Filed to story: Once Upon a One Night Mistake Book PDF Free by Simone Shirazi
“Party?” Taliana questioned. “I didn’t know there was going to be a party tonight.”
Michael popped his head out of a doorway to Taliana’s right. “Baby, we’re in the
Hamptons,” he drawled, rolling his eyes as he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the room with him. “Did you really think we would actually drive that far just to sit around and do nothing? This weekend is all about the parties. It’s the last chance we’ve got to have any fun before we’re bogged down with schoolwork, community service, and college applications. Everyone knows that.”
Everyone but her, of course. “Guess I should have expected as much.” She shrugged and collapsed on one of the overstuffed leather couches. “But we have some time before the first one kicks off, right? It’s still early.”
“Indeed, sugartits.” Michael took a seat next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders. “That’ll give Sebby-poo some time to relax after doing all that driving.” He beckoned Sebastian toward them with a wave of his hand. “Come join us, sweetheart. We can make a Stick Girl sandwich.”
Sebastian laughed as he took in their position from the doorway. “As tempting as that sounds, I have to go make sure Jude hasn’t claimed the master bedroom. He knows it’s mine.”
“Speaking of bedrooms,” Taliana began as she inched away from Michael, trying to put as much space between them as possible. “Where am I sleeping?”
“With me, of course,” Michael purred in her ear, pulling her back to his side. A hard elbow to the ribs changed his tune. “Ow, shit!
Fine, you don’t have to share my bed if you don’t want to. Take the room across from the master bedroom if you must. Just keep going down the hallway, make a right, and it’s one on the left.”
“Don’t tell me. That’s the one you usually take, right?”
“Damn straight. Gotta stick close to Seb just in case he has a bad dream and I have to comfort him. But I think it’s about time someone else took up those duties.” He turned his attention back to Sebastian, mirth twinkling in his hazel eyes. “Isn’t that right, babe?”
“Whatever you say, Michael,” Sebastian sighed, taking a step back toward the doorway. “And try to keep your hands to yourself, yeah?”
“I make no promises.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes and left the room, leaving Taliana alone with the rest of the boys.
“So, Talia,” Michael purred as he pulled her closer again, practically forcing her to cuddle into his side. “How are things with you and Seb these days?”
“Uh, fine?” She squirmed in his grip, trying to find a way to escape. “Why do you ask?”
He shrugged, his hand slipping down to her waist. “Oh, no reason. Just wondering what’s been up with you two lately.”
“Nothing? Really, not much has cha- Michael, I swear, if that hand goes any lower, you can kiss your fingers goodbye.”
The moment he retracted his hand, Taliana pried herself away from his side. “You wound me,? mon petit canard,” he said. “Can’t I get any love?”
“You don’t deserve any.” She patted his cheek before glancing toward the doorway. “Where’s the closest bathroom?”
“Down the hall on your left. Make it quick. We’re gonna start pre-gaming.”
Great. Pretty soon Taliana would have to start dealing with drunken assholes. “Feel free to start without me.”
She left the room just as he moved behind the bar, and Taliana was sure that by the time she returned, the bottle of bourbon he’d pulled off the shelf would be half gone.
Compared to the bright lounge, the hallway was dim, and it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Luckily, the directions Michael had given were correct, and she locked herself inside the bathroom a moment later, glad to have a moment alone. She doubted she’d get many more of those over the weekend.
She spent more time than necessary in the dainty powder room, taking her time washing her hands and trying to fix her disheveled hair. She’d actually put a little effort into doing it this morning, but after hours in the car and numerous times of being swept up into a messy bun, it had lost any semblance of what it had looked like earlier. Deciding it was a lost cause, she settled with pushing it over one shoulder and finally stepped out of the bathroom.
The hallway was once again flooded with darkness when she flicked off the light, but the loud sounds from down the hall made it easy to figure out which direction to move in. She was halfway back to the room when a figure appeared outside the doorway, and she froze in the shadows when someone else came out to join them.
“Took you long enough,” Michael said, leaning against the door frame. “Everything good?”
Sebastian moved into the sliver of light beside his best friend, taking up a position against the opposite wall. “For the time being.”
“That doesn’t sound encouraging.” Michael brought a glass up to his lips, taking a sip before speaking again. “What’s going on?”
“I think you know.”
“It’s about her, right?”
“Of course it is.” Sebastian blew out an agitated breath. “What the hell am I doing, Michael? Am I about to make a stupid mistake?”
Michael lifted his chin. “I mean…maybe. Seriously, just look at how badly she’s hurt you in the past. And yet you still want to be with her. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I never said it did.” Taliana pressed against the wall when Sebastian glanced away, a hand coming up to shove his hair away from his forehead. “I’m not sure this is a good idea anymore. I don’t feel like getting screwed over again.”
“Stop making excuses. If this is what you want, then do it.”
“You really don’t think this is going to end badly?”
Michael shrugged. “Maybe, but you won’t know unless you try. And I say you should try.”
“You sure?”
“You think she does all of this because she hates you? Give me a break. You’re going to be just fine.” He took a step back, partially disappearing into the lounge. “Now come on, Jacques just made his best pizza yet.”
Slinging an arm around his best friend’s shoulders, Michael led Sebastian back inside the room, leaving Taliana rooted in place, wondering what exactly they’d been talking about…
Fuck, who was she kidding? Everything in that conversation had sounded like it was about Blair. Hadn’t all of this been about her from the beginning anyway? They’d started this whole scheme because of her, but Taliana never would’ve imagined it would end because of her as well.
Taliana had known all along that she and Sebastian weren’t going to last very long, but having him go back to Blair was a low blow. All their hard work was going down the drain just so he could crawl back to her. Even if Taliana hadn’t liked him, this still would have hurt, but the fact that she was already hopelessly falling for the guy made it all the more painful.
It was stupid of her not to have seen that he was still in love with Blair right from the beginning. On some subconscious level Taliana thought she had, but she’d willingly turned a blind eye to it. Now it was all back to bite her in the ass and deliver her broken heart to her on a silver platter.
Drawing in a deep breath and willing herself to stay strong in order to save face, she pushed off the wall and made her way back into the room, trying hard to act like she hadn’t just overheard Sebastian’s plan for the night. And like she hadn’t left a part of herself out in that hallway.