20. Nothing

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

A sudden buzz shatters the silence. Bast pulls back, and my fingers slip from his neck. A tingling sensation in my fingertips reminds me of what it was like to touch him for the first time, and I stare at my hand as if having it on his skin marked it somehow.

He plucks his phone from the pocket of his sweats, but he doesn't need to tell me who's calling him - I catch a glimpse of Elena's name right before he lets out an irritated groan and rejects the call.

She calls three more times, and although Sebastian doesn't answer, his mood changes. His face may look impassive, but his posture grows rigid as if he were about to snap.

A rush of cold air from the ocean sweeps over me, and I wrap my arms around myself.

Bast runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly. Then his hazel eyes search my face. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You know what. Are you cold?"

"A bit."

"Let's get hot drinks. We can talk in my car."

I rise to my feet before he does and stroll to his Mustang. I should be pissed at Elena for ruining the moment, but I'm relieved she did. What if he kissed me? Other than the guaranteed awkwardness afterward, where would that leave us?

I'm not sure what's going on between us even without that almost-kiss. Bast showed me his softer side that left me wondering whether the harsh, insensitive guy he was last year and part of this one isn't who he is at all.

Hating him is way easier than realizing the real him is someone I could genuinely like.

Sebastian drives to the nearest coffee shop and gets hot chocolate for me and black coffee for him. I hold both drinks as he starts the vehicle to take me somewhere else.

We end up on a hill overlooking the city. It's the perfect spot if you want to see the sunset from the warmth and comfort of your car. I hand Bast his coffee, careful not to touch his hand, and he accepts it with a quiet, "Thanks."

He pops the lid and takes a gulp, and I sip my hazelnut chocolate, staring at the streaks of orange and red in the evening sky. Just like the ocean, sunsets never look the same.

Bast's deep sigh diverts my attention to him. He leans his head against the back of the seat and turns it, looking at me.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I don't know how to make Elena leave me alone," he says. "I made no promises, and it was only sex. I didn't think she'd be so relentless."

"Did she know it was only that?"

Bast twirls the cup in his hands and nods. "Yeah. Go ahead, ask me why I started it if I didn't give two fucks about her."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"I know. The guys told me to ignore her, but that's gotten me nowhere."

"There must've been something that made you notice her," I say.

Bast rolls his eyes. "Do you want the ugly truth? I was drunk. The first three times we had sex, I was smashed. And then it was convenient. She'd cold-shoulder me except for when we had to complete an assignment together, which worked for me just fine. But now she acts like she wants something I sure won't give her."

"People often want what they can't have."

"Tell me about it," Sebastian utters, staring out of the window. I'm not sure whether he meant Elena or someone different, and I'm the one to avert my gaze this time.

The sun sinks lower. Crimson tint spills above the skyline, transforming the cityscape, making it look more striking. I reach into my purse, get my phone, and climb out of the car. After taking a few pictures, I get back in, closing the door.

"Send them to me," Bast says.

"So demanding. Say please, Basti."

A grin spreads across his face, and his eyes twinkle. "Please?"

I attach the photos to a text, and when Bast sees them on his phone, he gives me an appreciative nod. "Excellent skills."

"Shut up." I swat his arm.

He rubs it, laughing. "Can't take a compliment? That's very unlike you."

"Because you think you know me, right?"

"I don't. I don't think so, and I don't know you. But I might've figured out a few things about you."

"What things?"

Sebastian holds his index finger up, downs the rest of his coffee, and shoves the empty cup back in the drink carrier he then leaves on the center console. "I'm ready. Thing number one, you know your worth."

"Perceptive." I wink.

He chuckles, rubbing his chin. "Want the second one?"

"Sure."

"You hate strawberry lollipops."

"I love them, Basti."

"You sucked it as if it were poison on a stick. You only did it to prove a point."

"Did I prove it?"

Sebastian smirks. "Sure did." His hand moves to rest on my jaw, and he traces it with his thumb. "One more?"

My heart pounds, and heat spreads over every inch of skin Bast touches. "Surprise me," I say, my voice an octave lower than before.

"You're a good friend," he says. "You agreed to live with me despite hating my guts so Leah wouldn't feel guilty. And you care about Maverick when most people wouldn't."

"I don't know nearly as much about you as you seem to know about me," I say.

Bast removes his hand from my face and braces it on the steering wheel. "Come on; tell me what you think you know."

"Will you tell me if I'm wrong?"

He drums his fingers on the leather. "You know what? Let's make a deal. If you're right, I'll keep quiet. And I promise to correct you if you're wrong, but I want something in return."

"What?"

"You'll answer a question of mine honestly."

"One question?"

"Ony one."

Curiosity overrides my fear of having to confess something I'd rather not disclose. I want to figure Bast out, and this might be my only chance at catching a glimpse of the guy beneath the mask.

I inhale and hold my hand out. "Deal."

Bast shakes it but doesn't let go and knots his fingers through mine instead.

"Go ahead, Tara."

He didn't say there was a limit of guesses I could make, and excitement bubbles up within me. There are two things I'm dying to know, but I go with something innocent first.

"You hate pink."

The corners of Bast's mouth twitch. He's trying not to laugh, and I go on.

"You want to go to medical school because your parents told you to."

I'm positive that's not the case, but I want to see if Bast keeps his word and corrects my wrong assumption.

"No," he says. "They wanted me to study something I like, and I like medicine. You can do better, Tara."

Darkness envelops us. The city lights are too far to illuminate the interior of Bast's Mustang. Although I can make out the contours of Bast's profile, I can't see his eyes, and I wish I could, if only while I say the next thing.

"The night I found you on the highway," I begin.

Bast's grip on my hand tightens a fraction, but I feel it. I know Brian told him the truth. I also know Elena said she took Sebastian home, but those things don't matter now.

"That night, you didn't drink for fun. You drank because you were in pain."

Now, his grip is almost bruising. I wiggle my fingers so Bast would relax his, and although he doesn't squeeze them so hard now, he doesn't let go. Sebastian clings to my hand as if it were a life jacket he needs to stay afloat. I should stop making guesses, but his silence urges me on.

"You have trouble sleeping."

He says nothing once more, and I think about all the nights I saw the light in his bedroom when I went to the kitchen to get some water.

"Someone hurt you," I say.

His hand leaves mine, and I miss its warmth. Bast starts fumbling in his pockets for something, probably because I made him uncomfortable.

Several heartbeats later, he speaks.

"Tara."

"What?"

"Enough."

Bast takes out his phone, and the beam of its flashlight bathes the interior of the vehicle. He leaves the cell on the dashboard and clears his throat. "Well, that was fun, but it's my turn to ask the question now."

I tense involuntarily. It must be far from subtle because Bast touches my shoulder.

"Only one," he reminds me, his voice gentle. "Are you going to be alone at Christmas too?"

I expected something much worse, and the exhalation leaving my chest gives away the relief I feel.

"Yeah," I say. "But I have my reasons, and I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

"Let me decide how to feel, okay?" Bast says. "Thanks for being honest."

"You're welcome."

I observe him for a few beats. He toys with the car key, his brows knitted together as though he's trying to solve a dilemma known only to him.

"Tara."

My name on his lips sounds different this time. Softer.

"Yeah?" I ask and look at him. Tingles spread through my stomach, and I'm grateful Bast keeps his gaze focused on something behind the windshield.

"When you were guessing stuff," he says, "I expected you to say I'd kiss you if Elena didn't interrupt us. Do you know what I would've said if you'd done that?"

The wings of dozens of butterflies flutter in my belly, and I clasp my shaky hands in my lap. My throat is too dry to speak; all I can do is shake my head.

"Nothing," Sebastian whispers. "I would've said nothing."

Look at this. I got those butterflies too, dammit. And damn you, Basti.












You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net