When I got home, Sebastian was sprawled across my front door, his broad frame blocking the entire entrance. He held a small red rose in his hand, and from how he flashed that bright, boyish grin, it was apparent Gabby had let it slip that I’d finally accepted his offer for a date. Persistent—Sebastian was that. He’d been asking me out for months, and I’d turned him down every single time until now.
“I bought this on my way here.” He extended the rose toward me, his grin widening as if he’d just handed me a dozen.
“Oh my gosh, that’s sweet of you,” I said, unsure what else to say.
“Are you flirting with me, Hazel?” His cheeks flushed a deep red, and I admit it was endearing. Too bad this date wasn’t going to go anywhere.
“You gave me a flower. What do you expect me to say?” I teased, amused by how flustered he was.
“It’s the first time you’ve said something like that to me, that’s why.” He was still blushing, and I almost felt bad for him.
“Gabby told you, right?” I cut straight to the point.
“Yeah.”
“If you want something from me, just tell me, don’t go through her.”
He scratched his head, looking like a kid who’d just been caught stealing cookies from the jar. “She said she liked me and wanted us to get married, so I asked her for a little favor. But don’t worry—your message is clear. First and last time, I promise.”
I sighed, softening a little. “That’s good. I’ll overlook it this time.”
“Thank you for finally giving me a chance. I’ll make sure our time together is unforgettable.” He winked, his confidence back, though I could still see the blush lingering on his cheeks.
“We’ll see,”
“So, when is Her Royal Majesty free for our date?” he asked, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.
“Friday,” I said, the only day I didn’t have a client booked.
He nodded eagerly. “What time?”
“Is 4:00 p.m. okay for you?” I didn’t want to stay out too late because of Gabby.
“Friday at 4:00 p.m. it is then,” he said, looking like he was already planning the entire evening.
“Yeah,”
“Anytime you want to meet up, I’m cool.” He gave me one of those exaggerated, dramatic bows like I was some queen, and I couldn’t help but laugh despite myself.
I invited him inside for a coffee, but he declined because he had to go to work. “Next time, I’d be very much willing to have a cup of coffee with you, but until then, Hazel, ” he said.
As he walked away, I stood there momentarily, holding the rose. A pinch of guilt danced through me. I didn’t want to lead him on, and agreeing to this date would give him a ray of hope when he shouldn’t be having any.
The thick scent of burnt macaroni and cheese filled the air when I opened the door—hushed conversations, too soft to make out, mixed in with it. Gabby and Zara were so wrapped up in their little talk that they didn’t even notice me standing there, both munching on what looked like a charred dinner.
The second they spotted me, though, the room fell silent. They stopped talking like I had caught them in the middle of something. What the hell? Was Gabby hiding something from me? Was there something she didn’t feel she could tell me? This was a conversation we were going to have later.
“Mom, you’re back!” Gabby jumped up from the couch and came forward for a hug, her innocent smile doing little to mask the weird tension in the room.
“Yeah, I’m back. And I’m smelling burnt macaroni and cheese. Zara, you’re letting my daughter eat that?” I accused, raising a brow.
Zara shot me a look, immediately shifting the blame. “It was all Gabby’s fault! She made me sit down and watch her draw Batman from start to finish.”
Gabby shrugged, completely unbothered, and I knew Zara was telling the truth. I spotted the scattered pieces of paper, and the drawing pencils littered all over the table confirmed it.
“Still, you shouldn’t give her burnt food.” I said, turning to Gabby, “And you shouldn’t eat burnt food, sweetie. That stuff can cause cancer.” I put my hands on my hips, giving her my best stern mom face. “Throw it away, okay?”
“Whatever, Mom,” Gabby mumbled, heading for the trash, with Zara echoing her in unison. I rolled my eyes at both of them.
“You know I love you guys. I want the best for you.”
“Whatever, Mom,” they chimed again, giggling this time.
“So,” I asked, changing the subject, “what did you guys do while I was out?”
“Drawing, cooking, and watching Romeo and Juliet,” Gabby answered a little too quickly.
I narrowed my eyes on her. “Anything interesting happening?”
“Nothing.”
They exchanged suspicious looks, and Gabby’s nonchalant “Nothing” did not fool me for a second. Something had happened.
I turned my gaze to Zara, silently demanding an answer, but she gave me a helpless look and quickly retreated to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Not her place to say, huh? Fine. I’d find out one way or another.
Later at night, curled up in bed next to Gabby, I couldn’t resist bringing it up again. “So, what happened today? Anything serious?”
Gabby turned, burying her face in her pillow before mumbling, “It’s nothing serious, Mom.”
I wasn’t so sure. Something was up. And I was going to get to the bottom of it.