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“But dinner is already on the table,” Jai replies before Nina jerks him down to her level and whispers something in his ear. A second later, she’s walking toward the house with the kids in tow. When she looks back, she calls out, “Maybe we’ll even go out for ice cream afterward!”

Jai gives Sebastian and me a bewildered look before flashing me a grin and quipping, “Pregnant lady gets whatever she wants!” before turning to jog after his wife. As they head inside, the last thing I hear him say to Nina is, “He has a flipping Aston Martin! A Lagonda Taraf. They only made 120 of them⁠—”

I can’t help but smile after them.

“Your sister seems nice, and Jai is very friendly. He came out and introduced himself as soon as I pulled up, though I’m pretty sure he was more interested in the car,” Sebastian says with a shy smile.

“Yeah, they’re both great. They invited me to stay for a few days. I need to be around family right now, and I definitely need to get some rest.”

“You know, if you want to get out of the city to get some rest, I have several places I could take you. There’s a place in Connecticut if you don’t want to go too far⁠—”

I cut him off. “I’m pretty sure the new president and CEO of the King Corporation is too busy to leave town right now as he takes the helm, especially after promising to take the company in a completely new direction.”

“Isabella.” There’s sadness and longing in the way he says my name, an uncharacteristic uncertainty, as though he wants to take me into his arms but knows the gesture is not welcome. “Isabella, please. I just want to talk. Will you at least hear me out? If our time together meant anything to you, please give me that.”

A neighbor passes by on the opposite side of the street with her dog. She glances curiously at us and at Sebastian’s car.

“Okay,” I concede. “You have ten minutes.”

My sister and her family are backing their SUV out of the garage as we walk into the house. I lead him to the guest room, and he looks around for a moment before taking the small chair in the corner. He pulls it closer to where I’m sitting on the bed, and I almost want to giggle as he sits down gingerly on a surface that’s clearly too small for him.

I cross my arms and stare. “How did you find me?”

“I asked Kiersten,” he says and winces. “Don’t be too mad at her. She’s kind of a hopeless romantic, and I appealed to her on those terms.”

I remember the text she’d sent me earlier. It said “Sorry,” followed by a winking emoji, a smiling emoji, a kissing emoji, and a heart. I thought it was meant for someone else, and she’d accidentally sent it to me, but now I know what she meant.

“You were looking for me?”

“Yes, I was on my way to the Bronx when Kiersten texted.”

“The Bronx? You thought I would be at my mom’s?”

He shrugs. “I was checking everywhere.”

“Yeah, well, that’s one place you definitely didn’t need to check.”

Sebastian’s mouth quirks slightly before he covers it up with a more serious expression. “Clearly.”

I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean. Besides, Mom’s not talking to me anyway.”

“What happened now?”

It’s my turn to shrug. “I actually threw her out of my apartment.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows arch then he chuckles. “You threw her out?”

“Better late than never, I guess. It’s been pretty peaceful since then, to be honest.”

“Honestly, I feel the same way,” Sebastian admits. “I didn't realize how relieved I would be without the threat of Dad marching into my office at any moment and berating me.”

We stare at each other for a long moment, a quiet understanding passing between us.

“You left quickly,” Sebastian says softly. “You were there, at the back of the room, and then you weren't. Aaron confirmed that you had left the building.”

“I had a lot of work to do back at my own office now that we’re back on track again,” I tell him.

I wonder if he knows it’s a lie. I came straight to Nina’s because I had to get away. Because I was desperate to get away. I couldn't stand there watching the man I love without feeling a small part of myself die inside.