Chapter 4

 

Sebastian didn't miss a beat. "You mentioned it while you were chatting with Theo in the car. Have you forgotten already?"

"I did?" Eleanor rubbed her temples, her brow furrowing in confusion. Why didn't she remember introducing herself to the little boy? Could I really be that drunk? she wondered, entirely oblivious to the man's lie.

"Come along," Sebastian said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll take you both home. It isn't safe for two young women to be out this late on their own; there are too many predators about."

Beatrice nodded vigorously. Recognizing a golden opportunity when she saw one, she grabbed her purse and quickly slid off her barstool.

"Bea!" Eleanor slapped the countertop, glaring at her best friend indignantly. "You traitor! You promised me we were going to drink until we couldn't stand! What is wrong with you? Nobody is leaving!"

Beatrice looked at Eleanor in utter disbelief, mentally dropping to her knees in frustration. She leaned in close, gritting her teeth as she hissed into Eleanor's ear.

"You absolute idiot, an actual Greek god is offering to take you home! I am giving you an opportunity! Sleep with this man and let James see exactly what he's missing. Let that gold-digging bastard see that he isn't the only man in the world. It makes me sick, watching him play the tragic, reluctant lover while clinging to Cassandra's trust fund!"

Beatrice had completely forgotten that she too was rather intoxicated. So, her covert "whisper"... wasn't a whisper at all. Over the thumping bass of the nightclub, her voice was audible.

Sebastian felt it would be hypocritical to pretend he hadn't heard every single word.

Smack!

Eleanor slammed her hand against the table again, pointing a shaky finger at Beatrice's nose. "Bea, I am warning you! Do not mention his name to me again! Get back here and drink with me!"

Beatrice gave her a long, bitter look, narrowed her eyes, and simply collapsed forward onto the bar.

Eleanor tugged at her friend's wrist, trying to pull the stubbornly "unconscious" woman upright. "Bea, get up! You promised you'd stay with me! If you abandon me now, who else do I have?"

Beatrice cracked one eye open, shooting Eleanor a withering glare. "I'm dead drunk. Go bother the god standing behind you."

With that, Beatrice shoved her face back into her arms, completely committing to playing dead. Eleanor pushed her shoulder a few more times in frustration. Seeing that Beatrice wasn't going to budge, Eleanor's bottom lip jutted out in a stubborn pout, and she rested her chin on her hands, glaring at the wall.

As for the man standing behind her...

Sebastian watched Eleanor's drunken, childish display with a helplessly fond smile. It wasn't that he hadn't seen drunk women before; he frequented enough high-society galas to see plenty. But those women had nothing to do with him, so he never cared.

But the woman sitting in front of him... he couldn't bring himself to look away.

Sebastian stared intently at Eleanor's beautiful, flushed face. Slowly, the image of the woman before him perfectly overlapped with the ghost of the girl who had haunted his memories for six long years.

The smile on his face deepened, reaching all the way to his dark eyes.

Little girl, he thought, as possessive intent started settling in his chest. I've finally found you.

Beatrice had initially only pretended to be asleep, but in the end, the alcohol pulled her under and she genuinely passed out against the bar.

Eleanor was equally dazed, her eyes glassy and unfocused.

Sebastian looked at the two drunk women and sighed helplessly. He gestured to the floor manager of Nocturne to ensure Beatrice was safely escorted into a taxi and taken home. Then, Sebastian swept Eleanor up into his arms, carrying her effortlessly as he walked out into the night.

She grabbed the lapels of Sebastian's coat, squinting her drunken eyes in an attempt to get a better look at him. However, she was so intoxicated that the world spun around her, and the figure in front of her seemed to sway violently.

Annoyed, she reached up and clamped her hands tightly over Sebastian's cheeks, muttering in displeasure, "Stop moving around. If you keep shaking your two or three heads, I won't be able to see you clearly."

Two or three heads...

Sebastian was entirely speechless. He allowed her to hold his face captive as he manoeuvred them into the waiting Bentley.

The driver, Hayes, blinked in surprise for a fraction of a second before smoothly starting the engine. "Where to, sir?"

Sebastian gently pulled Eleanor's hands away from his face and asked in a soothing voice, "Where do you live?"

"My flat? Let me think about it..." Eleanor tilted her head, pondering the question with seriousness. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she pointed an accusatory finger at Sebastian.

"Why do you want to know where I live and what I do? Let me tell you, my defences are perfect. Don't even think about following me home to try something wicked. If you dare try anything funny, I promise I'll beat you to a pulp! I know martial arts, hmph!"

Sebastian looked down at the woman who was currently leaning her weight against his chest and secretly decided he would need to keep a very close eye on her in the future. If she got this drunk and ended up being whisked away by strangers, where would he ever find his elusive girl again?

"If you don't tell me where you live, how am I supposed to take you home safely?"

Eleanor frowned, her alcohol-addled brain working hard to process his logic. "Well, that does make sense. I live at Flat 4B, Maple Court, on High Street!"

She had just effortlessly and thoroughly given away her exact address to a complete stranger.

Sebastian was once again rendered speechless. From the front seat, Hayes let out a bark of laughter, though he instantly silenced himself upon receiving a venomous glare from Sebastian in the rearview mirror.

"Sir, the young lady's sense of defence is... ahem... truly great."

A glimmer of amusement danced in Sebastian's eyes. He looked down at the woman curled up against him like a lazy cat, and an urge to spoil and protect her surged in his chest. It was an entirely different sort of affection from what he felt for Theo, but he found he didn't mind the feeling at all.

Eleanor shifted around for a moment until she found a more comfortable position against him. She offered Sebastian a sweet, dopey smile, looking utterly adorable in her drunken haze.

Sebastian's gaze darkened. He hesitated for a moment, debating whether he should pry, but curiosity ultimately won out. He stared down at Eleanor and spoke softly near her ear.

"Eleanor, who is James?"

He had been burning to ask this ever since he heard Beatrice shout the name at the bar. However, Sebastian was a man of restraint. Such a private, sensitive question was best asked when they were alone.

Instantly, her misty eyes clouded over with sadness. She smiled bitterly, her hands unconsciously gripping Sebastian's shirt tightly. Her lower lip trembled as though she was on the verge of tears.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," Sebastian blurted out quickly. He didn't want to admit it, but seeing her look so utterly broken made his own chest ache violently.

Eleanor offered a foggy smile.

"It's not that I don't want to say it. He's just... a man. Vows of eternal love couldn't compete with his desire for wealth and status. He went to find his golden staircase, his shortcut to high society, and threw away every promise he made to me. The funny thing is... his shortcut is me. It's me! It's..."

"It's what?" Sebastian asked subconsciously, leaning in closer to catch her next words, desperate to understand what she meant.

"It's me... blegh!"

Sebastian's body went rigid. He looked down in horror at the beautiful girl in his arms who kept vomiting

After a while, he raised his head stiffly. "Hayes. The nearest hotel. Maximum speed."