It didn’t mean anything beyond what he’d said.
Perhaps he really did find me beautiful.
That didn’t mean he was interested in anything but friendship.
After all, I found Sierra and Maddie beautiful. That didn’t mean I wanted to sleep with them.
Melancholy washed over me, and I sighed into my pillow. This whole friendship thing must be considered. I’d give it a fewmore weeks and if I still felt this aching longing, I’d reevaluate the situation.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SEBASTIAN
The cab couldn’t get me to Lily’s parents’ house in Kirkliston fast enough. I was glad the airport wasn’t far from the village.
Even though it had been a mere four days, it felt like I’d been gone for longer. Maybe it was because I’d seen so much of Lily over the last few weeks. Or maybe it was because being home to see my parents’ latest craziness in action was so bloody exhausting and upsetting.
I felt like I no longer knew the people who’d raised me.
My insides churned and I tried to throw the thoughts away.
The truth was I shouldn’t have gone home for a long weekend, but my parents had insisted. Lily knew I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it and wanted to check in on me, so she’d invited me to Sunday dinner at her parents’ house upon my return. I could have said no. Probably should have, given my foul mood.
Yet, I couldn’t help my curiosity. I wanted to see where Lily grew up. I’d met her mother briefly and saw her now and then at the library, but I was interested to know more about how Lily becameLily.
The street the cab driver pulled onto was like many streets in the country. Rows of closely packed detached villas most likely timber-framed and clad with light-colored bricks. They were perhaps fifteen to twenty years old, going by the style. I knew which one was Lily’s parents’ house by the blue bicycle chained up outside. The sight of it lightened my grim mood.
After paying the driver, I grabbed my backpack and strolled up the Sawyers’ driveway. I looked around the neighborhood, imagining Lily as a little girl riding her bike up and down the street. It was a good thought. From everything she’d told me (and she’d seemed reluctant to at first because of the state of my parents’ relationship), her folks were still very much in love. She remembered a bad patch when she was little, when they seemed to fight quite a bit. But they’d gone off on holiday to the US and returned closer than ever. There had been disagreements here and there over the years, like with any couple, but none that made Lily feel like her parents would ever split. I hoped for her sake that was true because it turned out, it was shit watching your parents go through that at any age.
I rang the doorbell and perhaps only five seconds later, it flew open.
A girl not much younger than Lily stood in the doorway, one eyebrow raised comically as she looked me over. She was dressed in a sequined rainbow-colored minidress with big puffy sleeves, like something out of a Disney movie. Black tights and black Doc Marten boots were a dichotomous choice to pair with the sugary-sweet confection of a dress. She looked like a lollipop on top of two sticks of black licorice.
Her outfit was so startling it took me a minute to realize she was as beautiful as Lily. Same olive skin, same dark hair. Her eyes, however, were dark brown, not light hazel.
“You must be January. I’m Sebastian, Lily’s friend.”
“I know who you are.” Her eyes dropped down my body and back up again. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Confused, I asked, “Decided what?”
“Whether you’re worthy to be in my sister’s life.”
My lips twitched. Lily had warned me her younger sister was overprotective. “Ah.”
“Ah.” She mocked me, eyes narrowing hilariously. “You do know my sister is the greatest person who ever lived and that I’m like a sneaky elven watchdog who can curse your dick to fall off if you hurt her?”
Trying desperately not to laugh, I nodded. “I do now.”
“Good. You may enter.” She stepped to the side to allow me into the house.
“You’d get along well with my sister Juno,” I told her. “And nice dress.”
Before she could reply, Lily appeared at the end of the hallway that branched off into several doors. The sight of her made me realize I’d been carrying this huge weight on my shoulders all weekend, because it suddenly felt as if she’d taken it from me.
I smiled affectionately. “Hey, Sawyer.”
“Thorne.” She strolled down the hallway. “I hope my sister wasn’t interrogating you at the door.”
