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“They let in a lot of natural light.” I’m trying to be nonchalant, but honestly, my heart is beating so quickly in my chest, I don’t know if I should be concerned about a heart attack or not.
“Zeus really likes the yard,” Thalia continues, and Zeus tilts his head at us curiously.
“It’s a pretty nice yard.”
“Okay,” she says, getting up to walk toward the kitchen, swaying her hips slightly.What? Did I hear her right?Thalia looks over her shoulder at me as if she can’t believe I’m not following her. “Are you coming?”
“Um, what?”
“Well I don’t want to eat dinner alone in our house, but I can if you’re not hungry.”
“Our house?” I ask, testing the waters to see if that’s exactly what she means.
Thalia smiles, and I nearly trip over my own feet trying to get to her. “It makes sense. We’re together every night, and I really do love your bed—” I cut her off, unable to resist the urge to kiss her deeply.
She arches against me, wrapping her good arm around the back of my neck, kissing me back passionately. I can feel my pants grow tighter, but I try to resist every dirty thought that pops into my brain right now because she hasn’t beencleared for sex, and I’m not pushing any limits. Thalia moans quietly into my mouth, and my resolve nearly slips. She turns her head away, breaking our kiss. “I have one question.”
“Anything,” I reply quickly.
Her hand drifts to play with the chain around my neck, fiddling with it absently. “Do you actually want to live together again, or are you only asking because you feel vulnerable right now?”
I understand why she’s asking the question, but that’s not why I did it. “I’m asking because I love you, and I hate any second I have to spend apart from you. I bought this house because of the way you lit up when we walked through it, and I want this to be the place where we start the rest of our lives together. Lia, I want to fall asleep next to you, and I want to wake up holding you, even if it’s the middle of the night still. I want to hear your dreadful singing when you have headphones in, and even if you only want to be here for the counters, the windows, the tall ceilings, and for my very comfortable bed, I want you to call this your home.”
“Sebastian…”
My name sounds perfect coming from her mouth. I kiss her briefly, content with the knowledge that this is who I’m meant to spend my life with. “I’m not proposing, but make no mistake, Thalia, the second you tell me you’re ready, I will be down on one knee. Nothing about wanting to be with you is because I’m feeling vulnerable.”
“Then let’s eat,” she says, kissing me once more, sweetly.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Thalia
“LISTEN HERE, MISSY. I know I’m just an old lady now, but I still expect you to not stomp your foot and storm out after I say what I need to say,” Mimi says stubbornly, and I nod, agreeing to her terms.
“Okay, I wouldn’t do that anyway, but I promise I won’t stomp my foot and storm out.”
She gives me a skeptical look, clearly not believing me. “Lia, dear, I know you. You’ve had some legendary temper tantrums.”
“I was a kid back then,” I try to justify, and she smiles tiredly at me.
“You still are a kid compared to me! I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to say,” Mimi warns me, trying to sit up. I move quickly to help her, but she bats me away. “I can do it. I’m not dead yet.”
She means it as a joke, but it still hurts to hear. It’s unfortunately the reality of the disease. At least we’re getting this time of lucidity. I can’t even imagine what Bash is feeling right now—except it’s not my business to know how he’s feeling anymore.
“So Bash is with that girl, I can’t think of her name,” Mimi says, shaking her head.
“Kiera; he goes by Seb with her,” I correct her, trying not to have a look of disgust on my face, but I don’t try very hard because Mimi laughs.
“Thalia, you love him.”
My jaw tightens at the ugly truth, and I avert my gaze to my hands. “I do not.” I’ve been avoiding him like the plague because I can’t stand seeing him with someone else. I don’t want to be with him, but that doesn’t mean I want him to be with someone else. It’s selfish, and it doesn’t make sense; I’m well aware, but I miss him so much.
“You do, so why are you denying it?”
“You’re right. I don’t like what you have to say,” I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back in my chair.
My response causes her to smile and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make me smile a teeny bit too. “I thought you wouldn’t. Lia, you know you’ve always been more to me than just one of Sebastian’s friends. I want to see you happy, just as much as I want to see him happy. The only thing is that neither of you are.”