe them respect.
