Page 11 of Once Upon a Star

“Ah. So that’s where this animosity is coming from. You keep thinking he’s going to leave you like he did last time. You’re worried you’re going to get hurt again,” Ella said, concerned.

“Do you blame me?”

“Well, no. But he’s trying. You must admit that. I get the impression he isn’t going to let up. He wants something from you, and as you said, he doesn’t like to be proven wrong. From what you’re saying, he’s going to keep doing this until you talk to him.”

“He’ll give up eventually,” I said.

Ella just glared at me.

“Okay, ask me again in a week.”

“Will you have any floor space by then? Will New York have any Fire and Ice roses left?”

I looked at one of the huge gorgeous bouquets of flowers that were in my living room. The balloons that floated above them were sweet, too. He knew I was a sucker for porcupines. I had no idea how he had found not only balloons in their shape but stuffed animals in various sizes, but he had. As I looked around, I had to admit, he had done a good job showering me with gifts.

“There’s one way to find out,” I teased and smiled at Ella.

“Or you could talk to him. Have this out. I can tell you aren’t sleeping and are more stressed.”

There was no point in denying her comment. “I keep wondering what the next thing is going to be and where it’ll show up. He had a singing telegram waiting for me outside my apartment yesterday, can you believe it?”

“What did they sing?” Ella asked.

I sighed. “Our song.”

“Aw, he even remembered that. Yeah, he isn’t going to give up.” Ella reached over and took my hands in hers. “I’m not saying you have to forgive him, or try again. But I do think you need to hear him out. He obviously has things that he wants to say and I would imagine you do too.”

Ella had a point. I had been angry with him for so long. I had kept it in for years. Maybe I needed to talk to him. I could tell him what I really meant and move on.

“Have it out. Yell at him. Tell him all the things you wanted to say but you couldn’t. Tell him to go to hell and you never want to see him again. Tell him that he hurt you and you’re never going to forgive him and to stop trying. Or whatever you need to do. But also, let him have his say, so that, hopefully, you can move on. Both of you.”

“It has been kind of fun getting all the stuff,” I admitted and looked around the room.

“I bet it has. Are you wanting to keep him guessing for a little while longer, or are you going to talk to him?”

“Can I do both?”

Ella laughed. “If anyone could find a way, it would be you.”

I smiled at my friend. She was right about everything. I liked the attention even if I didn’t like who was giving it to me. It was nice to have the attention and the gifts but it had to stop. Bash wasn’t one who gave in and wasn’t going to give up without a fight. If I wanted to resolve this, really resolve this, then I needed to talk to him. I was trying to figure out when I was going to do that but once again, Bash beat me to the chance.

Chapter 7

Sebastian

Ara looked both annoyed and unsurprised to find me sitting in her boss’s office. She had to know ignoring me wasn’t going to make me go away. She knew me better than that. I wasn’t one who gave up on anything and I certainly wasn’t going to give up on her.

“Hello, Aracely. Thank you for joining us. Why don’t you have a seat,” Dr. Conrad said to Ara as she stood in the doorway.

“Sebastian Anderson. What are you doing in Dr. Conrad’s office?” Ara asked as she slowly walked into the office. She didn’t sit but looked at me.

Ara hardly ever called me Sebastian. I knew she was doing it to try to put some distance between us and to make her boss think we didn’t know each other. It was a little too late for that.

“Sebastian was just telling me about how you two grew up together and how close you were as kids,” Dr. Conrad said. She smiled at Ara before looking at me.

“You don’t say? How lovely of him,” Ara replied.

She smiled at her boss but she wouldn’t look at me. The smile was fake and a little too bright. I could see her shoulders tensing up as she tried to figure out why I was there and what I wanted.