Second Chances (Dreams Come True #2) (11 page)

She paused for a moment. “I need to think, Sebastian. I can’t think when you’re this close.” She took another step and hesitated again. “No matter what, I really do love you.”

I almost smiled. It meant so much to hear her say those words. Of course, it would’ve meant a lot more had she not been saying them as she ran away from me. Still, someone like me had to take what he could get. This was already more than I could ever hope for. Marisa merely needed time to think. I’d gladly give her that.

Chapter Ten

Marisa

Once again I found myself running from Sebastian. Still, this time came as a surprise. One moment we’re having sex, making declarations of love, and eating Chinese food. The next minute, I find out his whole life is balanced precariously upon my shoulders. Marry him. How could I marry him? Why would I marry him, or anyone else? It just didn’t make sense.

As I let myself into the shop and locked the door behind me, I could hear Mattie shuffling around upstairs. “Risa, is that you?”

Hearing her voice and the routine of our interactions actually comforted me. “Yes, Mattie. It’s me.” While I knew she’d want me to come straight up and talk, I didn’t feel like speaking with anyone. For now, I merely wanted to think while I worked. I need the quiet and I didn’t want anyone else’s voice in my head. This had to be my decision.

My workshop was piled high with pieces from Sebastian’s house. Staring at them, I could feel the pain, the hurt from losing his parents. Maybe if I could breathe new life into the furniture, it would help him heal too. Eleven years later, and I knew he still suffered from it. Where to start? Walking around slowly, I waited for something to catch my eye. After only a moment, I’d found it.

The mirror. It was huge, at least six feet tall by three feet wide. I could practically see two of me side by side in it, if the reflective surface weren’t shattered. The frame had seen better days. There were splits in the wood and indentations where it was meant to be smooth. It looked like he’d taken a bat to it. After moving a desk and a dressing table, I eased the mirror over to my worktable. I struggled to lay it flat without doing further damage when Mattie suddenly appeared with two mugs in her hands.

She rushed to set them down on the counter, then turned to offer her assistance. “Honey child, you need to learn to ask for help.”

“I was managing just fine, Mattie,” I lied. This wasn’t the time to have that discussion, not when I worried over far bigger issues.

“What brings you home?” She passed me a mug and murmured, “Tea with an obscene amount of sugar. Just the way you like it.”

“Thank you.” I took a long sip and sighed. “I needed this.” Then I turned my attention to the task at hand and hoped she’d forget she had asked a question.

“Don’t think you can deflect that easily, young lady.” Mattie stared at me and crossed her arms over her ample chest to show she was willing to wait.

For a moment, I gathered my thoughts while running a hand over the frame. It wasn’t so bad. Wish I could say that about my current situation. “He wants to marry me,” I blurted out.

“The gallery guy?” Her eyebrows peaked as she asked. “So marry him.”

Sitting on a nearby stool, I scowled at her. “How can you say that? You don’t even know him. Hell, I barely know him.” I threw my hands up in the air.

“I know he makes you happy. You’ve been smiling more than ever. You were a very serious girl. Now you giggle.” She shrugged. “Any man who can do that is marriage material.” Mattie pursed her lips a moment before continuing. “So what is it about him in particular that you object to?”

“Nothing, really.” I frowned. “It’s too soon. I mean…barely more than two weeks.”

Standing, she shook her head then walked over and pulled me into her arms. Soon I was buried in her cleavage, which was comforting when I was younger, but felt weird now.

“Okay, Mattie. I’m good.” Finally, she released me and I adjusted my butt on the stool. “Isn’t it too soon? Doesn’t it take longer to get to know someone and decide if he’s the guy you want to spend forever with?”

“You’re asking me?” She laughed and waved a hand. “I’ve never been married. I’ve never been in love.” A faraway dreamy look flashed across Mattie’s face. “Now, as for what I believe…I’d like to think when it’s right, you know.” Suddenly, she grew serious and stood. “I’m going upstairs to go to bed. It’s nearly one in the morning. See you at breakfast.”

“Night, Mattie.” I watched her walk up the stairs and considered everything she’d said. It made me sad she’d never been in love. As upset as I was at the moment, I couldn’t imagine how much emptier my life would feel without Sebastian in it. Sucking in a breath, I realized this, in part, was my answer. I couldn’t give up Sebastian.

For a while, I worked on sanding the wood while I recalled every minute detail of our night together. I loved the way Sebastian smelled, fresh, clean, and wholly male. I loved the way his skin felt against mine. I loved the way he touched me, the way he fit so perfectly inside me, the feeling of our bodies coming together. Crap. I left in the nick of time. Had I stayed longer, he wouldn’t have been able to peel me off. I started to grin when my phone vibrated. It was him.

“Hey, what’s up?” I bit my lip, knowing my efforts to seem all casual after I ran away bordered on the ridiculous. Luckily for me, Sebastian played along.

“Oh, you know, just hanging out, doing laundry, and eating enough Chinese food to feed a small village because I really worked up an appetite tonight.” He chuckled. “But mostly…I’m wishing I wasn’t going to bed alone.”

“Laundry, huh? Sounds intense.” I chewed on the end of my thumb.

“Really? That’s what you took away from this conversation?” I could hear him grumbling in the background.

“I warned you,” I reminded him. “I told you in advance I didn’t know how I’d feel about things after. It’s not like I lied.”

“I didn’t lie either,” he pouted. “Any chance I can convince you to come back? Or…I’ll come over if you’d like.”

“You can’t spend the night,” I hissed. “Honestly. What the hell are you thinking? Mattie, remember?”

“Okay. Sorry I even suggested it. So, you’ll come back?”

I had to give him some credit. The guy really was one of the best negotiators I’d ever known. “No. I’m not coming back.”

“Ever?” His voice rose and I could almost hear him panic.

“Ever tonight. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.” I tried to shrug it off, like this was all no big deal when we both knew it was.

“I miss you. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Even through the phone, his words and the sound of his voice hit me straight in the chest. My heart raced and I closed my eyes. “I miss you too,” I admitted.

“You’re not thinking about me?” I heard him sink down on the bed.

“Oh, I’m thinking about you.” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

“What’re you thinking?” His tone changed. I’d made him happy.

“I’m thinking you’re a huge pain in the ass.”

“I never stuck it in your ass. I will, however, concede that I may be a huge pain in the vagina.” He chuckled at his own cleverness.

“I wouldn’t say huge,” I teased. We both knew it was a lie.

“
Marisa
…” His voice changed to the warning tone.

“Sebastian?” Suddenly, I felt all kinds of playful.

He sighed heavily. “Why do you torture me?”

I giggled. Dammit. Mattie was right. “Because it’s fun and I don’t get to have a lot of fun.”

“I plan to change that.” He sounded relaxed once more.

“I bet you do.” I exhaled and leaned against the counter. A moment later, I heard a sound outside the back door.

“We’ll travel, go out to dinner, go to the theatre…”

“Shh!” The sound had continued. I tried to process what it was. Scratching. Metal on metal. In the keyhole.

“Marisa, what is it?” He sounded alarmed.

“Shit. Sebastian, someone’s trying to break in,” I whispered, trying not to freak out. “I gotta go.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll call the police from the gallery line. Don’t hang up, sunshine. Stay with me.” I heard a door slam as he rushed out of the condo to the stairway.

Here, the back door flew open. I had been looking around for a weapon, or somewhere to hide. Yeah, fight or flight, it’s a thing. All I’d managed to do was put some space in between the intruder and me. He was huge, blotting out all light from the streets and blocking almost the entire back door. His arm reached out for me. Though I tried to bolt and make it to the front door, he caught the back of my overalls and yanked me toward him. In the process, I dropped my phone and it went sliding under the worktable, out of sight and out of reach. Between Sebastian’s teasing and now this, I was ready to be done with fucking overalls.

“Let go!” I shouted, hoping to startle him into releasing me.

Instead, he sneered. “Where is it?” He held tight and looked around.

“I don’t know what you want. I have no cash here. None. I’m broke as fuck. Seriously. Search me.” I had no idea what was happening on Sebastian’s end. Really, I was hoping to buy some time for the police to arrive.

“I don’t want your money,” he snarled as he shook me and shoved me into the wall. My head hit the corner of the doorframe so hard I could’ve sworn I was seeing stars. I blinked a few times. My neck already ached.

“What do you want?” My words came out a moan. I was afraid of what I’d see when I opened my eyes. He had twisted me around and had his hands knotted in my straps and shirt. Then he released one hand. I opened an eye, hoping to break away, but instead he punched me in the face. Immediately, I tasted blood as my teeth turned my cheek into ground meat. My hand shot up instinctively to block another hit, but this time he backhanded me and my face whipped to the other side.

“Pay attention,
bitch
. I want…”

Before he could finish what he had to say, a shot rang out and everything went black.

***

Sebastian

One minute Marisa and I were joking, getting back to us, the next minute some intruder had broken into her shop. We had to be two of the unluckiest individuals who ever lived. There was no other explanation. Then I could hear her, but she couldn’t hear me. It sounded like she dropped the phone. So I held the cell to one ear and the gallery’s cordless to the other while trying to give the address for the police. As I was about to hang up, a shot rang out. “Better send an ambulance too,” I managed to choke out.

I tossed the gallery phone on the counter and rushed out the back door, thankful it locked automatically behind me. Though it took the same amount of time to drive as it did to walk, I decided I might need the car. Soon enough, I’d sped to her shop, only to be met by police blockades and yellow tape. I parked as close as I could and ran the rest of the way.

“You can’t go in there,” an officer warned.

“I was on the phone with Marisa. I’m the one who called you!” My hand shot to my head as I looked about, hoping to spot her. “Is she alive? There was gunfire.”

“Sir, you’re going to have to wait,” the officer explained.

Then I heard her. The voice was weak, barely recognizable. “Bastian…”

My heart skipped a beat as I finally started to breathe again. Turning to the direction of her voice, I sped to her side. When I reached her, I teased, “Didn’t I tell you to never call me that?” Marisa was lying on a stretcher being tended to outside of the ambulance. Her arm was outstretched as she tried to touch me. Her face looked like hell. Her cheek was bruised and bleeding, her lip was swollen to more than double its size, and she wore a cervical collar around her neck. Still, she tried to smile as I finally held her hand.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to step back,” the EMT demanded.

Bending low, I gently kissed her knuckles before releasing her and moving away. “I’ll be right here. I’ll be at the hospital with you. Don’t worry.”

“They only allow immediate family. Sorry.” The EMT shrugged.

Shaking my head, I met Marisa’s gaze with a grin. “See, yet another reason for us to marry.”

“Lesson learned,” she squeaked. “If my face ever heals, I’m all yours.”

“Do you mean it? Can I pencil you in for say…next week?” I grinned, feeling hopeful.

“I didn’t say that. Let’s just say, your proposal is under consideration.” She offered a lopsided smile.

“We need to go.” The EMTs hoisted her up into the ambulance.

“I’ll be right behind you. I promise,” I called out to her. She tried to nod in response, but the collar made it impossible.

“K,” she finally responded.

With a laugh, I shouted, “And potassium to you too.”

Marisa started to laugh, but clutched her middle. “Ow.”

I started to rush back to my car, but the EMT called to me. “She wants you to check on Mattie and get her phone from under the worktable.” Giving him the thumbs up, I walked to the nearest officer.

“I need to get her phone and find out about Mattie, the older woman.” That was pretty much all I knew about the person she lived with.

“The detectives are questioning her right now. And I can’t let you go poking around a crime scene.” The officer seemed determined to stand firm.

“Look, I don’t even have to go poking around. She said it’s under the worktable. Maybe you can have an officer get it and give it to me. I’ll bring it to her at the hospital.” I tried to give him a winning smile, but that was Gabriel’s style. Being ridiculously nice was all Ben. I had negotiating skills and at the moment, it didn’t seem to be enough. I grew frustrated. Then a detective walked out of the shop and our eyes met.