After finding out my childhood best friend was dating someone else, I hid on the terrace to cry. My nemesis, Sebastian Hayes, found me in my pathetic state. He stood over me and casually offered the worst idea ever. "Date me. We'll piss him off together. What do you say?" I looked up at the tall, handsome man and swallowed hard. "Um, do you mean like... a fake dating thing or a real dating thing?" He smirked, the corner of his mouth curving up. "I recommend the real thing." He leaned down, his voice husky and lazy against my ear. "After all, I have two more abs than him, I'm better looking, and I'm better in bed." 1 The day of Liam's birthday party, I was thrilled. I put on my best dress, did my makeup perfectly, and headed to his house full of hope. The main hall was buzzing. My eyes scanned the crowd, instinctively searching for Liam. When I found him, he was holding hands with a girl. A stunningly beautiful girl. The smile froze on my face. They were the center of attention. Liam held a drink in one hand and never let go of her with the other. He blocked drinks for her, leaned in to whisper things—every move screamed intimacy. It hurt. Just two days ago, he told me I was "still young," that I should focus on school and not rush into dating. But today, he was holding hands with someone else. I hid in the corner, downing colorful cocktails one after another, feeling like I was going to explode. The cabbage I’d been guarding for years was suddenly harvested by someone else. And the girl who stole it was gorgeous, which just made it worse. Maybe it was the alcohol amplifying everything, but my eyes started to sting. Afraid someone would see me break down, I snuck up to the second-floor terrace. Pathetic, I know. I hugged my knees by the glass railing, sobbing quietly over a relationship that never even started. I didn't notice the faint smell of cigarette smoke until a lazy voice drifted over. "Sarah, you really can cry, huh?" I sniffled and turned my head. Sebastian Hayes was leaning casually against the railing, a cigarette burning between his fingers. He looked down at me with amusement. I shifted away uncomfortably and tried to glare at him. "None of your business!" Sebastian laughed. "Still got a temper." I ignored him. He didn't get mad. He put out his cigarette with one hand, walked over, and crouched beside me. "Sad because Liam's dating?" Hit where it hurt. I buried my head in my arms. Sebastian sighed dramatically and stood up, looking down at the party in the courtyard. "Your precious Liam is kissing his girlfriend. Want to see?" Hearing that, I didn't dare turn around. I just wailed louder. "You are so annoying!" "Tsk," he chuckled. "Hating me again?" He waited for me to finish crying before speaking again, his tone unhurried. "If you feel that bad, how about I give you an idea?" I sniffled. "What idea?" He grinned. "Date me. Let's make him jealous. What do you think?" "I'm tall, I'm handsome. Dating me isn't exactly a loss for you." "Besides, Liam and I have never gotten along. Seeing the girl who grew up following him around get stolen by his worst enemy? He'd be furious." I thought about it. It kind of made sense. They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new... or something like that. I hesitated, then looked up at the tall man in front of me and gulped. "Um... do you mean like... a fake dating thing or a real dating thing?" Sebastian paused, surprised by my question. Then he smirked, reaching out to pull me up. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear, his voice raspy and lazy. "I recommend the real thing." "After all... I have two more abs than him, I'm better looking, and I'm better in bed. You won't find a deal this good again." 2 My face burned. I pushed him away. "You're being a pervert!" He pulled me back. "Wow, gaslighting already? It's not perversion, it's my resume. Don't believe me? Feel for yourself." I bit my lip, avoiding his eyes. I glanced down at the courtyard. Liam was wiping cream off the girl's face. My heart clenched. Seeing his gaze start to drift upward, I quickly turned back to Sebastian. "Okay." Sebastian smiled, a wicked "gotcha" look on his face. He straightened up and cupped my face in his hands. Our lips were inches apart. Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he stopped. "Baby, want to give him a show?" I looked down at the courtyard again. Gathering my courage, I stood on my tiptoes and pecked his lips. He froze for a second, then that helpless smile returned. His thumb stroked my cheek. "Let me teach you something better." He lowered his head and captured my lips. My eyes widened in shock. I clenched my teeth, nervous. My heart felt like it was going to hammer out of my chest. "Open up," he murmured, his eyes half-closed, a teasing smile on his lips. I obeyed instinctively. He held the back of my head, pressing gently, forcing me to look up and deepen the kiss. His clean, sharp scent filled my senses. For a moment, it felt like I was drowning in him. Slowly, the kiss stopped being gentle. It became demanding, domineering. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't take it anymore, so I bit his lip. He pulled back slowly. I stood there, face flushed, mind blank. Seeing the small cut on his lip, I felt guilty. "I didn't mean to bite you." He licked the wound. "Feisty." "You were kissing too hard." He looked at me and smiled. "Fine. I won't hold it against you." I glared at him. "You seem pretty experienced." He smirked, pinching my cheek. "Yeah. I have even more experience with other things. Want to try next time?" I turned away, puffing out my cheeks. Who knows how many girls he's kissed! 3 Blushing, I ignored him and looked down. Liam was staring right at me from the courtyard. I froze. Sebastian pulled me into his arms, looking down at Liam with a triumphant, provocative grin. He was showing off so hard. I poked his rock-hard chest. "You're kind of evil, you know that?" "Tsk." He pinched my face. "Is that how you talk to your boyfriend?" I pouted. "Who said you're my boyfriend?" He laughed, squeezing the back of my neck. "Sarah, are you playing with an innocent boy's heart?" I looked up at him. "Ha. Innocent boy? You kiss way too well for that." Sebastian looked at me, amused. "Don't you know men are born with this talent?" I scoffed. Yeah, right. He leaned in close, his hot breath tickling my ear. "Not entirely self-taught. There are plenty of... educational videos out there." My face went atomic red. I was speechless. "You..." Sebastian ruffled my hair. "What, you want to learn? I'll share my playlist with you later." Mortified, I punched his chest. "Who wants to learn that!" He chuckled, burying his face in my neck. "Okay, okay. Don't get mad. I'm teasing." 4 The party ended at midnight. Sebastian insisted I drop him off at the gate of his gated community. After he got out, I turned to leave, but he called me back. He hooked an arm around my neck and planted a heavy kiss on my lips. I glared at him, blushing. "Why do you like kissing so much?!" He smirked. "I'm addicted." "Go home! It's late." He rested his hand on the steering wheel, pausing. "Will I get a DUI?" "Did you drink?" He shook his head. "No, but you did. We kissed for so long, what if I'm drunk by association? If I get arrested, it'll affect our future son's record." I smacked him on the head. "Shut up!" I ignored him and walked away. My house was just a few villas down from Liam's. As I passed his place, he called out to me. "Sarah." I turned. "What?" "When did you start dating Sebastian?" His questioning tone annoyed me. I stared at him without answering. He sighed. "He's not a good guy. Dating is fine, but don't get too invested." I bristled. "You're not my brother. You don't get to decide." "And don't badmouth my boyfriend in front of me. I'll get mad." I've always been protective. Sebastian is my boyfriend now. Liam has a girlfriend. Him trying to manage me felt... gross. Instant turn-off. Actually, I've known Sebastian forever. When we were kids, my parents were busy, so I stayed with my grandparents. The houses in that neighborhood were close, just separated by a wall. Sebastian lived next door. Grandpa used to drag him over to play with me. But the guy was a menace from day one. Mean mouth, loved to bully me. I suffered under his tyranny for years. That's why I liked Liam. He was gentle, reliable, like a real adult. He solved my problems instead of mocking me like Sebastian. "Sarah, God gave you a brain to use, not just for decoration." "Sarah, crying makes you ugly." "Sarah, be gentle or no one will marry you." ... But sometimes, Sebastian was okay. When I got bullied, he'd protect me. Even while mocking me, he'd wipe my tears. When I didn't get a perfect score, he'd show me his failing test paper. "Look at mine! I failed! You got a 99! You're way better than me."
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