Thorneless (Rose of Thorne Series) (15 page)

Sebastian

I had to wait almost an hour before the security officers finally allow me leave. One of the officers hands me my clothes that I had left up on the roof.  After I slip back into my shirt and jacket, I am escorted through madness of the awaiting paparazzi to the car where my driver is waiting.  I shield my face from the flashing cameras as they call out for my attention.  Once I am in the safety of the car, I make a phone call to Harrison, who had just arrived in London this evening.  In only a matter of minutes, he is relaying her hotel room information to me. He, once again proves what a valuable and vital part of my staff that he is.

I give the driver the name of the hotel and within twenty minutes he is dropping me off at the front entrance.
 I ignore the looks from the guests and make my way up to the top floor where they are staying.  I don’t know if she is here, but I have to see her. Heaven help Drake if he gets in my way again this time.

As I stand in front of her suite door, I gather all the courage I have inside and lift my hand to knock. Just before my hand connects to the door, it suddenly flies open and a stunned short elderly housekeeper looks back up at me.

“Oh, I am sorry sir. I am just finishing up your room. I will be out of your way in just a moment,” she says as she sits down the trash bins beside her cart in the hall.  She studies my injured face, but does not comment. I glance down to the floor and immediately I recognize the crumbled piece of paper in the trash.

Reaching down, I retrieve the letter and smile at the older woman.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to throw this away,” I explain as I begin smoothing out the letter.  

“Yes, of course
, sir. I am glad I hadn’t already cleaned your room.”

The woman empties the other bin and then takes both of them back into the room and I seize my opportunity and follow her inside.

“Has a young lady been by here this evening?” I ask as I show her a picture in my wallet.

“No, sir. I haven’t seen anyone and I have been on this floor for a while,” she replies.

I slip her a hundred dollars and watch her face light up with appreciation.  

She thanks me and exits the room. Once the door closes behind her, I begin making my way through the large suite.
 I notice that the suite has two bedrooms. It’s bad enough that they are sharing this suite and I pray to God they aren’t sharing a bed as well.  It hurts my heart too much to think of the two of them being together. After all this time together, I know they must have slept together by now.  I would be lying if I didn’t say that I had secretly hoped that she couldn’t go through with it because of still being in love with me.  I know Lucas and so I am certain they have been intimate with one another.
Fuck that hurts my soul!

I turn the doorknob on the door to the right and am met with her sweet smell. That delicious candy fragrance invades me and triggers so many memories to come rushing over me.
 I look around her room and see her things hanging in the nearby antique wardrobe.  I close my eyes and slowly run my hand over the items hanging in it.  She will never know how much I miss her.

I sit on her bed and look down at the letter in my hand.
 
Why is this letter all the way in London with her?  Did she just now read it?  
I fold it up and place it in my black overcoat pocket.  I have to speak to her.  I have to make her listen to me.  She has to forgive me…she just has to.

My phone begins vibrating in my pocket and I yank it out and look down at the message.

HARRISON: I think I have located her, sir. Capleton Street

Darting out of the room, I don’t waste a second as I swipe the phone screen to call him back.
 

Skylar

I don’t know where I am, but I know it isn’t in a good part of town.  I don’t know how long I’ve wandered the streets, but I’ve walked so far that there are no longer any streetlights or cabs. My face is killing me and both of my feet are covered in blisters. I’m so tired that I can barely stand.  I stop and dig out my phone from my purse.  Lucas has messaged and called me an astonishing amount of times.  

Instinctively I start to call him back, but I stop myself. I don’t know how I can ever face him again.
 How can I have done this to him after everything he has done for me?  
I know he has to hate me and I probably don’t even have a job anymore. I am such a fucking mess! I do nothing but destroy everything round me.  

Tears overtake me and I collapse on the street. I can’t walk another step. Even if I call a cab, I don’t even know where to tell them I am. I don’t see any signs anywhere.
 

A dark figure stands over me, blocking
what little light there is.
Great! Now someone is going to try to rob me or kill me.
The figure grows closer and my heart races at the fear of what is coming next.  I close my eyes and begin to shake in terror. I clench my clasp purse and hold it out to them.  Surely if they want money, they will just take it and leave me alone.  I know a few self -defense moves, but I can’t even stand up.

“Please. Just take it. It’s all I have,” I sob, but the purse is then pushed out of the way.

Warm arms surround my waist and I feel myself being gently picked up.  One touch and the immense energy we share radiates down me and soothes my shivering body.  I don’t know how he has found me, but I don’t even have the energy to question it.

“It is alright. You are safe now,” Sebastian whispers into my hair. I am too exhausted to fight him.
 No matter how much I want to hate him, I still love him.
God, how I love this man!
 I know it can never happen between us after knowing what he has done. No matter how much I know I need to scream and run, I can’t. I’m too exhausted and too paralyzed by his touch; I feel so safe in his arms.

“Harrison, I have her! Bring the car around!” he yells into his phone and I don’t bother looking up at him.
 I hear the car pull up and Sebastian gently eases us onto the back seat of the car without ever letting go of me.  I lay my head against his chest and he strokes my hair. Then I give in to the heaviness of my eyes and the fatigue.

I awaken in a huge wooden
four-poster bed in a large bedroom.  The long red velvet drapes are drawn shut but I can see the sunshine peeking out the sides of them.  When I sit up in the bed, I notice I am wearing a white silk nightgown.  I see the flickering fireplace across the room and then I see the figure move in the chair beside it.  

“Skylar,” his voice moves over me like warm rain to my aching soul.

“Where am I?” I ask him.

“We are at
my friend’s country estate,” he replies.

“I have to leave. I shouldn’t be here,” I say and throw back the covers. When my feet hit the cold wood floor, I notice they are both wrapped in bandages.
 The pain shoots up my foot and I remember the blisters from last night’s walking.

Sebastian comes toward me and I can see that he is still in his clothes from last night. He puts hands on my shoulders and urges me to sit back down on the bed.
 His delicious smell overtakes my senses and I feel myself losing control. He kneels down but I refuse to look at him.  If I look into his eyes, I know I will lose the rest of the fight I have in me.

 
I can’t do this.  I can’t be here.  Why can’t I just let go?

“Baby, please. I need you to listen to me.”

“No, Sebastian! I need to leave.  Lucas will be worried.” I argue.  

“Fuck him!
 I don’t give a shit about Drake or what he thinks! All I care about it you.  I need you to listen to me.

I finally brave a glance into his eyes and I can feel myself spiraling out of control.
 I want him so damn much, but this can’t happen!

“I can’t be here Sebastian.
 What happened last night should have never happened.”

“You can’t say that baby!” He says as he grabs my shoulders tightly.

“Don’t call me that! I am not your baby anymore.”

Sebastian eyed me. 
“Oh, so is that it? Is that what all of this is about? Are you his now?”

“That is none of your business! It is over between you and me! It has been for a long time now.
 You can’t tell me that you haven’t fucked half the world since I’ve left.”

“Does this feel like it is over between us?” he asks as he roughly yanks me towards him.
His lips feverishly crash onto mine and I melt into him. His hardness presses against my silky nightgown. Our passionate kiss grows more and more aggressive and desperate. My body sings in need for him. Liquid fire soars into my core.  We break and begin gasping for air. “I’ve not touched or looked at another woman since you, Skylar. There isn’t anyone else for me, but you. I have been so lost without you. Please, I need you to hear what I have to say!”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!
 You lied to me for months, Sebastian. You let me fall in love with you despite what you had done!”  I roar.

“You have to listen to me! I never meant to hurt you,” he begs me immediately some of that rage I feel resurfaces and I
my hand connects with his face.  The loud slap leaves the palm of my hand stinging, but he never breaks his stare.

“Hurt me? Is that what you think you did?
 You destroyed my life Sebastian!! Not just once, but twice!  I trusted you and you ripped my soul into shreds.”

“Baby, I love you.
 I fucking love you more than life.  I can’t tell you how sorry I am.  I know what I did is unforgivable.  I have hated myself every moment of every single day since the night of that accident. I would have gladly died that night instead of your parents. God knows I didn’t deserve to live that night!”

“You’
re right! You didn’t deserve to live that night! But here you are…breathing air you don’t deserve to breathe!” I scream at him. I see the pain and horror in his face that my words cause him.  Part of me wants to run to him and tell him how sorry I am, and the other part of me knows that part of me really meant those words.  

He turns and hangs his head in defeat as he walks toward the door.
He stops before opening it and speaks with his back still facing me. “I will always love you, my beautiful girl. I had clothes delivered for you and they are hanging in the wardrobe.  When you are ready, my driver will take you wherever you wish to go,” he sadly says and leaves the room.