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16. Suspicious
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2023-04-10 21:39:40Related chapters
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 17. Revelation
Kier and Brad are absolutely wasted and now I don't know how I'm going to get us all home. I don't drive. But it's the least of my problems. I sure as hell don't have the strength to be dragging two full-grown men into a car in the first place. "I just can't believe he would do that. Did we aggravate him for some reason? I mean, we fight but it never came to this. It's just...it's all unwarranted." Kier slurs, slamming another empty glass unsteadily on the table. "What the hell is his problem and why can't he just tell us?" "No, I keep telling you. We're just misunderstanding Seb." Brad answers just as clumsily, "It could be that he just had that board up because he was investigating. We should go talk to him now. We shouldn't assume." Kier leans towards Brad, "And I keep telling you, he won't tell us shit. He kept it a secret from us because he was guilty. What makes you think he'll confess to us, now? Plus, you're one to talk. You knew he had Ari's diary before and possibly sti
Last Updated : 2023-04-17Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 18. Cold Blue
"I don't understand why Seb can't come to my party. Something came up, he says." Cal announces, frowning at his phone screen.Brad and I look at each other worriedly. Ever since Seb has confessed to having my diary, he has somehow managed to avoid me even when we practically live together. He's really good at it. The last time I saw him was three days ago. Apparently, he has been avoiding our other friends, too. This situation leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, more than the looming threat of the blackmailer that's currently out to get us any minute now. I feel this deep in my stomach from his absence, making me want to vomit, all exacerbated by the what we talked about the last time we saw each other."He's probably just busy with all his little thinking projects. You know him." Brad tells Cal cheerfully, awkwardly swinging an arm around the birthday boy, who has been taller than him ever since I can remember."But it's my birthday," Cal respo
Last Updated : 2023-04-19Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 19. Progress
My hair is still dripping wet as I lean over Seb, trying to get him to stay still so I can treat his wounds. After pulling me out of the water earlier, he immediately fussed over me getting changed and demanded to talk to me alone, much to our friends' protests. I can't really blame them, though. Seb's random whims have always been frustrating, but he just disappeared on us for three days. This is not to mention that he still owes us an explanation. About my diary, about why he just suddenly showed up beaten and bruised. "I returned your journal, by the way. It's on the foot of your bed back home." Seb says quietly, wincing as I put pressure on the cuts on his face. Jesus. What had he done for someone to beat him up like this? Without warning, I start to cry, all that worrying for the past three days just bursting out of my chest. I don't even care that he lied about having my diary and keeping it a secret anymore. I realize that I'm just really glad that he's okay. I punch him we
Last Updated : 2023-04-24Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 20. Our Secret
I didn't ever imagine having to sneak back home with Seb's hand in mine, looking left and right to make sure Lucien didn't spot us, but here we are. We stop in front of my bedroom door, awkward and still without talking to each other. "You're going to have really bad bruises on your face for days." I finally tell him, just to break the ice. I reach up to touch his face, making sure not to press too much so I don't hurt him. Seb leans into my touch but does not answer. And I have a good feeling why. I really don't want to address it, but I ask anyway, "What's the matter?" Seb scratches the back of his head awkwardly, "Earlier, when we were with our friends, I tried to take your hand, but you dropped mine." The hurt in his voice rose above the question and I feel a twinge in my chest, too. "Oh...that...I...uh.." I stammer. I think of a lie, but nothing comes. It will not work with Seb anyway, who knows me more than I know myself, so I tell him the truth, "I don't want our fri
Last Updated : 2023-05-01Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 21. A Number
I meet Seb in the parking lot, trying to control the giddiness I feel inside. People's gazes are on us, after all, almost tripping over themselves just to catch sight of him and probably thinking about how I don't deserve to be by his side. Seb and me getting together isn't something that I imagined until it happened. If you asked me about it before, I would probably be pretending to dry-heave at the thought. He was my stepbrother, after all. There are all kinds of things that anyone can say about that. I sigh, remembering the conversation that we had about keeping our relationship secret. I've been debating with myself about it overnight. Is this all going to be worth it? Hiding how we feel for each other just to keep other people comfortable? "Hey, you ready?" Seb asks me as I fasten my seatbelt beside me. I thought he would drive away as soon as he closed the door, but suddenly, he grabs me and claims my mouth. I gasp in surprise, but melted almost immediately in his warmth. We k
Last Updated : 2023-05-03Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 22. Shame on you
Seb was my first kiss. I remember it now. We were nine, before our parents married. We were playing a bunch of games that I could not even remember, and clumsy as I was, I fell on him. Our lips touched, and even then we knew what that meant. We immediately broke free from each other, though, as by then Brad had started yelling. He admitted to having a crush on me then and considered what he witnessed a grave betrayal. Seb and I took a long time to get Brad to calm down. And the next morning, Brad decided that he no longer has a crush on me. I giggle quietly at the memory. "What's funny?" Seb asks, raising his head from my chest and kissing it. His eyes are still closed. I clear my throat, "Nothing. Just remembered something funny." I tell him, running my hands through his hair. I love his hair. "You better not be laughing at any of my proposals," he suddenly faces me, his eyes serious, "Speaking of... Arianne Lee, will you..." I laugh, covering his mouth, "No, come on. You pr
Last Updated : 2023-05-15Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 23. Diary #6, The First Entry
"Thank you," I tell Olive as soon as they're able to escape from our friends."You're welcome," Olive says as she washes her hands on the sink beside me. "And sorry about Brit. You know how overprotective she can be. Did you know that she almost scalped Dina when she found out she was talking to Dave?"They smile at each other. Of course, I know. I might have felt the same way about the whole Dina and Dave situation at the start, only I didn't have the kind of guts that Brit has.Sighing, I lean on the wall behind her, studying Olive, "Look, I guess I owe you an apology, too."Olive waves me off, "Come on, we already talked about this. Seb's actions were understandable, he was just thinking logically. Out of all of us in the council, Brit and I are the ones on the outside. Well...us and Victor, who's not around at the moment.""Right...what happened to him? Seb says he's on leave?""Yeah, something to do with his...br
Last Updated : 2023-11-06Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 24. Diary #6, The Fifty-Seventh Entry
August 21, 2013I was wrong, my mother wasn't losing weight merely because of Lyle. Cancer was eating her up from the inside for months and she only endeavored to tell me now. And now she's telling me to go away."I hate you!" I scream at her, "Are you insane? I'm not going to leave now. He...you know what he's done, Mom, and he threatened to do it to you, too! Do you really think I'm going to leave you here with him? He's going to kill you!"My Mom smiles at me sadly, "Does it matter, Ari? Does it really matter when I'm already there?""Mom, please, don't say that." I plead with her. "It's true, Ari." she responds, "And you know what? It's freeing, in a way. And that's what I want for you, too. To be free. This is my last gift to you. Not that I...not that I have been thinking of your welfare these past few years. I've only been thinking of myself, huh? Bringing you into this hellhole.
Last Updated : 2023-11-08
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Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 35. Stronger Together
"Marrying someone he doesn't love? Didn't he learn anything from me? Please tell me you're not going to let him." Kier says as he angrily plays with his food. I don't blame him. Nobody likes the hospital cafeteria's food. It's Day 3 of Lucien's ICU stay and all of us had been taking turns in watching him, and Seb, as he refuses to go home at the moment. I sigh, feeling a twinge in my heart at Seb's words to me last night. I open my mouth to reply respond to Kier, ready to defend Seb's decision eventhough it broke me. But a voice over me interrupts. "That's exactly what I told him," I try not to show my surprise. It's Sara. Brad told me that she visited Lucien yesterday, but he didn't say anything about Sara visiting again today. Kier's eyebrows rise up as Sara seats herself at our table without invitation, continuing her speech, "His brain is supposed to be genius-level but can he seriously not get out of this one without compromising his future?" Sara huffs, taking a fry from
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 34. A Father's Wish
Lucien is in critical condition, and I am at a loss on how I can console Seb at the moment. He wouldn't leave his Dad's side, so I am left taking care of things at the house. To put my mind away from what's happening, I decided to clean Lucien's office before I'm set to leave for the again hospital myself. Dave has offered to drive me and he says he's now pulling in the driveway.I'm halfway into emptying the last drawer when I found a letter. Well, not quite a letter but a well-drafted contract by Seb about how Lucien shouldn't adopt me. It's dated around the time that I came back here from California. There, Seb also explained how he wished for me to be his wife. I begin to tear up. He even said he would be a doctor just so he could marry me. The contract was signed.But now, the company's in trouble and Lucien is suffering. This promise that Seb is willing to put out to be with me, how is he ever going to fulfill this? How can I ask for him to go through
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 33. Make up
Making love after a fight is the best. The way Seb is moving right now is enough to melt me. I was wrong, he was actually meeting Dave and the others when I ambushed him in front of his bedroom door. But after we made up, he immediately changed his plans."Ow," he winces as I accidentally scratch his backside."Sorry," I whisper against his mouth, pushing him further into me.He smiles and continues thrusting into my core, and I moan, feeling the heat builds up inside me."I'm close," I murmur on his neck, biting just beneath his Adam's apple."Yes, give it to me, baby," he coaxes and it isn't long until I'm helpless in his arms. A few seconds after I stop shuddering at the sensation he gave me, his movements become even faster as he seeks his own release.I nip at his ear, encouraging him with my words.Seb then grunts, pushing inside of me one last
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 32. Courage
I get off the phone with my lawyer in California. My flight to Cali is tomorrow and I can't be more nervous. I wonder how Olive is doing now. I haven't talked to her since our ugly confrontation at the cemetery. I guess she should be at least doing fine, as Brit is there with her. "Ari, can I talk to you?" an unfamiliar voice takes my attention. I whip around to see Sara beside me, gesturing for me to follow her to an empty classroom on our right. I frown. I've been trying to get thoughts of Seb away from my mind, which is hard enough with the two of us living in the same house. And seeing her seems to be equivalent to seeing Seb these days. "Sure," I say anyway, not wanting to start anything with her. As much as it pains me to think that Seb might have chosen her over me. It's not in my character to give a girl grief about it. Seb, however, I can be mad at. "I think you got it all wrong," Sara says as soon as we are out of earshot of our peers. I blink at her, "I'm sorry, wh
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 31. Confrontation
I guess I will forever be a coward. Seb is out tonight, possibly with Sara and I still can't confront him about it. Instead, I invited Dina over to get drunk. I don't tell her what's wrong, even she doesn't know about me and Seb. But she could clearly tell that I am hiding something."Something is bothering you," Dina remarks, narrowing her eyes at me as I down another glass. "You're usually not this heavy of a drinker."I laugh nervously, "What are you talking about? I just wanted a girls' night, Dina. We haven't had one of these since..." I trail off. The last time we drank was with Olive and Brit, and we had a great time, too."I think...what we can do now is to move on," Dina says, guessing correctly what I was thinking, "I want to think positively and say that everything's going to be alright between us and them, but...I don't think we can go back to what we were before."I open my mouth to reply, but there is a knock on my door, "A
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 30. The Past
"That weekend, in California. I finally visited Mom's grave." Seb's finger stops tracing circles on my thighs. He grips my waist, settling himself on my chest, not saying a word. "I thought I would break down again, but strangely enough, I felt calm." I smile as I recount, "Maybe because I got to talk to Olive before I came to her." "You were probably thinking that everything would be okay." Seb says, smiling at me. I smile back and gave him a peck. His lips are stained red, courtesy of the gloss from my lipstick. His hair a mess and there are scratch marks on his chest. I expect them, of course, we had a pretty intense night. A blush creeps up my face, even as I chuckle at the thought. This. The contentment that I feel with him makes my heart swell. I can stay in this moment forever. "What's funny? Huh? What's funny?" Seb asks, positioning to tickle the sensitive spot in the dip between my waist and hip. I squirm, screeching. "Shhh...Lucien might hear you." I clamp down my m
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 29. Close Again
I know it isn't going to be easy making things right with Olive. Even as she agreed to my plan, she isn't talking to me yet, and only does so when it involves the case against Lyle. I also know that it isn't going to be easy convincing Kier and the others to drop the charges against Olive. So, in order to do that, I had to tell the boys my deepest darkest secret, the truth about my life in California. Feeling like I just ran a marathon, I slump in the sofa of our living room, spent. It's hard for me to remember the things that my mother and I went through living with Lyle, and even harder for me to tell the boys about it. I close my eyes, unable to look any of them in the eye. Beside me, Seb moves, as if he's unable to stop himself from touching me. But I know he wouldn't. He had promised to give me space. Plus, our friends don't know about us yet. I don't know how they will react if they found out that Seb and I were keeping our relationship from them. The silence stretches inside
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 28. A heart to heart
The California air does not burn through my lungs anymore. But then again, it didn't try to do that the entire time I was here. That was only when Cassie died. "Is this really the best idea? To talk to her alone? A, you're smarter than this." Seb says on the other line as I walk through a wide path in the cemetery. Once I've explained everything to Brit, she was calm enough to at least hear us out about what we want to do next. Hours later, and I've landed in California. I sigh, "Do you really think I'm here alone? She says she's staying at the hotel but I know Dina is here somewhere, ready to jump in and rescue me in case anything happens," I reply, almost smiling. Having Dina as a friend is like having a bodyguard. "Yes, and about that. Is it a good idea for Dina to skip classes? Last I heard, she's failing most of her classes due to several absences." Seb says, "You should've taken me or Dave with you, really, any of the guys will do." I sigh, "I know. And I heard you told Lu
Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 27. Stalemate
My hands shake as I pick up the cup of tea that the waitress just gave me. I finally did it. I called the number, and the blackmailer agreed to meet. After telling her of my suspicions and about the number that the blackmailer left me, Dina insisted on coming with me to confront her. I couldn't argue so she's currently sitting just two tables behind me, and I can feel her gaze burning a hole through my back. The bell to the cafe's door rang and I look up nervously, and behind a man in a dark suit entered a woman. I close my eyes, steeling myself. She isn't what I expected but it was close. "Brit." I murmur as she approaches my table, "Don't tell me...are you...?" "Ari?" Brit asks, taking a seat in front of me, her forehead scrunches in confusion, "What are you doing here?" I frown too, "I...um...I was just...what are you doing here?" "This is Olive's family's cafe," Brit replies. Olive. The sound of her name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The moment Dina spelled it all o
