her to carry the load,” her replies, using my own words. “I feel an obligation to my family, Emma. Being Mr. Darcy seemed like a relatively easy way to do it.”
“I like that you’re trying to look after your family by saving their home.”
“You’d do the same in my position, I’m sure.”
I think of my little apartment, with its tiny kitchen and cheap kit-set furniture. It’s not much, but it’s mine, and I would hate to lose it. “You’re right. I would do the same.”
“How’s the wine?”
I collect my glass from the table and take a fresh sip. “It’s bold and sassy and I’m getting undertones of spice and,” I rack my brain for something wine snobs would say, but all I come up with is, “grapes. Lots of grapes.”
“Wine with undertones of grapes?” he asks as he tempts me with more kisses to make me swoon. “Who’d have thought.”
As I kiss him back, I forget all about undertones of grapes or anything else. This. This is what I want. To be alone here with Sebastian, sharing our stories, learning about one another.
I know I’m falling for him, and this is exactly where I want to be.
Chapter 24
I close the door to my bedroom as quietly as a mouse. Not that mice are all that quiet, in my opinion. Who makes these sayings up, anyway?
With my sneakers in my hand, I tiptoe across the hardwood floor, aiming for the bed, where I pull off my clothes and slip under the covers.
“Fun night?” Kennedy says, making me almost leap out of my skin.
I put my hand over my chest and feel my heart pounding. “Don’t do that to me.”
“Sorry.”
“Did I wake you up?”
“I’ve been lying here thinking about things half the night.” She sits up and flicks on her bedside lamp and, instantly, the room fills with a warm, golden glow.
I sit at the bottom of her bed. “Something on your mind, babe?”
“Oh, you know: life, the universe, everything. Oh, and the fact my bestie on this show is sneaking off to have a torrid affair with the guy I’m meant to be competing against her for. So clearly, I’m not going to be the one walking down the aisle at the end of the show.”
My tummy does a flip and I begin to feel all giddy. Giddy and more than a little freaked out. I mean, walking down the aisle? It all feels so ... final.
Final, but also, kind of incredible.
“So, pretty general things?” I ask with a smirk. “And it’s not a torrid affair. It’s—” I pause as I try to land on the word to sum up what Sebastian and I have together. Whatever it is, wherever it’s going to go, I know one thing for sure: it feels wonderful.
She pushes herself up on her elbows and scrutinizes my face. “Oh, Miss Emma, I do believe you are blushing.”
“No, I’m not,” I protest, doing precisely that.
“Girl, you’ve been out with the guy half the night. I think you’re fully entitled to blush.” She sits more upright in bed. “So? How was he?”
“It’s not like that,” I reply defensively.
The look on her face tells me she’s not buying it in the least. “Mmm-hmm?”
“Sure, there was some of that, but mainly we talked.”
“You spent all this time off camera with the totally hot guy everyone is falling over themselves to be with, and you ‘mainly talked?’” She uses air quotes. “Tell me at least you kissed the guy.”
I try to suppress the smile busting out across my face. “I did.”
“And? What’s he like? I bet he’s good at it. He looks like he’d be good at it.”
“Heart-stopping, knee-melting, star-seeing good.”
She returns my smile. “That’s more like it. Oh, Em. You so have got this show in the bag. Camille is going to want to scratch your eyes out with her French manicured nails.”
I let out a light laugh. “That doesn’t matter. I don’t care about the show or Camille. I only care about him.”
She shakes her head at me. “You’ve got it bad, girl.”
“It’s kind of scary,” I admit, “but also kind of amazing. We’ve got a lot more in common than I ever thought. I remember when we met, I thought he was the biggest douchebag to walk the face of the Earth.” I smile at the memory. “Now? Well, let’s just say I don’t.”
“You’re Lizzie Bennet.”
I crinkle my brow. “So are you in this weird, messed up reality TV world. The Lizzies. Ugh.”
“No, I mean you’re really Lizzie