Chapter 52

SEBASTIAN

She didn’t know what it did to me—watching her limp slightly as she walked into the apartment, stubborn to the last breath, trying to act like her body wasn’t screaming from pain. I didn’t know how else to show her I was sorry, that I’d made a mistake by not shutting Loren down sooner, not protecting her the way I should have. So I did what I could.

Ran a bath. Made a playlist. Lit a damn candle.

It felt ridiculous in the moment. Like I was preparing a scene from a rom-com, complete with bath salts and mood lighting. But I didn’t care. She deserved care. Peace. I just didn’t expect her to walk in while I was still checking the water temperature.

“I’m not a Victorian damsel, you know,” she said.

I didn’t look up right away. I couldn’t. The image of her standing there—messy, bruised, exhausted, but still so… her—hit something low and hard in my chest.

“You’re definitely not,” I said, smirking. “You’re too mouthy.”

There was banter af