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25. The Full Story
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2023-11-20 23:08:05Seb looking at me with pity still haunts my dreams. It's probably stupid of me. I told him I didn't mind him knowing how devastating my life back in LA was, but now that everyone else knows about it. Somehow, it kills me to continue standing by his side. I don't deserve him.
"You're spiraling in your head again. I know that look. Stop it." Dina observes from beside me. Yesterday, when my bleak past was revealed to the whole school, I pushed her aside, begging to stay at her house for the weekend. An act of self-preservation on my part, since there's no way I can face Seb right now. And Lucien...Lucien will know something is wrong.
"I still don't understand why it's very hard for us to pin this person down." Dina continues. "This is really getting out of hand, Ari. Do you think we should take up Kier's suggestion about a private investigator?"
"Maybe," I tell her sadly. I suddenly feel devoid of energy.
Dina looks at me seriously fo
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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
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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
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"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
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Last Updated : 2024-01-01
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Love and Letters (Ari & Sebastian's Story) 35. Stronger Together
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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
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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
