Chapter 11: Just Us

The snowflakes fall around us, each one drifting softly, like they don’t have a care in the world. I watch them for a moment, lost in the quiet. The night feels cold, but not in the way I expected. There’s warmth here, not from the air but from Sebastian standing beside me. His presence feels solid, like he’s not just here physically, but really with me, in a way that makes everything else fade.

We’re walking through the forest, and I’m still trying to figure out why he brought me here. It wasn’t a question of whether I felt safe with him. Because I did. It’s just that everything felt like it was shifting so fast. One moment, we’re at odds, and the next, I find myself walking hand-in-hand with him on a snowy path, heading to God knows where.

The clearing comes into view. I wasn’t prepared for this. The space feels like something out of a winter dream. Fairy lights twinkling in the trees, casting soft shadows across the snow. The air is filled with the smell of pine and wood smoke, and in the center of it all, there’s a fire pit, its flames flickering gently, dancing as if they’re alive.

Sebastian stops beside me and turns to look at me, waiting for my reaction. His eyes are soft, expectant. I swallow, unsure what to say. This wasn’t just any random gesture. He planned this.

“I didn’t know you were the romantic type,” I joke, trying to keep my voice steady, but even I can hear the edge of surprise in it.

His lips curve into a smile. It’s small, but it holds warmth. “I’m not. But I thought you might appreciate it.” He motions to the setup with a sweep of his hand. “I know you’re always surrounded by people, and sometimes it feels like the world is loud. So, I wanted to give you some space. Some quiet.”

I take it in, the scene stretching before me like a dream that’s still too real to process. I hadn’t expected this. I don’t even know why I’m still surprised by him. He keeps showing up in ways that make me feel like I can’t quite keep up, yet there’s something comforting about that. As if, for the first time in a long while, someone actually gets it.

I sit on one of the cushions near the fire, feeling the warmth spread through me, but there’s something else too. A feeling that catches me off guard. It’s vulnerability, something I’ve been running from. But tonight, I can’t ignore it.

Sebastian sits across from me, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of mulled wine. He leans forward, his gaze steady on mine. There’s a depth to him now, something more than the charming, distant architect I met.

“Are you always this thoughtful?” I ask, trying to break the silence.

His lips twitch, like he’s holding back something. Maybe a laugh, maybe something more. “I guess I’m trying to be. I know I’m not the easiest guy to read. But I wanted to show you that I’m serious about this. About us.”

I blink at him, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. “Us?” I repeat, just to be sure I heard him correctly.

His expression softens, and he leans a little closer. “Yeah. Us.” He pauses, searching my face. “Selina, I’ve never been good at showing my feelings. But when I’m with you, everything feels different. I want this. I want you.”

I swallow, feeling my heart race. I don’t know if it’s the fire or the way he’s looking at me, but I feel exposed. Bare. It’s too soon, too fast. Yet, I can’t push it away. I’ve been hurt before, and it scares me.

“But what about everything else? Your career? And your life outside Snowfall Valley?” I ask, the words coming out before I can stop them. “You know this isn’t simple, right? You can’t just fix everything with fairy lights and wine.”

He smiles, though there’s no humor in it. Just understanding. “I don’t want to fix everything, Selina. I just want to be here. For you. I know you’ve been through a lot, and I won’t pretend it’s easy. But I’m not going anywhere. You can push me away all you want, but I’m not going anywhere.”

The force of his words hits me like a wave, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. His sincerity cuts through the walls I’ve spent so long building. And I realize, for the first time, that I don’t want him to go anywhere.

I’m scared. I know this could end badly. My heart aches just thinking about it. But there’s something about him, something I can’t deny anymore. Maybe it’s the way he’s been there, quietly waiting for me to catch up. Maybe it’s the fact that, despite everything, he makes me feel seen, understood.

“I’m not good at this,” I say. “I don’t know how to let myself trust again. I’ve been hurt, and I—”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” he interrupts gently, but there’s a quiet firmness to his voice. “I get it. But I’m not him, Selina. I’m not going to hurt you.”

His words hang in the air, and the quiet stretches between us. I search his eyes, looking for any hint of doubt, of insincerity, but there’s nothing. Just sincerity.

I lean forward slightly, the warmth from the fire mixing with the warmth from him. “Okay,” I whisper. It’s not much, but it’s everything. It’s me letting go, just a little bit, and that’s all I can give right now.

Sebastian’s eyes soften, and he reaches for my hand, his fingers brushing mine before threading through them. I look down at our joined hands, feeling the weight of the gesture. This, right here, is real. He’s real.

“I want to make this work,” he says quietly, like the night itself is holding us together. “No more games, no more pretending.”

His words linger in the air, making my heart flutter in a way I can’t quite control. I meet his gaze, the intensity in his eyes pulling me in, and for a moment, the world feels smaller. Just the two of us, standing under the stars.

“You’re making it hard to ignore you,” I murmur, a nervous smile tugging at my lips.

“Good,” he replies, his voice soft but sure. “I don’t want to be ignored.”

The words feel like a promise, a pledge, even though I know I’m not fully ready. But in that moment, I don’t care. I can’t keep pretending that I don’t feel what I do. And nothing else matters.

As we sit there, wrapped in the quiet of the night, I let myself feel the truth of it. We’re here. We’re together.

And then, just as I think everything is finally falling into place, my phone buzzes in my pocket, jolting me back to reality.

I pull it out, expecting nothing. But the moment I see the message on the screen, my stomach drops.

“We need to talk. It’s urgent.”

It’s from Celine.

I look at Sebastian, his face suddenly hardening, as if he senses the shift in the air. The moment between us has broken, and the weight of reality settles back in.