Sebastian
For two whole months, I've been going home to an empty penthouse.
No chatter echoing through the hall. No ridiculous questions about whether I drank enough water or slept before midnight. No sweet-smelling chaos bustling around in heels and silk robes. Just silence. Clean, dull, suffocating silence.
It's weird. I used to hate it when she hovered. Now I keep waiting for the sound of the front door unlocking. For her voice calling out, "Sebby, baby, I'm home!" For her to barge into my room like she owns the place—which, technically, she does.
But Ava Laurent has been in France for the last two months, closing some deal for her fashion brand with Ray Chen.
Ray—tall, silent, business-shark Ray—has been her shadow for as long as I can remember. He never says much, but when he does, you know it matters. He's the only guy I've ever seen who can look both terrifying and loyal in the same breath. Ava trusts him with her life. I guess I do too, by extension.
Still, I didn't expect them back today.
At 3:15, school ends like always. Bells ring, students flood out like we've been released from prison, and I stroll toward the gate, AirPods in, hoodie halfway up. Same routine. Same boredom.
Until I see it.
A sleek black Lamborghini parked right across the street like it owns the sidewalk. Glossy, tinted, shining under the afternoon sun. Heads are already turning. Whispers ripple across the crowd.
Then I see her.
Ava.
Leaning against the car like she's posing for a damn magazine cover. Black sunglasses. Red lipstick. Her heavy black hair spilling over her back in soft waves, down past her waist. A high-slit black dress that could kill a man. Heels taller than most people's confidence. Cold. Elegant. Untouchable.
Ray stands beside her in a dark gray suit, arms crossed, jaw sharp, hair perfect, looking like he just stepped out of a mafia film. Girls nearby are full-on staring now.
"Is that his girlfriend?"
"No way, older sister maybe?"
"Dude. Sugar mommy?"
"Oh my god, look at the guy next to her. He's so hot—who are they?"
I just blink. I'm halfway across the street before I realize I've stopped walking. And then she spots me.
Gone is the ice-queen expression. Ava's face breaks into this blinding, childish grin. Her eyes widen like she hasn't seen me in years. Then she runs.
Like actually runs. Across the sidewalk. Full speed. I think she even yells my name. "Sebastian!"
And she trips.
She really, actually, stupidly almost falls flat on her face.
Except Ray casually reaches out, one hand grabbing the back of her collar like she's a toddler about to dart into traffic. Doesn't even flinch. Just lifts her upright like this is completely normal behavior.
Ava pretends nothing happened.
Fixes her hair. Struts the last two feet. Then launches herself at me.
"Oh my baby, you've grown taller! Have you been eating enough? Why is your face a little dry? Did you moisturize? Oh, my God, are those dark circles under your eyes? Are you sleeping past midnight again? Do you need new sneakers? Why didn't you call me last night—"
"MOM," I groan, trying not to laugh. She's hugging me like I'm six. "Breathe."
She pulls back and plants a big kiss on my cheek, totally ruining my attempt to look cool. Then she beams, hands on my shoulders, just looking at me. Like I'm the only thing in the world that matters.
I try to act annoyed. But it's hard.
Because I kind of missed her too.
Ray walks over, sunglasses still on, and just nods at me in greeting. "Sebastian."
"Ray."
He gives me a small smirk. "She almost fell twice at the airport. I had to carry her bag and her coffee. Again."
Ava gasps. "Snitch."
I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Some things never change."
But maybe… that's kind of the point.
---
The moment the car door shuts behind me, I know I'm not getting a moment of peace.
We've barely pulled away from the curb when Ava twists in her seat, unbuckles her seatbelt—because of course she does—and leans into the back where I'm sitting.
"Sebby," she coos, brushing imaginary lint off my shoulder, "you've lost weight. I swear, French boys eat more than you. Why didn't you tell me you weren't eating properly? Oh wait, is it the meal plans I left? Were they boring? Did you burn something? Did you eat takeout again? Sebby, answer me."
"I ate fine," I mutter, eyes on the window, ignoring the amused flicker of Ray's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Relax, woman."
"Don't call me woman," she gasps. "I am your mother, young man."
"You look twenty-five. No one believes that."
She smirks. "I know. Someone at the Paris airport thought I was Ray's girlfriend and asked for our couple TikTok. I nearly fainted. Obviously, Ray didn't say a word and just glared at them."
I snort. "Classic."
"And you have to see the stuff I got for you," she goes on, completely ignoring the fact that Ray is merging onto the highway like this isn't chaos. "Three pairs of Jordans. A new leather jacket—oh, and a trench coat from this insane designer who only works in shades of gray, you'll look so broody and mysterious in it. And I got you cologne. You're at that age now where you need to smell like heartbreak and taxes."
"…what?"
"You'll get it when you're older," she says sweetly, patting my cheek.
I lean away from her hand, but she just laughs and keeps talking, filling the space with stories from France. Some gala she had to attend. A designer who insulted her earrings and got banned from the show. A bakery she fell in love with and visited every day. How Ray carried her through the rain once because she wore suede heels in a thunderstorm.
"Ray, tell him I looked like a drowned cat," she says dramatically, turning to the front. "He needs to know how miserable I was!"
Ray, still expressionless behind the wheel, just mutters, "She looked like a wet fashion magazine cover."
"Oh my God, thank you," Ava says, flopping back into her seat with a satisfied sigh. "Sebby, can we all just live in Paris one day? You'd love it there."
I look at her for a moment—her face glowing, lashes fluttering, lips red, and voice like she's been waiting months to speak again. Like the whole city missed her too much to hold her for long.
And yeah. I guess I did miss this.
Even the noise.
Especially the noise.