I didn't even know how I got here.
One moment, I was breaking apart in the middle of the street, and the next, I was sitting in a room I had never seen before.
The walls were an elegant off-white, the kind that made the space feel warm and calm. The lighting was soft, the air smelled faintly of coffee and cinnamon, and despite everything swirling inside me, the room felt safe."Here."
I looked up as Sebastian handed me a steaming mug. His voice was quieter now, softer. Careful.I hesitated for a moment before taking the cup, letting the warmth seep into my fingers. "Thanks," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't say anything at first. He just sat across from me, watching. Not judging, not pitying—just watching."You scared the hell out of me today, Olivia."
I swallowed, my throat tight."You were running like—like you didn't even care if something happened to you." His jaw clenched, and I noticed his fingers twitching slightly, like he was holding himself back. "Is that how little you think of yourself?"
I didn't want to answer that.
Instead, I stared at the coffee, watching the steam curl into the air.
Seb sighed, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. "You know, I get it," he said quietly.
I frowned, looking up at him. "No, you don't."
His lips twitched, but there was no humor in his expression. "You think you're the only one who's felt like this?" His voice wasn't accusing, just... honest. "Like nothing you do will ever be enough? Like you're always just a second away from—" He shook his head, exhaling sharply. "From breaking?"
I blinked.
Sebastian always seemed so alive, so confident, so untouchable. But now, watching him, really looking at him—I noticed something I had never let myself see before.
His eyes.
They were sad.
Always had been.
He ran a hand through his hair, looking almost frustrated. "You don't have to say anything, okay? But don't ever think you're alone in this." He paused, his gaze locking onto mine. "Because you're not."
Something lodged in my throat. A lump, heavy and unmoving.
Before I could respond, the front door swung open, and Evelyn's voice echoed through the space.
I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, the front door slammed open.
"That absolute piece of garbage!"
Evelyn.
She stormed in, looking like she was ready to murder someone, with Luke following behind her, arms crossed and an equally pissed-off look on his face.
Seb sighed. "Let me guess—Brad?"
"Of course Brad!" Eve snapped. "That bastard was laughing about what he did today. Like, laughing."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Swear to god, one day that guy's ego is gonna suffocate him."
"I say we help speed up the process," Eve muttered, cracking her knuckles.
Seb groaned. "Eve, no."
"Eve, yes," she shot back. "Come on, he needs to be knocked off his high horse."
Luke smirked. "We could replace his shampoo with hair dye."
"Or fill his locker with something nasty," Evelyn added, eyes gleaming.
They were seriously plotting revenge, and I would've laughed if I wasn't still stuck in my own head.
Instead, I let out a quiet sigh. "Guys, you shouldn't be friends with me."
Silence.
All three of them turned to look at me.
Sebastian stiffened. Evelyn's face fell. Luke frowned.
I forced myself to keep going. "Brad—he's right. If you stay around me, he'll come after you too. And I can't—I won't let that happen."
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Evelyn laughed.
Not a little chuckle, but a full, exasperated, oh-my-god-you're-so-dumb laugh.
"Olivia," she said, shaking her head. "Do you seriously think we give a shit about Brad?"
"But—"
Eve flopped onto the couch beside me, grabbing my hands. "Listen to me. We want to be your friends. You don't get to push us away just because you think you're some kind of burden. You're not."
I stared at her, my chest tightening.
Luke nodded. "Yeah, and trust me, we've handled worse than some insecure little asshole with a power complex."
Seb remained quiet, but when I glanced at him, his gaze was steady.
Evelyn squeezed my hands. "You don't have to be scared, Olivia. We're not going anywhere."
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it impossible to speak.
I wasn't alone.
And maybe... maybe I didn't have to be scared anymore.
I didn't want to go home.
Not yet.
The thought of stepping my house, of being alone with my thoughts, was unbearable. But at the same time, I didn't want to overstay my welcome here. This is luke's house he lived here alone away from his family. Seb and Evelyn stay here time to time to keep luke company.
They had already done enough, and the last thing I wanted was to become a burden. So when I stood up, ready to leave, Evelyn's hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist.
"Stay," she said simply, like it was the easiest thing in the world.
I hesitated. "Eve, I—"
"Stay," she repeated, this time firmer, more insistent. "Just for a little longer. Please."
I stared at her, at the way she looked at me like she actually wanted me here—not out of pity, not out of obligation, but because she cared.
I swallowed, trying to fight the lump in my throat.
"Fine," I muttered. "Just for a little longer."
Evelyn grinned like she had just won a battle. "Good. Now sit your ass down, because we're watching a movie."
Luke groaned. "Can we not let Evelyn pick the movie? She has the worst taste."
Evelyn gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Excuse me? My taste in movies is impeccable."
"Oh, really?" Luke scoffed. "Last time, you made us watch that depressing French film where literally everyone died."
"It was cinematic brilliance!"
"It was emotional torture!"
Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back on the couch. "You two fight like an old married couple."
Luke made a disgusted face. "Don't even joke about that."
Evelyn smirked. "You wish, sweetheart."
Luke gagged, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. It felt strange, laughing, like my body wasn't used to it anymore. But sitting here, with them bickering like idiots, it was impossible not to.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt... normal.
At some point, I got up to grab some water. The kitchen was quiet, the warm glow from the light making everything feel softer. I was taking a sip when Evelyn walked in, leaning against the counter with that signature smirk of hers.
"You know, you're terrible at hiding your emotions," she said, her voice casual.
I raised an eyebrow. "And what emotions am I failing to hide?"
She grinned. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the ones involving Sebastian."
I nearly choked on my water. "Excuse me?"
Evelyn just looked at me knowingly. "You two have a thing."
I scoffed. "There is no 'thing.'"
She crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. Sure."
"I barely know him," I argued.
That made her laugh. Like, actually laugh.
I frowned. "What's so funny?"
Evelyn just shook her head, smiling to herself like she knew something I didn't. "Nothing. You'll figure it out soon enough."
That... annoyed me. What did she mean by that?
Before I could press her for an answer, Luke's voice rang from the living room.
"Are you guys having a secret meeting? Because if it involves food, I demand an invite."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, throwing an arm over my shoulder as we walked back. But her words stayed with me, lingering in my mind like an unsolved puzzle.
Later that Sebastian drove me home.
Evelyn was passed out in the backseat, her soft snores filling the quiet car. I sat in the passenger seat, watching the city lights blur past, the silence between us oddly comfortable.
But when we pulled up in front of my house, Sebastian has not even said a word to me after I told them to not to be friends with me. I turn to open the door when he finally spoke.
"Don't do that again."
I turned to him. "Do what?"
He gave me a look. "Run. Like you did today."
I swallowed, gripping the hem of my sweater. "I just... I didn't know what else to do."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Olivia, I get it. You think you're alone. You think you have to handle everything by yourself. But you don't."
I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head.
"No excuses. No 'I'm fine.' Just... don't run away from us. From me."
My throat tightened. "Seb, I—"
"No," he said softly. "Brad is a piece of shit, and whatever lies he's told you, whatever he's made you believe about yourself, they're not true."
I turned my face away, suddenly feeling too exposed. "You don't know what it's like."
"I know more than you think," he murmured.
I glanced at him, at the way his hands gripped the steering wheel too tightly, the slight tension in his jaw. Sebastian—so full of life, always smirking, always teasing—but his eyes... his eyes were always sad.
I took a shaky breath. "I don't want to drag you guys down with me."
Seb let out a humorless laugh. "You really think that little of yourself?"
I stayed silent.
He exhaled, then reached out, gently tilting my chin so I had no choice but to meet his gaze.
"You have us now, Olivia," he said quietly. "You don't have to take any bullshit from Brad. You don't have to fight alone. We're here. I'm here."
Something inside me cracked, a deep ache I had been ignoring for too long.
I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the sudden wave of emotions.
Seb smiled slightly, his thumb grazing my cheek before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
The touch was warm, lingering just long enough to send a thousand sparks through my skin.
By the time I stepped out of the car and made it to my front door, I could still feel the warmth of his lips against my skin.
The second I heard his car drive away, I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to my chest.
My face was burning. My stomach was fluttering.
God.
I was so screwed.