The One Awakened: Book 1 in The One Trilogy (20 page)

I kick the door shut behind me, as I juggle my files and the overly packed three shopping bags from Sainsbury’s or
Snobsbury’s
, as Abby & I liked to call it. Quick unpack and then I’d get tea on. I am cooking Finn’s favourite homemade Spaghetti Carbonara and really need to crack-on before my ex brings him home, after an impromptu crèche collection, which pissed me off but I went with it for Finn’s sake. I’m in the throws of multi-tasking; boiling pasta, stirring sauce on the hob and setting the table when I hear a knock at the back door.
 

“Lucia
.
”
 

Niall drawls as he enters without my permission, carrying Finn’s backpack.
I’m surprised how little I feel towards this man, whom I spent so many years of my life with. The
just punched
sexual feeling I get when I see Sebastian now, after only one night together and an unfinished one at that, combined with shockwaves of tingles that filter along every nerve ending, their end goal met at my apex is so unique; I’m not sure I ever had that with Niall?
 

I cared about him deeply, of course I did - we’d made a child together - but it wasn’t a gut-wrenching
need
it had been more a companionship of sorts. The type of relationship I thought Sebastian and I had until recently.
“Where’s Finn?” I snap out of my daydream and attempt to peer behind Niall’s lean designer-clad body.
 
His hand stops me, grabbing my wrist and anchoring me in front of him.
“He’s just playing in the yard in his Shed. Fab is that! Did your Dad put it together for him?” He stares at me inquisitively and walks into the kitchen, helping himself to a piece of crozalled-crispy bacon.

Annoyed at his entrance, and familiarity, I pull my arm away from his grip and rush forward to the hob, where the spaghetti is now beginning to boil over.
“Er, my Dad built it for him, yes and they painted it together a few months ago. Dad says every man needs a shed!”

“Too true.” Niall nods chuckling. “Something smells good?”

My back is to him and my skin prickles in annoyance at his obvious hint. “Yeah, its Finn’s preferred tea, this month, Basgetti Carbon rar rar – last month was meatballs, or brains, as he likes to call them.”

“Spag Cab – he’s got good taste. I’d forgotten what a good cook you were Lucia.” He says my name as though I’m being reprimanded and he is my teacher. How had I not remembered that disdainful habit of his?
“I’ve only made enough for two I’m afraid.”
 

I’m aware that I sound brusque but I continue setting places at the granite island in the centre of the huge basement Kitchen, fully aware that Niall’s eyes are on me at all times. I wonder why after ten months he is now throwing out compliments and spending more than a second in my company? Something was up!
I brush my hair away from my face with the back of my hand, as I’m holding a pan in one and a wooden spoon in the other. I flinch as Niall raises his finger to assist me and tucks a stray wavy strand behind my ear. I do not feel comfortable at all and the atmosphere is quickly becoming stifled.
 

We both spin in shock when a deep voice from the corner of the room says, “Getting a bit steamy in here isn’t it?”
 

Sebastian.
 

His timing is a Godsend and his question laced with double connotations. He must have made his way down the steps and into the kitchen from the front entrance and is standing, looking seriously gorgeous and unimpressed in a fitted black t-shirt and ripped jeans.
 

I go to put the pan and dirty spoon in the sink. “Seb! What are you doing here?”
 

Following it up with a babbling
,
“Oh it’s the pasta boiling. I forgot to put the extractor on.”
 

Why had I explained that? Now it appeared that there had been a moment between Niall and I. Now it looked like I was trying, rather unsuccessfully, to cover it up.

“I knocked but there was no answer. I tried the door anyway – yet again unlocked Ms. Myers!” His tut is condescending but rather than piss me off, it warms me that he cares enough to mention it.
 

“Thought I’d pop in to see what your thoughts were on our quote for The Ashton. But I can come back though if you’re busy?” Sebastian arches his brow looking from me, to Niall and back to me again, searchingly. He has no intention of going anywhere, with that glint in his eye. Competition was like bees to honey, where Seb was concerned.

“No. No don’t be daft. Come in,” I pacify him. “I’m just about to serve up some food for Finn. Just give me a second.”
 

Why has he come now? When I’m a sweltering hot mess from the stove, already in a foul mood from Niall’s presence and all over the place emotionally, after yesterday’s Ashton episode and his acceptance of my offer?

I can feel the two men at war with one another behind my back and cringe. They used to be friends but Sebastian hasn’t seen or heard from Niall since he’d left and not become reacquainted since Niall had recently come back into Finn’s life; I think more out of loyalty to me but I know he’s severely pissed at him. When he’d walked, he walked out of everybody’s lives.
“Niall,” Sebastian offers up, seething.
“Seb
as
tian,” Niall nods back sulkily.
 

Bugger. This was going nowhere.
The testosterone in the room was so thick I could see me walking out of here with a full-grown beard at the end of it and that would not be pretty! One of them needed to leave now and I didn’t want it to be Seb.

Sebastian goes to the shiny Red SMEG fridge and grabs a beer, making it exceedingly obvious to Niall that he is at home in my house. He doesn’t offer Niall one. He may as well have pissed on the floor, to mark his territory. I smirk to myself despite the awkwardness. I can tell that Niall is trying to weigh up the situation and thinks that there is something going on here. There isn’t of course, but then I correct myself and think well, actually maybe there is?
 

Sebastian takes this opportunity to place a hand firmly on my behind and squeeze it possessively, as I walk past to call Finn inside. I jump at the overly intimate gesture and turning to question, see the humour and control in his eyes. It was just for show; to wind Niall up and it seemed to be doing the trick. Niall is practically puce by this point, his face straining against his top buttoned shirt, unsure what to do but aware that he has rapidly lost command of the situation. He strokes his imaginary beard, in that God-awful affected way he used to, and evidently ruffled, quips,
“Lucia, we
need
to talk, preferably without being overheard by uninvited-passers-by. I’ll call you.”
 

He leans in to ruffle Finn’s hair, as my boy launches himself through the door, at breakneck speed, obviously now bored of playing with the shed. “See ya lad.”
 

“Submarine!” Finn is completely oblivious to Niall and screams in delight, at the sight of his pal, running to grab hold of Sebastian. “You came back!” He squeezes his jeans clad leg.
“Hiya Mate!” Seb returns the squish but turns Finn to face Niall. “Your Dad is on his way out, so why don’t you go say goodbye?”

“Bye Lion.” My lovely little boy responds with a wave and a quick leg hold – it’s the name he uses for Niall, as he couldn’t say it when he was two. We’re not sure why he suddenly stopped called him Daddy to his face but my parents thought it may be a psychological knock-on effect of the break-up.
“It’s Daddy Finn. Daddy,” Niall reprimands in a unreasonably firm voice, obviously irritated and I giggle behind my hand, when Finn continues to ignore him and instead bares his teeth and claws the air with his pudgy fingers, shouting, “Basgetti carbon rah raahh!” just like a lion.
Seriously exasperated, Niall rolls his eyes showing the impatience of someone who is not used to handling small children. “See you next week Finn. I’ll call you Lucia. Like I said we need to talk. Things have adjusted, shall we say and I’d like to run through a few theories with you. We didn’t get the chance the other night as you ran off!”
 

He pointedly stares in Sebastian’s direction and then back, to me; his blue eyes cold and full of annoyance. “You look good Lucia. Real good.” He spitefully smiles at Seb and leans in towards me to plant an unexpected and unwanted kiss on me. I move with lightening quick reaction, just in time for him to connect with the side of my mouth.

He whispers in my ear before leaving, purposely lingering against me, his body pressed into mine. “I miss you in my bed. You’re still my Mrs. you know.”
Oh. My. God. No way is this man on our planet. Sebastian had pissed on the floor territorially - Niall had curled one out and left it steaming there! What are men like? - Utterly pathetic!
 

My mind is racing through different options of what
adjusted
and
theories
would relate to and what the bloody hell that seedy comment was all about, but frowning in complete confusion I just wave him away. I’m totally drained and too tired to crack Niall’s secret code or play his mind games.

I close the door on his back and ignore the disgusted looks I can feel burning into my back from Seb’s brooding dark pools and return to serve up Finn’s tea, placing him at the granite island on a high backed red leather stool. I’m suddenly not hungry and glancing across to where Sebastian is discussing the differences between hulk and Spiderman and their pros and cons, I hold up a spare bowl in question – he catches my eye and giving me a thumb’s up returns to superhero world.

Finn and Seb, tuck into their pasta, as though they haven’t eaten in weeks, whilst I tidy away the mess and load the dishwasher. The atmosphere is calm and casual, as I listen to Finn’s chatter about his day and Sebastian’s banter.
 

“Sophie kissed me today Yuk – she said she wants to marry me!” he scrunches his horrified face up and makes monster noises. I look at Sebastian and we both share a smile.

“Hey Mate, you didn’t say you had a girlfriend. Is she a looker?”

“She’s ok I spose, but she’s not my girlfwend – I like Holly,” Finn shrugs his small shoulders without apology. God they start young.
 

“Ahh Holly!” Sebastian nods his understanding and laughs. “Come on, eat up Romeo!”
“Romeo? I’m not called Romeo - My name’s Finn!”

“That it is Mate, that it is.”

They eat their food in congenial silence, boys enjoying their carbohydrates with uninhibited gusto, whilst I inwardly melt at how wonderful Sebastian is with my son. He’s the ideal mix of fun and firm and watching my son chat happily, I know that he adores Seb and always has.
I know the feeling.

“If you’re Ok down here with Finn I’ll go run a bath for him.”
 

At Seb’s silent perusing nod, I disappear upstairs.

As I enter our recently re-modelled grey and white bathroom it hits me that the last time he was here, upstairs things had not ended so well - or rather not ended the way I’d wanted them to. I just hoped that he’d leave before I ready Finn for bed.