Chapter 53

SEBASTIAN

I saw it in her eyes the second the words left my mouth—that flicker of recoil, subtle but unmistakable. Her lips parted slightly, like she might argue, but then she closed them, tucked her emotions away behind that steel expression she wore when she didn’t want to let anything slip.

And then she said it.

Damn it.

“Yeah, I didn’t say that as your boss. I…”

Fuck! That’s not going to work.

I sighed, leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “That came out wrong,” I said, softer now. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

She didn’t respond immediately. Just looked down at the empty bowl in her lap like it had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room.

“I’m not trying to control you, Dahlia,” I continued, voice low. “I just… I care. I feel for you, alright? And I hate the idea that you’re breaking yourself in half to hold everything together.”

She still didn’t look at me, but her fingers tightened around the fork.