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“What about Bradford?” Sebastian asked with a pointed look at the large German Shepherd that flunked out of the police K-9 training program because of his love of cuddles.
“He can’t handle all of my fluffiness needs,” Abbi said with a sad shake of her head.
“What about your bunny and kitten?” Sebastian asked as his gaze flickered back to Mikey and-
He needed to know.
He needed to know if there was a chance, however small, that she saw him as more than just her best friend and if she didn’t…
He had to know.
He also had to figure out how he was going to do this, Sebastian realized as he sat there, slowly exhaling as he watched her. All summer, he’d been looking for any sign that she felt the same way about him and every time that she did something that gave him hope, she would end up doing something that left him more confused than ever. He just…
Couldn’t believe that he was actually listening to Jonathan.
Not that he had a choice, Sebastian thought as he watched Mikey. He’d been debating his next move all day, alternating between just blurting it out and hoping for the best and kissing her. As much as he wanted to kiss her, and Christ, he never wanted anything more, he really didn’t think that it was a good idea just to go for it, which was why he came up with a plan on the way here.
After they put the kids to bed, he was going to put on a horror movie since Mikey always snuggled against his side so that she could bury her face against his arm during the scary parts. When that happened, he was going to wrap his arm around her and when the moment was right, he was going to tell her how he felt about her and then…
He would finally know the truth.
He-
“I miss Mommy and Daddy,” Dustin suddenly announced, drawing Sebastian’s attention to find his little cousin looking incredibly sad as his bottom lip trembled.
“It’s okay,” Mikey said, her expression softening as she gave up looking for the perfect green crayon and came to Dustin’s side so that she could pull him into a hug. “They’ll be home soon. They just wanted to have one last dinner out before the baby came.”
“I know, but I still miss her,” Dustin said with a sniffle.
“I know you do,” Mikey murmured with a sad smile.
“Can I have Mommy’s blanket to sleep with tonight?” Dustin asked softly after a slight hesitation.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mikey said, moving to stand up when Dustin glanced at him and asked, “Can you come with me to get it, Sebastian?”
“Of course,” Sebastian said, matching Mikey’s smile as he helped Abby climb off his lap and held out his hand.
With a sniffle, Dustin quickly climbed off the chair and took his hand before they headed towards the living room as Sebastian found himself wondering if he was really going to be able to pull this off. He didn’t have a choice, Sebastian thought as they made their way upstairs and headed for Uncle Devin and Aunt Charlie’s room.
“It’s in the closet,” Dustin said, giving his hand a gentle pull that had Sebastian following him down the hallway.
“Are you sure?” Sebastian asked, frowning down at Dustin to find his little cousin nodding. “I’m sure.”
“Okay, then let’s grab that blanket and pick out a book so that I can tuck you in,” Sebastian said when they reached the closet. “Sound good?” he asked, opening the door to the large walk-in linen closet.
“It’s in the back,” Dustin said, pointing to the shelves lined with blankets and extra pillows.
“Which shelf?” Sebastian asked as he released Dustin’s hand and headed inside.
“The top one.”
Absently nodding, Sebastian reached for the green blanket on the top shelf as he looked over his shoulder only to feel dread slam into him when he saw it.
The smile that told him just how badly this was going to end.
It was the same smile that his brothers and cousins got on their faces seconds before they screwed him over. He-
“I told you that I was keeping her,” Dustin said, making his stomach drop when his little cousin shot him a wink as he closed the closet door seconds before Sebastian heard the telltale sound of a lock clicking into place.
