8

Petal’s POV

The soft clinking of silverware and the gentle hum of voices around me faded into the background as Sebastian's words reached my ears. "Your mom is asking you to go downstairs, come, let’s go." His voice was smooth, almost commanding, yet it held a warmth that seemed to envelop me. I nodded, still trying to gather my thoughts from our earlier conversation, and followed him down the stairs.

As we walked through the corridor, I was lost in the moment, thinking about how everything felt so surreal. I was still getting used to the idea of Sebastian being in our home, sitting with us, and acting like he belonged here. The only thing that brought me back to reality was a sudden, sharp bump to my head.

It wasn’t a wall, as I initially thought, but rather Sebastian’s broad back. He had abruptly stopped walking, causing me to crash into him. My breath caught in my throat, and I quickly took a step back, trying to regain my composure.