The door slams behind me and I promptly lock it before I stumble to the vanity unit and grip the marble countertop, staring into the basin as I struggle to get my breathing under control.
A knock sounds on the door behind me, startling me and I snap my head up to the reflection, watching the door as if whoever is there is about to break in.
“Just a minute,” I call, bringing my eyes to my reflection. My eyes are a vivid type of blue, staring back at me and glazed, the threat of tears right there. The makeup I have on covers my freckles, but I know if I were to take it off, I’d be pale and almost tired looking.
They knock again.
“I said I’d just be a minute!” I snap.
“Red, open the door,” Bast calls through.
My heart thuds as my fingers curl into the countertop, the hard, unforgiving surface biting against my knuckles.
“Come on, Wills,” He says, “Let me in.”
I scoff quietly. I already did that.
God, if my mother could see now, would she scrub me until my skin bled like she did so many times before?
“I will break the lock, Wills,” Bast warns, “Don’t push me.”
Anger pushes to the surface and before I can think better of it, I storm toward the door, unlock it and rip it open, grabbing him by his wrist to haul him inside. I have at least some sense not to make a scene in a restaurant full of people and in front of our friends.
The moment he is clear of the door, I slam it shut and shove him up against it.
“Kinky,” Bast teases, “I like it.”
“You shut up.” I growl.
He quirks a brow but there’s a smile teasing on his mouth, and that just infuriates me further.
“Stop smiling!”
“You know I like it when you’re fiery, Red.”
“No,” I hiss, “You don’t get to do that.”
“Do what?” He pushes.
“Come in here and pretend you didn’t just ghost me for a week!” I shove him on the shoulder and take a step back, “You really played that man whore persona well, I almost believed you.”
The smile slips off his face.
“Willow…”
“Should have seen it coming, you are the playboy after all, but did you have to do it to me!?” I grit my teeth to fight the lump in my throat, “We were friends, Bast, and you fucking ruined it!”
“It’s not like that,” He tries, holding out a hand, almost as if beckoning me to come to him.
“I could have taken it from anyone else,” I tell him, “But not you. Not you, Bast. We could have even pretended it never happened, that it was a spur of the moment weakness we both caved to, but youghostedme. You turned up at my fucking apartment, half beaten to death and bleeding all over the floor and then you just left and didn’t speak to me! Do you know how that makes me feel!?”
“Red,” He sighs, “I–”
“Save the apologies, Sebastian,” I whisper, defeated, “Just save them. This,” I point between us, “is never happening again.”
Pain twists his face, mixed with regret and guilt but I put up a wall and I don’t let it touch me. Sure, it wasonly a week and if we hadn’t slept together then it wouldn’t be a big deal, but wedidsleep together, and he said all the right things only to do the one thing I was afraid of in the first place.
“We need to go back out there,” I straighten my spine and stare at him, “Your sister has likely arrived and will be wondering where you are.”
