“She is not good enough for you,” Cecilia went on. “Rosemary and Stuart let her get away with too much. Yes, they are friends, but that doesn’t mean I approve of all their parenting methods. Did you know her grandmother caught her buying condoms when she was only seventeen? And she used to give Diana dirty books when they were teenagers.”
That had happened a grand total of once.
“You are a doctor,” his mother continued. “She went to Laurier.”
No surprise that Amber’s university hadn’t been prestigious enough for them.
Amber wanted to talk back, but she couldn’t manage it. Cecilia was a family friend, someone she’d been taught to respect.
Randall placed his hand on Cecilia’s shoulder. “You have made your point. Let them talk by themselves.”
He didn’t disagree with anything his wife had said, though.
“Mom.” Sebastian’s hands were clenched at his sides. “I don’t want you to ever, ever talk like that.” He reached for Amber. “I lo—”
“Nice to see you again!” Amber chirped, waving at his parents.
Sebastian had been about to declare his love for her, hadn’t he?
No, she couldn’t take it.
Cecilia sniffed, and then she and Randall headed outside. Finally.
Sebastian turned to Amber and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure she never says stuff like that again. I promise.”
“How would you manage that?”
“Threaten to stop talking to her.”
“And you would mean that.”
“Yes,” he said, “I would.”
Admittedly, a part of Amber was thrilled at the firmness in his voice. He was Mr. Perfect Son, but apparently he was willing to throw his parents’ approval away for her.
“I told you she didn’t like me,” Amber said.
“I never heard about the dirty books and the condoms.”
“You were away at university.”
“It was ten years ago. How can she...” He shook his head. “Listen to me, there is nothing wrong with any of the choices you made. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
He led her into the kitchen, where the table was set for a nice dinner. There was a vase of roses in the center. Even a tablecloth—she doubted any of her exes knew what a tablecloth was.
He took both her hands in his and looked her in the eye. “I mean it, Amber. When I met you at the grocery store, I thought we’d just have a bit of fun together. I didn’t expect to fall for you, but I did. I love your unabashed sexiness, the way you created the life you wanted for yourself, the way you’ve put yourself out there again and again. I love your cross-stitching and your crochet peacocks and...” He grabbed an envelope off the counter. “Here.”
She couldn’t stop herself from opening it.
He’d signed them up for the cake class she’d wanted to take in Waterloo.
Some people saw her as the flighty youngest child, but since they’d met again as adults, he’d seemed to appreciate everything about her. It wasn’t as if he only liked one part of her or wanted her to be someone other than who she was.
But though she had some rather tender feelings for Sebastian, they were all about friendship and sex. They weren’t romantic.
That’s a lie.
No, it wasn’t. She’d been a little worried before about her teeny-tiny feelings of romance, but Sebastian had been about to say he loved her, and she’d recoiled. She definitely didn’t love him. That wasn’t what she was looking for right now.
Even if she was, going out with him was a terrible idea. Look at what had happened today! His parents had barged their way into his house. What if she’d been eating a donut off his cock? It was fortunate they’d only caught her wearing a revealing dress.
His parents were probably going to have a fight with her parents now.
She wasn’t up for this drama. Not for a man she liked but was nowhere close to loving.
“I can’t do this,” she said to Sebastian, handing back the envelope. “I can’t cause problems between you and your parents.”
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll handle it.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t feel that way about you. I’m so sorry.” Tears came to her eyes. He was her friend; she felt badly for not being able to give him what he wanted.
But she couldn’t.
He raked a hand through his hair. “I understand. I suppose it’s best that we stop seeing each other now. Just take this before you go.” He handed her a box, emblazoned with the logo for Glazed, and she couldn’t help the unhinged laugh that came to her lips.
“You bought donuts. For...?”
“No, not for that. Though if you really wanted...” The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I got them to make you laugh, and because you said you like this donut shop.”
Oh, God.
No, this was all wrong.
She hurried to the door and laced up her impractical boots as quickly as she could.
* * *
Sebastian ate the salad by himself. He ate the mussels by himself.
He opened the bottle of wine and drank a large glass before he could even think about what he was doing.
He didn’t bother lighting the candles.
He’d told Amber how he felt, and it had been a disaster.
Even if his parents hadn’t come at such an awkward time, she said she didn’t have those feelings for him.
It wasn’t meant to be.
She’d told him she wasn’t interested in a relationship, but he’d thought—from the way she kissed him, the way she looked at him—that it had all meant something.
Apparently, he’d been wrong.
He poured himself another glass of wine and sank onto the couch.
Chapter 12
Amber felt like crap.
Maybe it had something to do with the four donuts she’d eaten in the past twenty-four hours. They’d been delicious, of course: red velvet, carrot cake, crème brûlée, and London fog. She’d never told Sebastian that red velvet was her favorite, but somehow, he’d known to get one.
She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep, either. Two hours, tops. She’d kept wishing she was lying in bed next to Sebastian. She felt so terribly that she’d broken his heart.
She wished only the best
