Ava's POV
—
I should've stayed home. I knew it.
One innocent trip to the library to return a book and now I was standing frozen in the middle of the hallway like I'd just walked in on a live soap opera—but worse. Because this wasn't TV.
This was Ray.
My Ray.
Thrown at Sebastian Ashford like a glitter bomb in the middle of a blackout. Arms around his neck. Legs around his waist. Face buried in his neck like she paid rent to be there.
And oh. My. God.
"NOPE," I whisper-screamed, covering my eyes like it would erase what I'd seen.
Austin, standing next to me, was blinking so hard I thought he was trying to restart his brain.
"What the hell did we just witness?" he croaked.
"Something unholy," I muttered, grabbing his arm. "Someone give me holy water. Now. Now."
"Does anyone sell bleach for the soul?" Austin deadpanned.
"Jesus," I said louder. "Do You hate me? Is this punishment? Because I took two cookies from the canteen yesterday instead of one?"
Ray was squealing. Like actually squealing into Sebastian's ear. I saw her kiss his nose. HIS NOSE, AUSTIN.
And he let her.
Not just let. He smiled.
SMILED. That was a smile. That thing he never does. That he doesn't even know how to do. That thing we weren't sure his stone face could do.
Sebastian Ashford just got hit with a human confetti cannon of emotions and responded by smiling.
I tugged Austin's sleeve. "Tell me I'm hallucinating."
"You're hallucinating."
"I'm not, am I?"
"No."
Ray was now declaring something about naming their future kids Mocha and Macchiato. I heard her say "Seb, you're stuck with me." And he agreed.
"She's possessed," I mumbled.
"He's more possessed," Austin muttered back.
We stared in silence as Ray kept attacking his face with kisses. She looked like a clingy koala on espresso.
"She's gonna fall off."
"She's gonna make me fall off this dimension," I grumbled. "We're going to need therapy after this."
"We're going to need a priest."
A moment of silence. Ray giggled. Sebastian chuckled. Chuckled.
"Okay," I whispered. "Take me to church. Now."