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“What does that have to do with your relationship with Hanna?” Knox asked.
I felt a little out of place with them discussing me while I was here. But I was curious to know what Sebastian’s thoughts were on the situation.
“Everything. I just don’t know what the future holds, and I don’t want to confuse Ember.” Brandy was a force when she showed up, and we couldn’t predict when she would.
“Why would it be confusing for Ember? Hanna’s been around her whole life, and Ember loves her like another mother.”
“But she’s not her mother. Ember has one who is not present in her life. She could show up at any time.”
I barely refrained from flinching. I wasn’t Ember’s mother, and I wouldn’t take Brandy’s place, but I could be someone important in her life. “I thought we were keeping things quiet because of Ember, but are you saying it’s Brandy?”
Sebastian hung his head. “Yes. No. I don’t know. This is new. Just give me some time to figure things out.”
Knox held up his hands. “I’m around to talk whenever you want. I just wanted to say I’m happy for you guys, and I hope you both realize what you have. Don’t take it for granted.”
I appreciated his concern and levity. I hoped Sebastian would go to his brothers about this situation because I thought he was being overly cautious when it came to Ember. But then he always was.
“I appreciate your concern,” Sebastian finally said, but I wasn’t so sure he did.
I plastered a smile onto my face. “Thank you for planning last night’s date. It was amazing.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Knox smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was concerned for us, and that made the pit in my stomach grow.
I couldn’t ignore the warning signs that Sebastian wasn’t all in with me. There was still a chance for me to get hurt in this situation. I couldn’t forget that.
CHAPTER 15
SEBASTIAN
My time with Hanna was amazing. But now that Ember was home, I was having a hard time reconciling my old relationship with Hanna with the new one we forged last night.
Knox felt like nothing had to change. That I should tell Ember about this new development, and we’d all be one big, happy family, but I couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.
I wanted to keep Ember’s life as stable as possible. Brandy showed up at random times and rocked our schedule. As a result, I felt extra pressure to keep things stable.
Wasn’t introducing a live-in girlfriend too much at one time? If I’d started dating while Hanna lived somewhere else, we’d have had a slower progression. I could’ve introduced the idea to Ember over time. It would have been easier.
Instead, we’d jumped into the deep end last night without thinking about the consequences. And now, every worst-case scenario was running through my head.
I made pancakes for Ember while they played board games in the living room. Despite Ember’s protests, she was tired. I’d enjoyed my time alone with Hanna but wasn’t looking forward to a cranky kid.
“Can we take Ember ice skating at the rink? Is it still set up?” Hanna asked.
“Yeah, they were going to leave it here through Christmas. I thought the family could take advantage of it.” It was an expensive endeavor, but it was worth it.
Hanna came into the kitchen. “Can we invite Addy, too?”
I nodded toward my phone. “Go ahead and send an invitation over the group chat. It would be fun for the family.”
When Hanna was done sending the message, she lowered her voice. “Are we pretending that nothing changed after last night?”
My jaw tightened. “Just in front of Ember.”
“If someone asks about the date, what do I say?”
Irritation surged through me. Why was everyone pressuring me about this? “I’ll let them know we’re keeping it under wraps for now.”
Hanna chewed her bottom lip. I had a feeling she wasn’t happy about the situation. But I had to protect Ember. It was literally my main job in life. I needed to make sure she was safe and happy. It was a tall order, and I was the only one in her life that could deliver on that promise.
