19
Falling.
In which Sebastian falls.
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» SEBASTIAN »
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIR." MY PERSONAL ASSISTANT Rachel greeted as she entered my office with the files I requested, a small smile on her face whilst she extended her arm out to hand me them.
Glancing up from my desk, I grinned and took hold of what she held. "Thank you, Rachel. No one saw you with him, did they? I'm trying to keep this under wraps."
Her blue eyes shone with curiosity and she shook her head gently. "I don't even know what's in the files, sir. And besides, everyone has learnt by now that whatever we know is what you want us to know."
Eliciting a laugh from me, I directed my focus back to the papers in front of me when she pivoted on her heel and proceeded to leave my office. I had been here for the majority of the morning to oversee what was done when I was at the cabin, and I knew I couldn't let my procrastination get in the way.
"And, Ms Casey is here to see you."
Butterflies swarmed my stomach and I bit my lip to prevent the grin from overtaking my features. "Send her in." Unlocking a drawer, I dropped the files in and made sure to lock it. The last thing I wanted was Mira finding out anything, at least not yet.
When she entered the room, I simply took her in and stared in awe at how she always managed to look so beautiful. And the amazing thing was she was finally mine. There was no more doubt and I was, after a very long time, allowing myself to fall in love again.
"I know how you tend to skip breakfast all the time, so I thought we could have lunch together." She grinned, holding up two bags from our favourite bistro.
I sighed with gratitude since my stomach had begun to grumble obnoxiously and I didn't want to eat by myself. Pushing myself up from the chair, I passed her on my way to lock the door and smiled when she placed the food down on the table that was situated towards the wall in my office.
Turning back to her, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against me. Her brown eyes twinkled and I pursed my lips slightly so she could kiss me. Feeling her soft lips press against mine for a short moment, I couldn't help but grin when she cupped my face and peppered kisses along my jaw.
"Happy birthday, baby."
Happiness consumed me and I held her a little bit tighter, acting on the urge to mould my lips to hers once more. She relaxed in my embrace, her arms closing in around my neck as I gladly took in her warmth and kissed her back with the passion she was giving me.
Lifting her up, I wrapped her legs around my waist so she could be even closer and felt her softly gasp against my lips. Opening my eyes briefly, I noted the empty space on half of my desk and began to walk towards it.
Placing her down, my hand curled around the side of her neck whilst my thumb softly caressed her jaw. "Have you got a surprise for me too?"
She angled her face away from me as she attempted to catch her breath, becoming breathless when I nuzzled my nose into the crook of her neck. "Who has a surprise for you?"
I sucked at the soft skin, smiling against it before pulling back and making eye contact with her. Her flushed cheeks gave me a sense of pride and I kissed her forehead because I knew if I carried on, there would be no stopping. The tightening material of my slacks was evidence of that.
"I know about the surprise party, my mother is quite bad at keeping secrets."
Her eyes levelled with mine and a small frown tugged at her lips. My fingertips almost instantly set out to ease her face as I leaned forward and sucked her bottom lip into my mouth momentarily.
"That's all I know, pumpkin. I promise I'll still have the best time ever." My hands roamed her delectable figure, resting at the belt loops of her jeans to pull her hips to mine. I maintained eye contact with her, trying to figure out what she was feeling. A shaky breath fell from her lips when she felt the result of us making out. Sheepishly, I stroked her hair delicately and gestured to our food with a nod of my head. "Maybe we should eat before it gets cold."
She nodded with a slight smirk, holding my hand as I lead us towards the couch and debated whether or not I would want her to sit on my lap. Huffing out a quiet laugh, I shook my head at myself.
When did I get so shy around her?
"Let me take you out on a date after this." I felt a sensation in my chest that I hadn't felt for a long time, which made me scared but also encouraged me to let things take its course.
She had already started on her drink but leaned over to kiss the side of my lips. "It's your birthday, yet you're treating me? No, I'm doing something for you and making this day special because you deserve it."
Silence settled between us in the time I admired her and how she made me feel. The way she looked at me was exhilarating and I felt truly alive when she scooted closer to me and brought her ham and cheese roll-ups to my mouth.
She wiped the corner of my mouth and graced my day with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. It practically took my breath away and I leaned into her hand when she placed it on my cheek. "You're all I need."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
A subtle headache grounded into my temples, the cameraman who thought he was being sly only making it worse as he directed the camera in our direction. Mira frowned as I gave Kale a look to handle it. It was the first time we went out since we became a couple and the press was all over it.
Taking her hands into mine, I brought them towards my lips and raised my gaze to hers. "Do you have paracetamol, pumpkin?"
She dug into her bag and handed me the painkiller, proceeding to stand by my side and rest her head on my shoulder. My arm came around her whilst my other hand held Avery's.
The day was already going amazingly and I had done nothing but spend time with my two favourite people in the world. My niece looked up at me with an excited expression on her face.
"Can I name it? Please please please!"
As I opened the water bottle, I laughed before downing the tablet eagerly and pulled my sunglasses from my jacket to place over my eyes. "What name are you thinking?"
She kneeled in front of the golden retriever puppy, reaching out tentatively to stroke him. "Jax," she uttered, glancing up at Mira and me. "I've always wanted a dog called Jax."
Mira grinned and crouched beside her. "I like it," her voice almost soothed my headache and I decided to go through with the paperwork. "It suits him." Getting a puppy was an impulsive decision after Mira told me about one she had when she was a little girl.
And the fact that I had been considering it for the past couple of weeks was a sign. "I'll sort everything out for Jax, then." I murmured after I signed the paperwork, gladly accepting the hug Avery pulled me into.
"I love you so much!" she exclaimed, tightly wrapping her arm around my neck as I raised her off the floor and chuckled, cautiously avoiding her broken arm. "Can I give you your birthday present now?"
I smiled softly and nodded, placing her on the floor as my other bodyguard gave her her backpack. He then took hold of Jax in his carrier. The same excitement that Avery had consumed me when I looked upon my new puppy, feeling Mira's arms wrap around my waist.
"You're so adorable." She laughed, pressing a kiss to the back of my shoulder.
"Adorable?" I echoed, turning my head back to meet her eyes. "I'm normally called a heart-throb, so I know I'm more than that to you."
Her laugh flooded my ears once more and she shrugged her shoulders whilst biting her lip. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sebastian."
"Here you go, uncle." Returning my attention to Avery, I grinned at the present she gave me. It was a picture frame of one of her birthday parties where she was placing a tiara on my head whilst I gave her a piggyback.
My heart pounded and I found myself getting slightly emotional. "Thank you, angel." I leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "It's the best present ever."
And the satisfied grin that she gave me made my day a little bit brighter.
After a while, I had dropped off Avery at Flynn's workplace as requested, but he seemed to be avoiding me because like my mother, he was equally as bad at keeping secrets and would only speak to me at the party.
Waiting for the lift, I folded my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes at the fact that Flynn was on the highest floor. At the sound of my phone ringing, I pulled it from my pocket and smiled when I saw James' caller ID.
"Happy birthday, you old man."
I threw my head back with a chuckle, shaking my head at my best friend. "Technically, I'm still in my 20s, mate." The lift doors opened and I stepped in. "And we were born in the same year."
"But I'm still 28," he added and I could imagine the smirk on his face. A few beats passed before he sighed through the phone. "You sounds incredibly happy today, a certain someone brighten up your day?"
I pressed the ground floor button and rubbed the back of my neck. "Definitely. James, is it weird that I'm obsessed with her already?"
"I think the correct term is whipped." He guffawed.
Rolling my eyes, I leaned against the wall of the lift. "I'm serious, James. For the first time in four years, I think I'm falling in love. And that scares me because that means she has me in the palm of her hands and she doesn't even know it."
A deep breath passed his lips. "Then tell her. I've seen you two together and you don't act as you've only known each other for a short while. Life is too short to think about the what-ifs."
I chuckled a little too bitterly for his liking. "Don't I know it."
Cade was a big part of my life, and even after his death, there wasn't a day that went by without me thinking about him. James remained silent before he spoke once again. "Look, I'll come to see you later. I love you."
"Love you too," I muttered, exiting the lift and the building to return back to my car where Mira was waiting for me.
She had earphones in so only noticed my presence when I opened the car door and took a seat. Cradling her face, I pecked her lips softly and mentioned that we would have to get ready for my birthday party.
The coverup was that Mira would take me to the restaurant for a date so that they knew I was unaware of their plans. My mother felt bad that she had spoiled the secret, which meant I had to make it very believable that I was oblivious to everything.
"You okay?"
I revved the engine and pulled out of the space to drive back to my penthouse but nodded when I remembered what she asked. The headache had subsided due to the painkillers, but there was still a pang of pain at the back of my head. The only thing it told was that I wouldn't be drinking any more than one glass of champagne at the restaurant.
But, all thoughts of what was going to happen later left my mind when I realised that Mira and I were alone in the lift. She was gnawing at her lip, something she only did when she was nervous, which lead me to inwardly question what she had to be nervous about.
At least I knew she was nervous around me sometimes too.
God, I sound like a lovesick teenager.
Stepping towards her, I caged her in between the wall and my body, my fingertips curling around her bare hip where her shirt had ridden up from when she stretched. "What's on your mind, pumpkin?"
She leaned her head back on the wall, exposing her neck to me before I ducked my head and allowed my lips to brush her skin softly. I felt her pulse and heard her shallow breathing against my ear prior to letting me in on what she was thinking.
"I got you a present, but I don't know whether you'll like it or not."
I laughed and stood up straight, bringing her eyes to mine with my fingers raising her chin. "It's a present from you, of course, I'll love it." My thumb freed her lip from her teeth and I instinctively covered her mouth with mine in a hot kiss as I held her face.
She was like a drug to me, and I couldn't get enough. Her hands wound around my midriff, pulling me impossibly closer as she sighed against my lips and pulled back for the shortest second before she was letting know that she felt exactly the way I did.
It was clear in the way she was breathing me in and trying to commit my touch to her memory just like I was. My hands felt the curves of her body as I breathlessly groaned into her mouth, intoxicated with the way she felt against me.
She made me aware of everything, from the gentle touch of her probing hands to the way her back arched towards me so there was no distance between us at all. My lungs screamed for air, but it felt too intense for me to want to leave her embrace.
The lift pinged and we both ignored the opening doors when I tentatively guided her hands to my abdomen. And as soon as she untucked my shirt from my slacks, I pulled back because I felt slightly dizzy.
We were both panting heavily and I bumped my forehead onto hers, closing my eyes when she touched my swollen lips. "Damn, I can't wait to—."
Someone cleared their throat and my head turned to them in surprise, my eyes wide and my cheeks beginning to flame when I made eye contact with my mother. Mira emitted an embarrassed squeak, digging her face into my shoulder as I rendered my mum with a stiff smile.
"Mum, I didn't think you'd be here." I cleared my throat, discomfort rolling off me in waves. I definitely felt like a teenager since what was more embarrassing than my mother almost hearing the vulgar words I wanted to whisper in my girlfriend's ear.
"Good thing I am," she rebutted, she visibly fought the smirk on her face. "I had a feeling you were going to be late for dinner, so I came to make sure that didn't happen."
In a way, I was glad she caught me in the lift since if we had made it inside, I would've forgotten all about the dinner. I nodded quietly and gripped Mira's hand because she couldn't bring herself to look my mother in the eyes. I felt the exact same until I remembered that we were both adults and the fact that I was alive meant my mum was far from a saint.
Ensuring that she walked in front of me, I unlocked the door to my apartment and stepped in after everyone, knowing I had no time to waste. A cold shower was calling me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
I followed her blindly since the blindfold covered my eyes. It was all part of the act, but I stepped hesitantly after the half of my body collided with what I presumed was the door. A groan of pain tumbled from my lips and I squeezed her hand. "Baby, try to keep me in one piece, please."
She laughed and walked me through the door properly, smoothing down the fabric of my suit jacket. "Sorry. We're here now."
"Where's here?"
"Take your blindfold off and find out."
I cleared my throat, ready to do my best acting as I pushed the blindfold upwards and over my hair to see no one there. Smiling in a confused manner, I turned my head back to her. "An empty restaurant?"
And that was when everyone came out of hiding, screaming surprise in unison. I widened my eyes in shock, pushing the growing pounding in my head away, and couldn't refrain from laughing when I scanned the faces of everyone there. My entire immediate family was there with some of my extended family, and I spotted a few university friends.
All in all, everyone that mattered to me was there and I couldn't have been happier. People approached me with hugs and birthday wishes and I felt my heart swell with all the affection I was receiving.
"Happy birthday, son." My dad looked overwhelmed with emotion, his arms wrapping around me tightly. "I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday."
My eyes started to water before I closed my eyes tightly and patted my dad's back. "I love you."
He pulled back and laughed. "Here I thought your mother would be the one crying," he wiped his eyes and clapped me on the shoulder. "You're the best son I could ask for."
I grinned and clasped Mira's hand when she came to stand by my side. "Don't let Flynn hear you say that." I joked, walking with him to the large table, which was basically many tables connected together.
Mira took a seat to my right, next to Lena and engaged in a conversation with her as I took in how breathtaking she looked. She was wearing a sheer black dress that I had bought for her, and I was enjoying my choice very much.
Before I could pick up the menu, a question rose to my mind. "Lena, where's James?"
She raised her gaze to mine, smiling softly. "He's on his way, he just called me."
Nodding, everyone began to order what they wanted to eat, and since I was so indecisive, I asked Mira to order for me. She chuckled and scanned the menu once more. I didn't have to worry about not liking what she would pick since we had similar taste in food.
"Make a speech while we're waiting." My mother uttered as our glasses were being filled with our preferred drink choice.
Taking a sip of my water, I laughed nervously and raised my eyebrows. "You mean to ramble so we can pass time." When she smiled slowly, I chuckled and nodded. "Okay." I stood up and stepped away from the table, bringing my water with me.
Once everyone noticed that my mother had convinced me to say a few words, the conversation stopped and I looked upon every smiling face. "Well, this is the last birthday I get to celebrate in my 20s, so I definitely haven't felt as old as I do now. But, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who is here because it's rare that I get to have everyone I care about in one room. Like usual, James isn't good with being on time for things, which means he isn't here but without him, I wouldn't be here because he's been there for me for as long as I can remember." Noticing that my mother was recording, I laughed and took a sip to try and soothe my headache.
"And because Mum is filming me like I'm giving a speech at a graduation, I'd like to get this on the record that he's one of the things, along with all of you, that make my life worth living and since we all know he's going back on tour, I told him that if he didn't come back in one piece that he would have to give me all of his signed records, which means he's definitely coming back—,"
My vision darkened for a moment, coming out of focus as I tried to stare at the people in front of me. Clearing my throat, I brought my glass to my mouth and cursed silently when my hand began to shake.
No. Not in front of her.
I gripped the glass tightly so I wouldn't drop it, my sight clearing for a moment so I could see the worried expression on everyone's faces. When I lost my footing slightly, Mira was the first to get up.
"Baby, are you okay?"
And that was the last thing I heard before everything went black.