195 An Unexpected Acceptance
195 An Unexpected Acceptance
“Yes.” His answer was straight forward. “And not one of them cares about those details. They care about who you are as a person.
“I know what I did and didn’t say,” I replied calmly, though my insides were quaking “And I know I never slept with Sebastian.
Once we were safely inside Sebastian’s sleek black car, I let out a shaky breath. “I am so sorry about that,” I said, smoothing my dress nervously. “I didn’t mean to drag you into my messy divorce drama.”
“You know,” I said as we drove toward the university, “when you picked me up this morning, I wasn’t expecting quite so much excitement before we even left my building.”
“Always,” he replied simply.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “And there it is. The actual truth, finally.”
I kept walking, my spine straight, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me
react.
My mind reeled. “They know who I am? How is that possible?”
I looked up at him, truly seeing the man who had become such an important part of my life. “Yes,” I answered. “I’d like that very much.”
“It’s here somewhere,” Alistair muttered, growing more agitated.
## Hazel’s POV
I thought about Alistair’s accusations, about the Sinclair family’s apparent approval of me, about all Sebastian had done for me since we reconnected. In that moment, I made
a decision.
“Yes, Alistair,” I continued, feeling strangely liberated. “I did lie about dating Sebastian, specifically to make you angry. We’re just friends. Does that satisfy your ego?”
I sat back, completely stunned. Sebastian’s powerful family–the Sinclairs, whose name opened doors across the country–had investigated me and still approved of my presence in Sebastian’s life. Alistair’s cruel words about my unworthiness seemed
195 An Unexpected Acceptance
pathetically small now.
I exchanged a glance with Sebastian, whose expression remained impassive but whose eyes held quiet strength. The onlookers shifted uncomfortably as Alistair continued searching his phone..
“You think the Sinclair family would ever accept someone like you?” Alistair shouted after us. “Your father is in prison for fraud! You’re a divorced nobody from the wrong side of town!”
The abrupt change of subject gave me mental whiplash, but I appreciated the chance to process everything. “Breakfast sounds perfect,” I managed.
“About what Alistair said,” Sebastian finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “About my family not accepting you…”
“Will you need a ride home later?” Sebastian asked as we approached the entrance. We pulled away from my building, leaving the scene of Alistair’s outburst behind. The city lights blurred past us as we drove in comfortable silence for a few blocks.
Alistair’s face reddened. “You think I’m bluffing?” He fumbled with his phone, scrolling frantically through it.
“Technical difficulties?” I asked sweetly after a full minute had passed.
As we pulled into the university parking lot, Sebastian turned to me. “I should warn you–there will be quite a few photographers at this event.”
He came around to open my door, offering his hand as I stepped out. As we walked toward the elegant university hall, I realized with startling clarity that for the first time since my breakup with Alistair, I felt genuinely happy.
“Thes
family doesn’t enter relationships of any kind without thorough
research, he replied simply.
The way he said it–with fondness rather than accusation–made my heart skip a beat. This man had just witnessed one of the most humiliating moments of my life and still wanted to spend the day with me.
We stopped at a quaint café where Sebastian ordered coffee and pastries. As we ate, our conversation flowed naturally to lighter topics–my latest designs, his recent business trip, a book we’d both read.
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“Go ahead,” I challenged, crossing my arms. “Play it.”
Sebastian’s eyes remained on the road, but his expression softened. “My family has known about you for a long time, Hazel. They’ve approved of our… friendship from the beginning.”
The crowd’s whispers grew louder as they realized they were witnessing nothing more than a jealous ex’s tantrum.
A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I’m not offended, Hazel.
Sebastian’s smile was warm enough to melt my lingering doubts. “Then shall we?”
Alistair’s head snapped up. “You want the truth? Fine. Hazel told me you two weren’t sleeping together. She admitted she lied about your relationship just to make me jealous.”
Sebastian started the engine, his expression unreadable. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
I nodded, turning away from Alistair with Sebastian by my side. We walked toward the exit with dignified steps.
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted.
“Or perhaps it never existed,” Sebastian suggested, his voice carrying across the lobby. “Lying seems to be a habit of yours.”
“If my family cared about social status the way Alistair implied,” Sebastian continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “they would never have allowed me to get close to you in the first place.”
Alistair’s eyes narrowed. “Friends? Is that what you’re calling it now?” He turned to Sebastian. “You do realize she’s using you as a placeholder until I come back to her, right?”
“Because of your family?” I asked.
I stared at him, processing his words. “What are you saying?”
He nodded. “If you’re not comfortable being seen with me in public photos, I understand. We can enter separately.”
195 An Unexpected Acceptance.
“The Sinclairs have standards, Hazel! They’d never welcome trash like you into their family!”
“You don’t need to say anything.” Sebastian glanced at me, his eyes warm. “Are you hungry? We have time for breakfast before the university event.”
“I do, actually.” I stared at my hands. “I shouldn’t have lied about us dating, even to annoy Alistair. It wasn’t fair to you.”
Sebastian’s hand remained steady on my back as we stepped through the doors, leaving Alistair’s poisonous words behind us.
Sebastian stepped forward, his presence steady beside me. “As entertaining as this public spectacle might be for you, Everett, it ends now.”
to hear your
Alistair’s smug expression faltered. “You want everyone to hear confession about sleeping with Sinclair?”
drunken
Sebastian’s hand gently touched the small of my back. “Let’s go, Hazel. We have an event to attend.”
“I’m perfectly comfortable being seen with you,” I said with newfound confidence. “In fact, I’d be honored.”
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For staying, for defending me, for everything.”
The lobby fell silent. All eyes were on me, waiting for my response to Alistair’s outrageous claim. My heart hammered in my chest. I took a deep breath and faced my ex–fiancé directly.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. “You don’t need to address that. His opinion doesn’t matter to me.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Life with you is never boring, Hazel.”
“So they know everything? About my father? The divorce?” My voice caught slightly.
