The Break Up Pact

Chapter 31

Sebastian turned to me with half-raised curious brows. He was no doubt terrified at the sharpness in which I'd viciously snatched up the card. I should have been ashamed of myself, I really should have but at this specific moment in time, I didn't care.

All I could feel was the fiery way my blood seemed to be coursing through my veins as though it was preparing for some kind of fight. A fight for what exactly, I had no clue. All I know was that it scared me.

A breath of laughter tumbled past his lips. "Yes, Phoebe, I totally give you permission to read one of my valentine's day cards. It's totally not nosey at all," Sebastian teased sarcastically as I was mid-way through savagely ripping one open. I know, classy.

Ignoring him, I snatched the card out from its shredded envelope and started frantically scanning my eyes up and down the writing. I didn't even need to look in a mirror to know how mad I likely looked. The muscles all around my mouth were tense, and I just knew they had tugged down into a frown.

The card was written by someone named Stephanie who was thanking him for 'fixing her car; and who hoped 'it needed fixing again soon.' It was signed off with an overly-excessive series of kisses, and she'd even been bold enough to write her phone number on the end too. The fuck?

The horrible feeling from before, once again twisted through my gut painfully and distractingly as I imagined the likely shameful way Sebastian must have been flirting with her when 'he fixed her car.'

I could imagine it all – that charming, dimpling smile. Those dark eyes looking Stephanie up and down in that stupid way he always did. I bet that fucker even winked at her. He was constantly doing all that shit to me, and he hated me, so God knows the things he does and says to people he actually likes. No wonder so many girls had written him letters.

Glancing up at Sebastian, I looked him up and down snappily and sharply with my lips pressed tightly together. Be cool, Phoebe, be cool. "Whose Stephanie?" I probed.

He shrugged, his lips curving up ever so slightly. "I don't know. Is that who wrote the card?"

Leaning over me – dangerously close might I add. So close that I had to suck in a sharp breath for some reason. Oblivious to any effect he might be having on me, Sebastian pulled the open card, to his part of the table, so he could read it better.

His face set into focus and those dark brown eyes darted up and down the page for a second or so or maybe more before recollection hit his eyes.

He looked up at me. "Oh, yeah, right, I remember that girl. Her car wasn't even broken though. I literally just turned her key for her, it was really weird," he explained with a light confused chuckle.

"You do realize she was just using that as an excuse to flirt with you, right?" Blaire piped in.

Sebastian paused as though realization was only just hitting him. He was an idiot; in case you hadn't realized. "Yeah, I've realized that now, after the valentine's day card....," he trailed off with an awkward cough.

I leaned forward, in a way I hoped didn't appear too eager. Rember, Phoebe, calm, stay calm. "So, you don't like her?" I clarified sharply.

Sebastian opened his lips as though about to answer but then suddenly cut himself off. A weird expression crossed his eyes as he looked at me – one that I didn't like at all. It was an expression that felt knowing. Slowly, and scarily, his lips curved up bit by bit into a smile. "Why are you acting so weird? Are you jealous or something?"

The words parted off his lips so simply, so matter-of-factly and it felt like I'd been zapped by an electric wire.

It was clear as day from his expression, he was only teasing to get a reaction, but his words nonetheless stung. Worse than stung – they were humiliating. I could feel my cheeks flaring in heat.