Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
Sitting on the living room sofa, I tried to piece together everything I could remember from the day I fell into the lake, but the harder I tried, the more my head hurt.
I forced myself to think about something else.
Daniel sat with me. He looked like he wanted to talk, but I wasn’t in the mood.
When I heard tyres crunching on the gravel outside, I knew Yvaine had arrived.
I got up to open the door.
“What are you doing here?” Yvaine was just stepping out of her car, talking to someone else.
I followed her gaze and froze when I saw Sebastian getting out of his car.
“Are you having me followed? Tracking me?” Yvaine glared at Sebastian.
He’d lost weight. His eyes, usually so sharp, were now bloodshot, and he looked pale and worn down, as if a strong wind might knock him over.
Seeing him like that made my heart ache. My eyes stung, and a heavy, sour feeling settled in my chest.
“Eleanor, I swear I didn’t tell him! I had no idea he was having me watched,” Yvaine turned to me quickly, her voice frantic.
I gave her a faint, reassuring smile.
“I believe you.”She hurried over, looked me up and down, then pulled me into a gentle hug.
“Look at the state of you. You’re so pale.”I patted her back.
“I’m alright. Just a bit of a fever. It’s nothing serious.”
“Let’s go.”I nodded, then turned to Daniel.
“Thank you again. Goodbye.”Daniel just nodded silently.
Yvaine had never been particularly friendly with Daniel, but this time she only snorted softly and said nothing.
I’d only taken a couple of steps when Sebastian moved forward.
Before I could speak, Yvaine jumped in front of me, shielding me with her arms as she yelled at Sebastian, “What are you doing here? Haven’t you hurt her enough? If no one had pulled her out, she’d be dead at the bottom of that lake right now!”Sebastian’s brow was furrowed. He didn’t say a word, his eyes fixed on me.
“I bet you wish she was dead, don’t you? Then you could run off with that poisonous bitch Genevieve without a care. Well, you can pretend she’s dead now! That should free you up nicely!” Yvaine shook her fist at him.
A cold intensity radiated from Sebastian, enough to make Yvaine hesitate, but she stood her ground.
” Don’t you glare at me. I’m not scared of you. I’d rather die than let you hurt her again. Eleanor, let’s go.”
“I’m here to take you home, Elean,” Sebastian said quietly, his voice hoarse but his gaze steady on mine.
My heart clenched. I bit my lip.
Yvaine refused to yield.
“Don’t go back with him! How can you still believe a word he says? What happens when he hurts you again? When he drives you to jump again? You were lucky this time. Next time you might not be!”
“Elean…” Sebastian ignored Yvaine completely, as if she weren’t even there. His bloodshot eyes never left mine.
“Let’s go. Ignore him,” Yvaine insisted, tugging firmly on my arm, afraid I’d give in.
I gently pulled my hand free and said softly, “I have to go home eventually.”
“You still want to go back? You’re not planning to divorce him?” Yvaine was hopping with frustration.
“I swear, your brain must still be feverish. Do you really think this cheater is going to change? He-“
“I’ll call you later,” I said quietly. I knew she was only this angry because she cared.
“Fine. Just make sure you call me if you need anything, okay? And if that absolute bastard gives you any more trouble, you call me too.” Yvaine shot another venomous look in Sebastian’s direction.
“I know.”
“Okay, well… just look after yourself. No more jumping into lakes, you hear me?”
“It wasn’t exactly by choice. I’ll explain it all another time. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Now go home and get some sleep. I’ll message you later.” I managed a faint, pale smile.
“Alright.” Yvaine sighed in resignation and added one last thing: “You have to be okay.”I was nodding again.
“I’ll watch you go,” she said with another sigh.
Sebastian swept me up into his arms.
“You’ve lost weight,” he said, his voice rough.
Hearing him say that, I felt, for some reason, like I might cry.
I pressed my lips together and stayed silent.
He carried me to the car, settled me into the passenger seat, and fastened my seatbelt for me. He kissed my forehead, closed the door, got into the driver’s seat, then pulled away.
He drove with one hand, the other holding mine tightly. He never let go.
“You’re still feverish. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No. I just need to go home and sleep.”
“Fine. We’ll go home. I’ll call the doctor to come to us.”I closed my eyes and said no more. There must have been sedative in the medicine Dr Gould had given me, because I was asleep before we even got home.
By the time I woke up, it was already the next morning.
“Morning. Are you hungry?” Sebastian was looking at me. His face was stubbled and unshaven. He’d probably stayed by my side all night.
I didn’t answer, just stared blankly at the ceiling.
How had it only been a few days? It felt like a lifetime.
Had everything changed, or was it just my world that was different?
“The doctor came by yesterday, and he’ll be back again soon.” Sebastian reached out and pressed his hand to my forehead, his brows knitting together.
“You’re still burning up.”I didn’t answer.
“Are you hungry?” he asked me again. His voice was soft.
“Shall I get Carmen to make you some French toast?”I still said nothing.
“Porridge, then?”Silence from me.
“How about some soup? Would that be alright?” He kept his eyes on me, waiting.
“Okay.” I knew that if I didn’t say something, Sebastian would just keep asking, on and on.
He left the room.
“Carmen says it’ll take about half an hour. Here, drink some of this.” He returned holding a glass. He helped me sit up, leaning me against his chest, and held up the straw for me.
I watched him, breathing in that familiar scent of his. Yes, this was what felt familiar to me. It was completely different from the way Daniel smelled.
About halfway through, I shook my head.
“No more.”
“Alright.” He laid me back down and, in one go, finished the rest of the smoothie himself.
I frowned as I watched him drink what was left. My heart gave a faint, painful twinge.
He looked exhausted, his eyes bloodshot and his hair dishevelled.
Normally, he’d have been at the office hours ago. But he was still here by my side, doing a nurse’s job.
The truth was, I still cared about him. But I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him.
This time, Sebastian had really and truly broken my heart.
“Be good and get some more sleep, alright?” he said gently, tucking the duvet around me.
I didn’t answer, just lay there with my eyes open. I couldn’t sleep. I’d been asleep for so long already.
Seeing I was wide awake, he asked, “Do you feel like talking?”I said calmly, “I didn’t jump. Someone pushed me.”He nodded.
“I know. I know you aren’t the type to give up on life.”I didn’t look at him.
“Have you found out who it was?”He shook his head.
“Harry and Dominic are still looking into it. The police are too. There aren’t any leads yet. No cameras in that area, and no witnesses. I…”I cut him off.
“There was someone else there that day.”
“Who?”
“Genevieve.”Sebastian fell into a long silence.
“Did she push you in?”
“I didn’t see.” I told him what happened: Genevieve approaching me by the lake, me walking away, somehow ending up back at the water’s edge, and then someone shoving me from behind.
“So,” he said carefully, “when you went back to the lake, Genevieve wasn’t actually there. Is that right?
I realised then that I’d been wrong, wrong to have let myself hope for so much from him.
Fine. So be it.
I closed my eyes.
“I’m tired. I want to sleep.”He nodded and stood.
“I’ll come check on you later.”I shut my eyes and ignored him.