Sebastian
Three months later
Seb satat the desk in his sprawling office, flipping through some new research on a desktop. The wind whistled by outside, and it was warm enough finally to leave the windows open, which brought the smell of the ocean to his work. He had slowly filled the upper apartment with computers and equipment, but unlike the sterilized laboratory at his old house, there were pictures of him, Alexandria, and Declan to brighten the place and potted plants in all the windows. After making a few quick notes for himself and finishing his coffee, he headed down to the first floor of the apartment.
Lately, he tried not to spend more than an hour staring at the computer before he took a break, a habit that was much easier to form now that he lived by an ocean and especially now that he parented a dog who loved to jump in the sand. Along with his new exercise routine and the encouragement of his boyfriend, it had transformed his sedentary work life into something much healthier.
When he got down to the first floor, Declan was pacing back and forth in the kitchen while he mumbled into his phone. Seb smiled and scooched past, then put on some water for tea. When Declan finished the call, he tossed the phone to the table with a grunt. “Sorry,” he said, then offered Seb a kiss on the cheek. “Just that damn registration again.”
“No problem,” Seb answered. “They’re going to make you take the class?”
Declan grunted. “Imagine me, sitting in a class to learn the basics of security. A waste of my damn time. But I guess that’s what you have to do to play by the rules.”
“State regulations,” Seb said with a nod. “You should see the forms I have to fill out to use some of those NYU labs. I was just going to make a cup of tea and take Ellie on a walk. Do you want to join us and take a break?”
Declan glanced at the phone, then shrugged. “Sure, sounds nice.”
Seb fixed them both travel mugs of tea as Declan got Ellie ready for the walk. She was growing much faster than Seb had expected, and he chuckled when she slipped out of Declan’s hands and made a lap around the room.
Outside, Island Green was quiet. Even though the sun was out and heat radiated off the sidewalk, the little city wasn’t rushed by tourists, and it was easy for Seb to forget that New York City was nearby. He took Declan’s free hand as they walked across the boardwalk and down toward the waves, waving to some of the neighbors who had become fast friends.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do a grand opening for the agency?” Seb asked. “Alexandria offered to plan a party for us again.”
Declan laughed. “As much as I’d love to see what she came up with, I’ll have to pass. Honestly, Seb, it feels a little funny to even have a store for the business at this point. I’m not employing anyone, and I’m barely taking on enough gigs myself.”
“You consulted on security for the music festival,” Seb pointed out, knowing Declan was quick to forget his own accomplishments. “And you’re arranging transportation for that rock band this month.”
Ellie paused to explore some rocks, and Declan squeezed Seb’s hand. “Both jobs Alexandria hooked me up with, and I appreciate that,” he said. “But you know me. I’m not the kind of guy who wants to throw a big party. I’d rather let my work speak for itself. Anyway, you’re coming with me and Gray to Philly to visit my sister next weekend, right? That will be all the celebration I need.”
Seb squeezed his hand back. “Absolutely. I can’t wait.”
They walked the rest of the way to the water, then stood there while the waves lapped at Seb’s sneakers and Declan’s black boots. A flock of seagulls arrived, lowering themselves onto the sand nearby and fluttering around. Ellie went to chase the birds away a few times, but they always flew right back down.
“I love the ocean,” Seb said with a sigh.
“You don’t miss the woods? All the quiet?”
Seb shrugged. “It’s different here, sure, and different living with another person. But it’s like the waves.”
“The waves?”
“They can be loud, but they’re not noisy or distracting. It’s just kind of perfect to have them there.” He shook his head with a smile. “Way better than being alone in the quiet, I think. You don’t miss the desert?”
“Absolutely not,” Declan laughed. “I was just killing time there anyway. Waiting to meet you, I guess.”
Seb’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Knowing Alexandria was coming out for the night, he went to answer, then sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the number.
“Oh my god,” he whispered. “My father is calling me.”
Declan held his hand tighter. “You ignore that, babe, if you don’t want to answer.”
Seb shook his head quickly. He hadn’t heard from his father since the fire, but he knew a call would come eventually. “No, it’s okay.” He punched a button, then brought the phone up to his ear.
“Sebastian!” his father barked. “The event was last night! Why the hell weren’t you there?”
His brain stretched to try to figure out what the man was talking about before he remembered the corporate affair he had been ordered to months earlier. At least it explained the emails from his father’s assistant, which Seb had been deleting without reading. “I never intended to go, Father.”
“Ridiculous,” he boomed. “You have one responsibility, Sebastian. Did cutting off your allowance somehow fail to deliver the message? Would you like me to kick you out of your house, too?”
